24-hour fasting, prayer near Eagle Rock to precede June 9 MDEQ contested case appeal

View from the top of Eagle Rock, or Migi zii wa sin, a sacred site for the Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) people. Rio Tinto / Kennecott plans to blast through Eagle Rock as an entry for their projected nickel and copper sulfide mine. (Keweenaw Now 2009 file photo)

MARQUETTE -- On June 9, 2011, oral arguments will be made in the appeals of the mining and ground water discharge permits for the Eagle Mine project on Upper Michigan’s Yellow Dog Plains. These suits lay out the numerous ways in which Kennecott has failed to meet the standards of several laws and how MDEQ has failed to require the company to comply with these laws.

In August 2010 Kennecott's fence surrounds Eagle Rock.

Should the permits be deemed lawful, construction will continue and mining operations will begin. A site sacred to the Anishinaabe will be desecrated by blasting and drilling through Eagle Rock, or Migi zii wa sin. This may occur as early as mid-July.

At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, a Fire will be started in view of Eagle Rock and attended for 24 hours. Fasting and prayer will accompany the Fire’s presence.

Fasting site in view of Eagle Rock.

Please take some time on June 8th and 9th to help in the effort for truth to prevail. The truth must be understood for our environment, most importantly the water.

Meditate, pray and/or fast. With a united effort a consciousness can be raised for the protection of the Earth.

View of the Salmon Trout River. Kennecott's ore body is under this trout stream. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

All are welcome to visit the Fire. 1.3 miles west of the guard shack at the mine site along the Triple A Road is a fork in the road. Veer to the right. Continue 500 feet and turn right again. There may be two signs indicating "no snowmobiles." Drive between the signs and continue about one fourth mile. You are there at the northwest corner of the mine site.

See the May 24, 2011, posting on Stand for the Land: "One Can Make a Difference" (like the bird in the flock).

Take a moment to think of the Water. See "A Thought for the Water."

Portage Library Summer Reading Program to open with family fun June 11

Library Community Programs Coordinator Chris Alquist, right, assists visitors at the June 2010 registration for the Portage Lake District Library Summer Reading Program. (File photos by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- Opening day activities and registration for the Portage Lake District Library Summer Reading Program will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 11.

Kids are invited to make crafts and everyone can create an ice cream sundae in the community room. Early registrants will be treated with a balloon hat or animal made especially for them by John Gershenson.

This young library visitor is enjoying his ice cream sundae during the 2010 Summer Reading Program opening day at the Portage Lake District Library. The "create your own sundae" activity is a tradition at the annual event.

The "Reading Takes You Around the World!" Summer Reading Program will continue through Saturday, August 13; and people may register throughout the summer. Participants will receive a reading log, book bag, and bookmark when they register and prizes as they progress through their reading lists. The Summer Reading Program is open to all ages, children through adults. Reading logs may include books, magazines, audio books, reading to young children, or being read to.

The Summer Reading Program series of events includes Storytimes with Maria Sliva every Wednesday from 11 a.m. - noon. The Houghton High School Key Club will also present Storytimes and a craft on days to be announced. Look for listings of programs and events in the library, the media, on Facebook, and at www.pldl.org.

Everyone is invited to join the fun. Let your imagination take you around the world!

For more information, please call the library at 482-4570.

Calumet Art Center organ available for practice

CALUMET -- The organ at the Calumet Art Center has been tuned and the blower has been reworked to new and the Performance Hall is open and available for organ practice.

The Calumet Art Center organ is now available for organists who wish to practice. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The Calumet Art Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 906-281-3494 to reserve practice time or to make arrangements for use of the organ when the building is not open.

Please pass this announcement on to other organists in the area. Donations for your practice time are welcome.

Copies of Christina Harmon's CD, "Eight Historic Pipe Organs of the Copper Country," are available at Ed Gray's Gallery and at the Calumet Art Center. The Calumet Art Center Organ is on one of the CDs.

Calumet Art Center to hold annual meeting

The Calumet Art Center will hold its annual meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at the Center, 57055 Fifth Street, Calumet. For more info call (906) 281-3494.

Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival to celebrate 10th year June 11

At the 2010 Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival, schottische-lovers dance to the Pasi Cats' music. This Saturday, June 11, 2011, the Pasi Cats will again be part of the music lineup for the Festival's 10th year. (File photos by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- Celebrate the arrival of spring with the Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival happening from noon - 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, on the upper parking deck in downtown Houghton. The festival, now in its 10th year, provides an opportunity to hear live local music, spend time downtown, and shop at regional artist booths.

Houghton artist Miriam Pickens sells pottery at her booth during the 2010 Spring Art and Music Festival.

Located behind the Keweenaw Brewing Company, this year’s artist booths will feature stained glass, pottery, jewelry, fiber art, paintings, wearable art, photography, honey products, and many more quality art items for sale.

Award-winning author Debbie Frontiera sells her books at the 2010 Art and Music Festival. Look for Debbie and her booth at this year's festival as well!

There will be a variety of fun and free family art activities, including Stephanie Treviño's Art Bus, the Frog Hop scavenger hunt (offering prizes for visiting local businesses), a Plant Sale and the ever popular Extreme Bake Sale.

Artist Stephanie Treviño's Art Bus, temporarily parked here in Hancock, will make its public debut at the 2011 Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival this Saturday, June 11.

Music will be played by the following local groups:

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- Huffing Pink
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. -- Gratiot Lake
3 p.m. - 4 p.m. -- Jellikit
4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. -- Uncle Pete's All-star Barbecue Blues Band
5:45 p.m. - 7 p.m. -- PasiCats

The festival is supported by the City of Houghton, Brockit Inc., Brassard Media, MTEC SmartZone, Minnesota Public Radio, the Keweenaw Brewing Company, and Bohemia Printing. Thanks also to Good Times Music, Victoria's Kitchen, The Edge Tattoo, Keweenaw Hydroponics, and Framed by Kathy.

The Spring Art and Music Festival benefits the Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock. Visit their Web site for more information.

Carnegie Museum to host traveling exhibit, presentation on Keweenaw photographer J. W. Nara

HOUGHTON -- "Michigan's Copper Country Through the Lens of J.W. Nara" is a traveling exhibit created by Michigan Tech Archives that explores the life and times of Calumet photographer J.W. Nara. The exhibit is currently on display at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton through Tuesday, July 5.

Erik Nordberg, University Archivist at Michigan Tech Archives, will give an illustrated presentation on the exhibit -- which features dozens of historical photographs of the Keweenaw -- at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at the Carnegie Museum. The public is invited and admission is free.

Born in Finland in 1874, John William Nara later immigrated to the United States and established a photographic studio in Calumet, Michigan, in the heart of America's most productive copper mining region. In addition to posed studio portraits, J.W. Nara's lens also captured the people, place, and time he experienced in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Copper mining and industry are an important part of the story; but Nara also captured the Keweenaw's rural landscape, including local farms, shorelines, lighthouses, and pastoral back roads.

For more information on the exhibit, contact the Michigan Tech Archives at 906-487- 2505 or via e-mail at copper@mtu.edu or the Carnegie Museum at 906-482-7140 or email history@cityofhoughton.com.

Carnegie Museum Current Exhibits also include the following: "Golden Anniversary of the Portage Lift Bridge," a brief history of the bridges that have crossed the Portage; "Building Bridges," a hands-on look at engineering bridges; and "A Stroll Down Shelden Avenue: Commercial Development of Downtown Houghton 1852-1910."

Located on the corner of Huron and Montezuma in historic downtown Houghton, the Carnegie Museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays noon - 5 and Saturdays noon - 4. Parking is available behind the building or in the City lot across Montezuma Avenue. Free admission. "Like" us on Facebook for updates on exhibits, events, and activities!

Ryan St. Community Garden brings university, city together

Coordinators of the Ryan Street Community Garden in Hancock -- from left, Viki Weglarz, Keren Tischler and Barbara Hardy -- take a break from garden work on a sunny June 2, 2011. (Photos by Keweenaw Now unless otherwise indicated.)

By Leena Vänni *

I have no experience with gardening because I am a "city girl." When I arrived in Hancock, I saw a sign very near to the house where I’m living. When I found out it was a community garden I decided to take part, and I have had only a positive experience. In the garden, there is always something to do; and, after long days in the office, physical work acts as a great counterbalance.

Leena Vänni, author of this article, checks on the vegetables she has planted in her raised bed plot at the Ryan Street Community Garden. Vänni, of Tampere, Finland, has been in Hancock for several months working as an intern for The Finnish American Reporter.*

I have a private backyard on the other side of my house, so I had a choice to make. I could learn to garden all by myself on the shadowy side of the house -- or garden together with the other people who teach me and help me and are there to chat with while we tend to our crops. The decision wasn’t too hard. In "community gardening," the "community" comes first.

This is the first growing season for the Ryan Street Community Garden, which was founded in collaboration with Finlandia University and the City of Hancock. It is Hancock’s first community garden and part of a strategic and creative long-term exchange of resources between the University and the community. The idea of the community garden came from Glenn Anderson, Hancock city manager. Philip Johnson, president of Finlandia University, was inspired by the idea of the community garden. As Finlandia was tearing down old houses on its campus, the university was able to provide a piece of land.

Part of the City of Hancock's commitment to the community garden project is to provide water to the garden at no charge. Shown here, from left, are Joe, Bob, and Ken of the Hancock Department of Public Works hooking up a supply line for the garden off the existing water hydrant. Sustainable water use strategy at the garden is first to conserve water, then to collect and use rainwater from on-site sources, and as a last option use City-supplied water. (Photo © and courtesy Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center)

"At Finlandia, we are looking for every way possible to build the campus and the community together," says Johnson.

He finds the community garden a great opportunity for the university to be part of a sustainable community.

The process of creating a garden required a lot of work. The old foundations and remnants of construction debris were filled in and covered over with sand and gravel. Very little topsoil was left to support a garden, and large pieces of concrete and stone foundation remained just below the surface. Because of this, the primary challenge to developing the site was to improve the soil.

At a garden orientation on May 7, 2011, gardeners discuss the community compost system and the importance of cycling nutrients to maintain soil fertility. Barbara Hardy, left, said one great feature of the garden is the fact that the gardeners can have an outlet for composting their own food scraps. (Photo © and courtesy Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center)

"I am amazed how fast the coordinators made good plans and carried it through. The design of the garden seems to be as good as it could be," said one of the gardeners, Don Herman, whose grandparents came from Vaasa, Finland.

Herman is an experienced gardener and used to have a garden when he lived for 40 years near San Diego, California. It was a great place to grow fruit trees. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has a more demanding climate, so he is approaching this first summer as an experimental period, planting several vegetables and finding out what will do well.

Hancock resident Don Herman waters his vegetable patch at the Ryan Street Community Garden on a sunny afternoon. (Photo © and courtesy Leena Vänni)

The design solution was to build raised beds.

"We designed the rest of the garden around the raised beds, working our ideas out on paper first and implementing them as the labor and resources are available," said the Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center's Barbara Hardy, coordinator of the garden project. "This is only the garden’s first season so there is still much to be developed. In addition to the raised beds for growing annual vegetables, flowers, and herbs we plan to have a perennial food garden, a rainwater roof catchment system, an information kiosk, interpretive signage, public art pieces, and much more."

Mark Salo of Salo Contracting (on roof), is pictured here with his crew (from left) John Crooks and Mark Hill, during construction of the shed for storing garden tools and supplies. Salo, an experienced forester and timber-frame builder, generously donated his time to custom design and build the structure for the Ryan Street Garden. (Photo © and courtesy Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center)

The piece of land had previously been a site of two houses, both of which were inhabited by nuns. During the groundwork, several crucifixes and other religious objects were found and collected. In a stroke of bad luck, these objects were stolen later on as they were waiting to be picked up.

Hardy has lots of ideas for the community garden. She hopes to use the garden for educational purposes. The variety of ages, experience levels, and gardening styles among the participating gardeners results in a natural and informal exchange of information that happens between people when they work together. Some of the new gardeners have no experience at all.

Because the garden is located in the heart of downtown and is surrounded by the Finlandia University campus, the site is very visible to the public and receives a lot of visitors.

"We plan to have demonstration areas and interpretive signage throughout the garden so people can take a self-guided tour and learn about different elements of the garden such as composting, cold-hardy crops, rainwater collection, native and companion plants, and more," said Hardy.

Barbara Hardy adjusts a row cover made of spun polyester. The covers protect young plants from frost. The completed storage shed can be seen in the background.

In the future, Hardy’s idea is to work with the university to convert the house adjacent to the garden into a learning center for classes and workshops.

Community gardens bring many benefits to the community, like stimulating social interaction, beautifying neighborhoods and producing nutritious food.

Hardy said that, for her, the most important value of the community garden is building community self-reliance, which she defines as learning how to meet the needs of our community with the resources and skills we have available within our region.

Hancock resident Joyce Koskenmaki checks on her vegetable plot at the Ryan Street Community Garden.

"Learning how to grow your own food is a fun and rewarding place to start," Hardy noted. "In fact gardening encompasses a lot more than just agricultural skills. You also learn about nutrition, cooking, carpentry, plumbing, masonry, local meteorology, geology, natural history, social dynamics and much more."

Ryan Street Garden coordinators, from left, Barbara Hardy, Keren Tischler and Viki Weglarz inside the tool shed.

Gardener Herman finds several benefits as well, like being a part of a group with similar goals and helping to start something that is meaningful for the community.

"Gardening is also good exercise, and it gives satisfaction to see something valuable grow," he said.

*Editor's Notes: This article first appeared, in slightly different form, in the June 2011 issue of The Finnish American Reporter (Vol. 25 - No. 6). Reprinted with permission.

See more photos on the Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center's Web site.

Mother Earth Water Walkers to reach Baraga June 8

BARAGA -- The 2011 Mother Earth Water Walk is nearing its final destination -- Bad River, Wisconsin -- and will pass through the following Michigan locations this week:
Seney - June 4,5; Munising - June 5,6; Harvey - June 6, 7; Champion - June 7, 8; Sidnaw and Baraga - June 8.

Mother Earth Water Walk 2011 poster courtesy New Warriors for the Earth.*

Members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) will host a Welcome Reception for the walkers from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, at the Ojibwa Community College Gym in Baraga.

Everyone is welcome to show their support for our most precious and sacred element -- water -- and bring yourself, children, friends and family to walk with these courageous women as they come through on their way to Bad River, Wisconsin.

Donations and gifts are appreciated but are not required.

The 1st Annual Women’s Water Walk took place in April 2003. Several women from different clans came together to raise awareness that our clean and clear water is being polluted by chemicals, vehicle emissions, motor boats, sewage disposal, agricultural pollution, leaking landfill sites -- and that residential usage is taking a toll on our water quality.

Along with supporters, the women walked around Lake Superior in Spring 2003, around Lake Michigan in 2004, Lake Huron in 2005, Lake Ontario in 2006 and Lake Erie in 2007.**

Editor's Notes:
* Visit New Warriors for the Earth for a larger version of the poster.

** In 2003, our original Keweenaw Now Web site (keweenawnow.com) reported progress of the first Women's Water Walk. Click here for some news items on that event.

Celebrate World Environment Day: June 5

HANCOCK -- Sunday, June 5, 2011, is World Environment Day (WED), sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme. It is an annual event aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. WED activities take place all year round but climax on June 5 every year.

World Environment Day began in 1972 and has grown to become the one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

This year's theme -- Forests: Nature At Your Service -- is meant to create awareness of the multiple roles forests play in our lives, including providing a source of livelihood, refuge for many species, and clean air for all.

Do something for the environment on June 5 -- plant flowers or vegetables, plant a tree, create habitat in your back yard for birds and other wildlife, pick up plastic bags floating around the neighborhood, recycle something to keep it out of a landfill ...

Check out the World Environment Day Web page to read how people all over the world are taking action for the environment.

Concerned about climate change? Click here for a section devoted to that topic with links to recent informative articles.

Opinion: The True Value of "Hobby" Classes

By Rick Kasprzak*

The current political climate is very hostile towards public education and arts classes in particular. It has been suggested classes such as shop are "hobby" classes.

I am a direct beneficiary of those "hobby" classes offered in public schools. So are you.

In his workshop, Calumet resident Rick Kasprzak cuts a 2X4 to size using a miter-saw, also known as a "chop" saw. (Photo © and courtesy Rebekah Kasprzak)

Along with a lot of students, I took metal and wood shop classes when I was in Junior High School. At the time, realistically I didn’t put too much stock in them. I was gearing myself towards a degree in electronics engineering, as at the time computers were the wave of the future.

However, the engineering degree didn’t pan out. Now I find myself in a retail career. The Business minor is coming in handy.

I like to think of myself as a capitalist. I recognize a need, and I fill it. Anyone with the savvy can make some capital, which is the point of capitalist market.

One thing the Keweenaw abounds with is vacant properties. With the current economic situation, anyone with credit or cash can take advantage of the opportunities. With the basic tool skills I possess because of those shop classes, I have the confidence to buy those properties and rehabilitate them.

That obviously benefits me, but you may be wondering how that helps you.

Rick Kasprzak assembles a greenhouse he is attaching to his garage, over a raised-bed garden. (Photo © and courtesy Rebekah Kasprzak)

When I purchase a property in tax default, the state and the municipality immediately recoup the back taxes. Also, the property is then held by someone responsible (in this case, me) who will continue to pay taxes. Also, it is in my best interest to fix up the property. That means I am investing in the community by keeping a home from deteriorating. That in turn, has a positive effect on the surrounding homes by adding value to all the properties in the neighborhood.

My intention is to turn these rehabilitated homes into affordable rental housing, another valuable service to the community. As I acquire more properties, I will need to hire contractors and handymen. I will be purchasing supplies and tools from local businesses. I hope to grow my small business large enough that I can retire from my retail job and focus on property acquisition and rehabilitation.

Not bad for a few "hobby" classes.

*Editor's Note: Calumet resident and guest writer Rick Kasprzak attended the May 14 "Save Your School, Show Your Spirit" rally in Houghton. He said he agreed with music teacher Ann Campbell's statements defending "hobby" classes and wrote this article to share his experience with Keweenaw Now readers. See our May 15, 2011, article, "Local teachers, union members rally for schools," with a videoclip of Campbell's comments.

Three Calumet galleries to host First Friday events June 3

CALUMET -- First Friday, June 3, will offer three great events at three Calumet galleries.

"Orchids and Rare Wildflowers" at Copper Country Associated Artists Gallery

Ram's-head Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium arietinum), a native Keweenaw Orchid and a wildflower of Michigan Special Concern, is part of the program photographer Harvey Desnick will present Friday, June 3, at the Copper Country Associated Artists Gallery in Calumet. (Photo © and courtesy Harvey Desnick)

Some of the most fascinating orchids in North America inhabit our Keweenaw Peninsula. Friday June 3, Harvey Desnick, author of the wildflower pictorial Keweenaw Wildflowers Blooming Seasons, will present his program, "Orchids and Rare Wildflowers of the Keweenaw," at the Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) Gallery as part of First Friday Art Night in Historic Downtown Calumet.

Through Harvey’s photography, you’ll see and learn about 26 native orchids and a number of rare and endangered wildflowers growing from the Lake Superior shores to the tops of the Keweenaw cliffs.

The lights will be dimmed to afford the best viewing of this colorful presentation. The program will start at 7 p.m. and will run about 45 minutes. Admission is free. Seating is limited. The CCAA Gallery is located at 112 Fifth Street in Calumet.

Ed Gray Gallery to host Fiber Show

An exhibit by fiber artists Donna Kallner, Bill and Linda Sumner, and Karen Tembruell will open with a reception for the artists from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, June 3, at the Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet.

This show, which will continue through June 29, 2011, will coincide with the Midwest Weavers’ Conference to be held June 19-26 at Finlandia University in Hancock. The theme of this year's conference is "Northern Wefts."*

The Ed Gray Gallery is at 109 Fifth St. Call (906) 337-5970 for more information.

"The Language of Fiber" to open at Vertin Gallery for June

The Vertin Gallery's June show, "The Language of Fiber," will feature the work of Wynne Mattila, Cameron Taylor-Brown and Susan Moran. This show coincides with "Northern Wefts," the 2011 Midwest Weavers' Conference taking place in Hancock June 19-26.*

Wynne Mattila is a self-taught rug designer and weaver, creating "contemporary expressions of weave structures used in traditional Finnish and Scandinavian textiles." She is based in Minneapolis, Minn.

Cameron Taylor-Brown is a Los Angeles-based fiber artist, who, through her weaving, "embraces and celebrates the ancient heritage and language of woven cloth." She has been involved in textiles and education on both coasts in many different arenas.

Susan Moran works with traditional surface design techniques, adapting them to express contemporary images of the human experience of the natural world, while acknowledging the historical significance as well as the functions that textiles have served. She lives in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"The Language of Fiber" will be on display at the Vertin Gallery from June 3 through June 29, with an reception to be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, to coincide with the Midwest Weavers' Conference.

Although the reception will be postponed to June 22, the Vertin will be open late on First Friday, June 3, for those who want to get a first look at the exhibit. The Vertin is also pleased to welcome back Ansley Knoch as a special guest curator for this event.

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.

* Click here for information on the Midwest Weavers' Conference.

Copper Range Historical Museum to host Open House June 4

SOUTH RANGE -- The Copper Range Historical Museum, 44 Trimountain Ave., South Range, Mich., will host an Open House from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, June 4, to celebrate the museum’s first day of operation in the summer 2011 season. Admission to the Open House is free.

The Copper Range Historical Museum in South Range will host an Open House from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, June 4. Free admission. (Photo courtesy Karen Johnson, secretary, Copper Range Historical Society and Museum of South Range)

The Copper Range Historical Museum’s collection of displays, artifacts, and photos provides visitors with a sense of what life was like for copper miners and their families during the copper boom years in the late 19th and early- to mid-20th centuries.

Copper Range Historical Museum hours are noon to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, June 4 through October 1. The museum is closed on Mondays in June and September. A $1 donation is suggested; children and museum members are admitted free.

This summer the museum is participating -- with more than 1,300 other museums nationwide -- in the National Endowment for the Arts’ Blue Star Museums program, which offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families.

To contact the museum, call 906-482-6125. To arrange a free group tour, call 906-482-6844.

Petition-signing event for Snyder recall to be June 4 in Hancock

HANCOCK -- A petition-signing event for the Rick Snyder recall effort will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Keweenaw Co-op Community Room, 1035 Ethel Ave., Hancock.

This is the first of several signing days in the Copper Country for the Rick Snyder recall effort. Come sign your name and/or pick up petitions to disseminate to your various communities/areas. Detailed instructions will be available during pickup.

VERY IMPORTANT: Park along the street ONLY. Do NOT park in the Co-op's parking lot to attend this event.

PLEASE NOTE: Allowing a group to use the Community Room does not in any way constitute an endorsement of that group's beliefs by the Keweenaw Cooperative Board of Directors, Keweenaw Cooperative management, or Keweenaw Cooperative staff; and no claim to that effect nor claim of Keweenaw Cooperative sponsorship may be used explicitly or implicitly, in advertising.

Reasons to recall Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder:

Rick Snyder has indicated a desire to eliminate collective bargaining and other employee rights and favors tax cuts for the rich while taxing pensions and increasing taxes for the poor. He intends to assign emergency financial managers (EFMs) to any community or school district that has to request assistance in times of financial stress. The EFM will have the full authority to dissolve unions and overrule local governments.

We in the Upper Peninsula know that Lansing very often doesn't have our best interests in mind. According to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, nearly the entire Upper Peninsula is considered to be a "blighted" or "distressed" area. The prospect of a state-appointed financial manager from Lansing taking control of our communities and penalizing our public workers becomes all too real.

On top of that, Snyder has proposed to slash funding for K-12 and Higher Ed. Once again, the standards that are applied to school districts and public universities downstate rarely apply to us; and we may be forced to consolidate even further than we already have.

Join us here for some essential Yooper solidarity and join with our brothers and sisters downstate who also value democracy, community, and the simple values and inalienable rights of the middle and lower class.

For more information and updates about the effort please visit The Committee to Recall Rick Snyder Web site at http://firericksnyder.org/ Learn about the the local Upper Peninsula effort at www.facebook.com/yoopersagainstsnyder.

Event coordinator: Krissy Sundstrom

Click here for a map with directions to the Keweenaw Co-op.

Photo: "Recall Rick" sign at the April 2, 2011, Bridge Walk for Unity in Houghton protesting Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's budget with proposed cuts to schools, taxes on the working poor and seniors' retirement, and tax breaks for corporations -- as well as the Emergency Financial Manager legislation, which could allow the governor to fire elected officials and take over municipalities and school districts. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Click here to read our Apr. 4, 2011, article about the Bridge Walk for Unity.