From Headwaters: Industry reps discuss future of mining and logging in the U.P.

At the recent annual meeting of Operation Action UP at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, panel members include, from right, Andre Ware (Rio Tinto), David Holli (Holli Forest Products), Don Ryan (Meeting Host), and Dale Hemmila (Cliffs Natural Resources). (Photo © 2011 Teresa Bertossi. Reprinted with permission.)

MARQUETTE -- Teresa Bertossi of Headwaters News recently attended Operation Action UP’s annual meeting, themed "Natural Resources: The Next Generation," at Northern Michigan University. The event was advertised as a panel of "natural resource experts" and the announcement of 2010 award winners, including businesses that have contributed to the economic well being of the Upper Peninsula.

Bertossi cites three industry representatives on the panel: Rio Tinto’s Exploration Manager Andrew Ware, Holli Forest Products’ President Dave Holli, and District Manager of Public Affairs for Cliffs Natural Resources Dale Hemmila. She contrasts their views of the role of natural resources in the Upper Peninsula economy with results from a recent survey conducted by a group of social scientists and natural resource experts from the Carsey Institute.

The purpose of the survey was "to investigate how rural Americans view socioeconomic and environmental changes affecting their lives and communities." Five Upper Peninsula counties were surveyed.

Survey results show that the U.P. ranks high in measures of poverty and out-migration of residents, traits often associated with natural resource-dependent communities. The report also explains that although the U.P. was, "At one time, a region with a high proportion of blue collar middle-class jobs dependent upon natural resources … the future of the U.P. may now rely upon the preservation and maintenance of its natural amenities that could attract new kinds of development."

To read an interesting contrast between viewpoints of these two types of "natural resource experts," click here for Bertossi's article, posted today, Feb. 7, 2011, on Headwaters News.

Letter to Editor: Road to somewhere

By Catherine Parker*

MARQUETTE -- The first line of the Endangered Species Act says, "various species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the U.S. have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation."

There has been talk amongst local officials about "opening up" western Marquette County to economic development by bisecting the wilderness with a new county road.**

Not a winding country lane, as it was falsely depicted on a certain mining company's website, but one designed with large ore trucks in mind.

The original Woodland Road would have crossed through the headwaters and wetlands of four watersheds, posing significant risk to water and wildlife. The County Road 595 corridor straddles this same route and was never more than a thinly veiled attempt by Rio Tinto to get its haul road built, most recently under the auspices of the County Road Commission.

It has been an open secret that local officials and Kennecott expected federal regulators to relax their standards when dealing with a public as opposed to a private road, but that has not been the case.

Although Rio Tinto has announced that it is no longer interested, county officials are intent on lobbying the EPA for approval of the Woodland Road/CR 595, sending off a letter in haste, asking them to "start moving on it."

Is it appropriate for our local officials to be pressuring the EPA to ignore the law? Nearly three-fourths of the original wetlands area in our state, an estimated 11 million acres, has been destroyed. It is not in the public's best interest to adopt a cavalier attitude toward what remains.

The Road Commission, under pressure from city, county and township officials, continues to press forward with plans for CR 595, despite the absence of a funding source and shrinking transportation dollars.

Sixty-one percent of Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) roads need repairs -- 380 miles, at a cost of $160 million. Under current funding, only 6 to 8 miles of road can be fixed per year.

Additionally, 52 out of 94 MCRC bridges need work; and, according to the Road Commission, it would take $40 million to repair or replace them.

As Iwanicki himself said, "Road funding is at a breaking point."***

Why, then, aren't our local officials directing their lobbying efforts towards maintaining the roads we already have, while protecting the environment and community we cherish?

Editor's Notes:

*Catherine Parker is a resident of Marquette. This letter also appeared in the Marquette Mining Journal on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. Reprinted here with permission of the author.

** See our Oct. 25, 2010, article, "Opponents of proposed 'public' mine haul road call for more public input" and the Feb. 1, 2010, update, "Marquette officials discuss Kennecott haul road options." See also the Feb. 6, 2011, Marquette Mining Journal article, "Kennecott looked at many options for ore haul route."

*** James Iwanicki is the road engineer for the Marquette County Road Commission.

New slide show: Art from the Kalevala

Chatting with Cynthia Coté, Copper Country Community Arts Center executive director, during the Jan. 29 "Art from the Kalevala" closing reception, Peter Van Pelt offers his interpretation of Joyce Koskenmaki's "Seagull" painting. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Now has just posted a new slide show on the January 2011 "Art from the Kalevala" exhibit at the Copper Country Community Arts Center. A closing reception for the exhibit was held on Jan. 29, 2011, during the Heikinpäivä celebration.

At the Rompings of the Braidheads, by Jack Oyler. Acrylic.

"Is there room upon this island,
Land enough upon the mainland
As a place for me to play in,
As a field for me to dance on
At the sportings of the virgins,
At the rompings of the braidheads?" (from the Kalevala)

The Kalevala is a 19th-Century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology. It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature.

Twelve local artists interpreted various scenes from the Kalevala in their works exhibited at the Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery during January. The artists are Eileen Sundquist, Jack Oyler, Paul Osmak, Paul Olson, Eric Munch, Clyde Mikkola, Jan Manniko, Joyce Koskenmaki, Melissa Hronkin, Susan Hamilton, Bob Dawson, and Cynthia Coté.

Some of the artists included lines from the Kalevala, in translation, to describe the scene portrayed in their art. We have included some of these in the slide show captions.

In case you missed the exhibit and the reception, check out our slide show by clicking here or on any of the photos in our slide show link (right column).

Watch for a slide show of more Heikinpäivä events, coming soon.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with FREE entertainment Feb. 6 at Rozsa

HOUGHTON -- Welcoming the Chinese New Year 2011, the Year of the Rabbit, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) at Michigan Tech will host a celebration on Sunday, Feb. 6.

Chinese Night entertainment will begin at 8 p.m. in the Rozsa Center on the Michigan Tech campus. The performance will feature a magic show, dance, drama, and gifts for the audience! This year the entertainment event is FREE and all are invited!

The Chinese dinner on campus has been canceled; however, Ming's Buffet in Houghton will prepare many traditional Chinese dishes for this event, at normal price.

Khana Khazana to serve Indian cuisine Feb. 4

HOUGHTON -- Khana Khazana, a weekly lunch featuring international students cooking dishes from their homelands, will offer delicacies from India from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, in the Memorial Union Food Court at Michigan Tech.

Komal Tayal and Sachin Joshi will prepare chicken chettinad, a southern Indian dish; paneer-aloo kofta, curried cheese and potato dumplings; and seviyan kheer, a dessert made from vermicelli. Tayal and Joshi both are graduate students in mechanical engineering.

A full meal costs $6 and includes a fountain drink, tea or coffee. Items also are available à la carte for $2.

Khana Khazana is a collaborative project of international students and Dining Services. The campus and community are welcome.

First Friday in Calumet offers art gallery events Feb. 4

Miniature art works by local artists Leona Blessing (top left and right), Kristyn Blessing (top center), Fredi Tadeucci (second row) and Ed Gray (pottery) are part of the Miniature Show on display at the Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet Feb. 4 - March 3, 2011. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- First Friday, Feb. 4, in Calumet will offer three new art gallery events with opening receptions.

Miniature Show opens at Ed Gray Gallery

The Ed Gray Gallery presents the Miniature Show, a juried show, whose pieces are limited to outside dimensions of 5 inches, by 5 inches by 5 inches. Entries cross the spectrum of media, to include pottery, painting, quilting, glass and more. The opening reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4. Refreshments will be served.

According to artist and Gallery owner Ed Gray, the show has generated much interest among area artists, including some who have never before shown their work in the Gallery. It includes more than 90 pieces.

The Miniature Show will be on display through March 3, 2011. The Ed Gray Gallery is located at 109 Fifth Street, Calumet. Visit the Gallery's Web site for more information.

Vertin Gallery to present works by two artists

The Vertin Gallery is pleased to present the artwork of Melissa Hronkin and Kerri Corser in its newest exhibition, "Transmutations," which will be on display from Feb. 4 through March 3. A public reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4. Refreshments will be served.

"Transmutations" features encaustics and two- and three-dimensional mixed media work with beeswax from Hronkin and oil and gouache paintings from Corser. Their work revolves around the process of change, primarily in an alchemical sense. Corser focuses on the exact moment of change, depicting the movement and magic of an instant. Hronkin’s work explores texture and radial designs as she continues her fascination with the ultimate alchemist, the honeybee.

Located in the heart of downtown Calumet, at 220 Sixth Street, 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.

Copper Country Associated Artists to host "Bookmaking"

On Feb. 4, be sure to stop in at the Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) Gallery at 112 Fifth Street in Calumet for another unforgettable First Friday creative experience. Miriam Pickens will be there to help guide you through the making of a handmade, self-decorated book. Your creation could be used as a valentine with photos and verse, recipes for a friend or a pressed flower collection. The possibilities are endless.

Talented CCAA members will assist you as the evening, starting at 6:30 p.m., grows intense until 9 p.m. Materials are provided for the evening, and refreshments are served.

First Friday CCAA demonstrations are an opportunity to discover a variety of arts and fine craft techniques from some of the area’s most talented artists. Visit the CCAA Web site for more information.

Backyard birds weather Chicago storm

Chicago's airports and streets may be paralyzed by the snowstorm, but backyard birds like this cardinal made it to the local "restaurant" in one of Chicago's northwest suburbs. Why did the photographer take the photo through the window? Reported 15 inches of snow with 5- to 6-ft. drifts and temperature tonight predicted to be 15 below with -35 wind chill. Pretty balmy here in the U.P., hey? (Photo © 2011 and courtesy Sue Dunn. Reprinted with permission.)

"Biased and Edgy: New Quilts by Joe Cunningham" to open Feb. 3 at Community Arts Center

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Council presents "Biased and Edgy: New Quilts by Joe Cunningham" in the Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery Feb. 3 through Feb. 26.

Joe Cunningham grew up in Flint, Michigan. He started playing guitar and drums at an early age and began playing music professionally in high school. He made his living from music until he was invited to write the catalogue for a quilt documentation project. To prepare for that he learned how to make quilts; and since 1979 he has been making, writing about, talking and teaching about, and even singing about quilts. Today he lives in San Francisco with his wife and sons, working from his quilt studio in the city and living in the Presidio National Park, the former Army base adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge.

From the beginning, Cunningham has been a student of quilt history, writing scholarly articles, essays and books on the subject. In his studies he ran across the story of Joe the Quilter, an Englishman who made quilts in the late 1700s, a story which inspired him to create a one-man musical quilt show called Joe the Quilter. The show is comprised of songs, stories and original quilts all created to tell the tale of the original Joe the Quilter. In 2001 he added the show to his repertoire of lectures and classes, leading to performances throughout the country.*

The Community Arts Center will host a public reception and gallery talk with a sampling of Cunningham’s original music from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3. On Tuesday, Feb. 8, he will give a talk and demonstrate various hand and machine quilting techniques at the Arts Center. The program will be from 10 a.m. until noon. There is a small fee and space is limited so please register by calling the Community Arts Center at 482-2333. This exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a. m. - 6 p.m. and Saturdays 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Visit the website at www.coppercountryarts.com for more information.

*Editor's Note: To see samples of Joe Cunningham's quilts, visit his Web site.

Reflection Gallery hosts children’s book illustrations by Finlandia artists

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery, Hancock, is hosting an exhibition of children’s book illustrations by Brooke Cummings and Mallory Torola through Feb. 26, 2011.

Book illustration by Brooke Cummings, Finlandia University International School of Art and Design Illustration major. Click on images for larger versions. (Images courtesy Finlandia University)

An opening reception and artist talk will take place at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at the Reflection Gallery, located on the second level of the Finlandia University Jutila Center campus, 200 Michigan St., Hancock. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Brooke Cummings and Mallory Torola are both junior Illustration majors in the Finlandia University International School of Art and Design. The women both used colored pencils on illustration board, along with oil and liquin gel to blend the colors into vibrant images. Liquin is an alkyd medium traditionally used in oil painting to speed the drying rate of oil paint.

Cummings found inspiration for her work in recalling that as a child she enjoyed "Look and Find" books such as the I SPY series from Scholastic Books.

"Each page drew me in as I searched for the specific character, object, or place you needed to find, ending with a growing satisfaction once I’d completed a page," she explains.

Book illustration by Brooke Cummings, Finlandia University International School of Art and Design Illustration major.

The "Look and Find" game is simple, but Cummings’s illustrations are complex, vibrant, and highly detailed.

"Rather than creating a book with one continuous storyline, I wanted to create a game with a different story on each page, and create a fun atmosphere for the people viewing it," she says.

Cummings says that to intensify the colors and give her work a more painted look she spread liquin gel and oil over the colored pencil drawings. While she is very familiar with colored pencils, she notes that the use of the liquin and oil was an approach she hadn’t used before.

Mallory Torola presents illustrations from Into the Land of Sunshine, a book about a young girl and her monster friend from under the bed. The girl and the monster venture in imaginary lands, learning lessons along the way.

Book illustration from Into the Land of Sunshine, by Mallory Torola, Finlandia University International School of Art and Design Illustration major.

"I like to draw images and scenes that people can relate to -- ones that are childish, fanciful, and colorful," Torola says about her work. "I incorporate quirky characters and animals with human qualities into my pieces because I think we trust and remember these images from childhood -- a time when everything was simpler."

As her medium, Torola also used the combination of colored pencil with oil and liquin.

"The liquin and oil dissolve and blend with the colored pencil, enabling me to build up bright layers of many different colors much faster than oil paint or colored pencil alone," Torola explains.

Book illustration from Into the Land of Sunshine, by Mallory Torola, Finlandia University International School of Art and Design Illustration major.

"The technique is a very successful combination," she adds. "The method draws my images off the page, creating bright, fun scenes of imaginary, distant lands."

For additional information, please contact Yueh-mei Cheng, professor of studio arts, at 906-487-7375 or yueh-mei.cheng@finlandia.edu.

Keweenaw Heritage Grants workshop to be Feb. 3

CALUMET -- The National Park Service (NPS) at Keweenaw National Historical Park and the Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission have scheduled the 2011 Keweenaw Heritage Grants workshop for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at park headquarters, located at the corner of Red Jacket Road and US-41 in Calumet.

Targeted audiences for the grant program workshop are owners and operators of historic properties and providers of copper-related history programs within Houghton, Keweenaw, or Ontonagon counties and the northern half of Baraga County.

This first workshop will prepare potential applicants for the 2011 Keweenaw Heritage Grants program, focusing on the various types of projects that potential grantees may want to consider, and will include examples of past projects and sample applications. NPS professional staff will be on hand to advise attendees on issues related to planning a successful project and submitting an application that will compete well.

The Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission will be offering $100,000 in grants for its part of the 2011 program, doubling its available funds from 2010. Advisory Commission grants will be available to owners and operators of historic properties, and providers of copper-related programs. Advisory Commission grants will be subject to a 1-to-1 match, although up to 100 percent of the match may be in-kind.

National Park Service grants will be available to owners of historic property within the Calumet and Quincy units of the park, subject to a 1-to-1 cash match, in accordance with the current park legislation. The NPS will have up to $50,000 available for its part of the 2011 Keweenaw Heritage Grants program.

Grants for both the Advisory Commission and the NPS will range between $1,000 and $50,000. There will be one application to apply for both funding sources. Organizations that operate Keweenaw Heritage Sites will receive greater consideration for the grants, although all applications will be considered. Projects will be selected for funding based on answers submitted in the application, available funds, and a balance of project types and location.

Grant applications will be available at the workshop, and thereafter at park headquarters or on the park’s website, www.nps.gov/kewe. Grant applications will be due by the close of business on Monday, April 11. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of NPS staff and Advisory Commission members. Grant awards will be announced by April 29. Grant funds will typically be available to successful grantees by June 1, 2011.

Potential grant applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the workshop to avail themselves of professional advice and assistance with planning efforts. For additional information, please call park headquarters at 906-337-3168 or email: KEWE_Grants@nps.gov.

The North Wind: Northern Michigan University closed because of security threat

MARQUETTE -- According to The North Wind (Northern Michigan University's campus news source) NMU in Marquette has closed down today after authorities were alerted of a blog that allegedly mentioned shooting students on campus and having the results be worse than the Virginia Tech shootings.

The latest update, at 11:45 a.m., reports that "Public Safety has the situation under control on campus, but that 'as a precaution, ask that people do not come to campus and that students remain in their residence halls.'"

The North Wind Web site adds that five entrances to Marquette General Hospital will remain open, but will be closely monitored. Schools near the NMU campus, including Marquette Senior High and Father Marquette, have been closed for the day.

Visit The North Wind online for more details.

Marquette officials discuss Kennecott haul road options

MARQUETTE -- Two recent meetings of Marquette city and county officials included discussion of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's plans to haul ore from their Eagle Mine to the Humboldt mill west of Ishpeming. While the original haul route in the company's mining permit application included a railhead north of Marquette, their recent options seem to be either hauling the ore through local roads or through the woods on the proposed County Road 595 -- a route similar to that of the former Woodland Road proposal, which was opposed by three federal agencies because of potential impacts to the environment. The company reportedly rejected the County Road 595 idea earlier this month.*

On Thursday, Jan. 27, some local elected officials from townships, the Marquette County Board, and the cities met with the Marquette County Road Commission to discuss whether or not to move forward on Rio Tinto’s County Road 595/Woodland Road ore hauling project. The meeting was closed to the public.

However, Headwaters News spoke with Jim Iwanicki, Marquette County Road Commission engineer, who said, "'The general consensus of the group was that the existing road system was not in the best public safety interest of the community as a whole and they wanted to continue to look at what options there were to continue on the 595 project.'"

Click here to read the Headwaters News Jan. 28, 2011, article by Gabriel Caplett, "Marquette County Officials Discuss Plan to Build Rio Tinto’s Ore Hauling Road."

On Monday, Jan. 31, the Marquette City Commission discussed Rio Tinto - Kennecott's haul road plans at their regular meeting, open to the public.

An article today, Feb. 1, in the Marquette Mining Journal reported on that meeting, noting Kennecott's current proposal to upgrade and use existing roads, including Marquette County Road AAA, County Road 510, County Road 550 and Wright Street -- which runs through the city -- to get to U.S. 41 and the Humboldt facility met with "a strong negative response" from the city officials.

The article, by Journal staff writer Christopher Diem, also includes some public comments made at this meeting.

Click here to read the Feb. 1 Mining Journal article, "City commission unhappy with Kennecott haul move."

* Editor's Note: See the Jan. 18, 2011, Headwaters News article, "Rio Tinto Wilderness Haul Road Plan Cancelled a Second Time."