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Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Progressive: Why My Parents Just Got Arrested in Madison

By Rebecca Kemble
Posted July 25, 2013, on The Progressive
Reprinted in part with permission

MADISON -- My parents were arrested yesterday [July 24, 2013]. They are 85 and 80 years old. Their crime was singing in the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol without a permit.

Tom and Joan Kemble moved to Madison two years ago when they realized that the steady march of time meant it would not be long before their physical ability to tend to their 20-acre organic farm they had so lovingly cultivated for three decades would decline.

(Photo insert: Joan, left, and Tom Kemble, the author's parents, singing in the Capitol in Madison, Wis., on July 24, 2013, just before they were arrested. Photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble)

It was difficult for them to leave the life, friends, fellowships and activist causes they had been involved with for the more than 50 years they had called Glastonbury, CT, home. It was also difficult for them to leave the region where three of their children and five of their ten grandchildren live.

But they were moving closer to two other daughters and the other five grandchildren. They were also looking forward to participating in the rich musical and political life that Madison has to offer.

Dad now plays the French horn in three local bands and orchestra, sings in his church choir and is a devoted participant in the noontime Solidarity Sing Along at the capitol.

Mom also attends the Sing Along and is active with several local causes, including racial justice, environmental and anti-war initiatives.

Before they moved here, Mom thought that my description of post-2010 political conditions in Wisconsin as proto-fascist was overblown rhetoric. But over the past two years, my parents have attended numerous public hearings and legislative sessions at the capitol, where they have seen first-hand the corporate control of state government and the authoritarian use of force employed to back it up.

Now Mom says, "I know what you mean."

Mom being led away by two officers twice her size. (Photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble)

Yesterday both Mom and Dad felt what it means when dozens of Capitol Police, state troopers, Department of Justice criminal investigation officers, and DNR game wardens conducted a mass arrest of 22 people who were singing peacefully in the rotunda.

The Solidarity Sing Along began in March, 2011, as a way to maintain an oppositional voice to [Wisconsin Governor] Scott Walker’s government and policies after they rammed through Act 10, the law that all but busted public sector unions in the state. The law is being challenged and is still working its way through federal and state courts. ...

Click here to read the rest of this article and see more photos.

Click here for the video, by Rebecca Kemble, of her mother continuing to sing while being arrested.

See also the July 27, 2013, article "WI Capitol Crackdown Mass Arrests: Videos," by Leslie Amsterdam, on Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

"Music on the Menu" at Portage Library to feature Bruce and Noble Rundman July 26

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library invites everyone to bring a lunch and enjoy "Music on the Menu," an outdoor series of events held on the dock outside the library.

Bruce and Noble Rundman will perform all original music on Friday, July 26, from noon to 1 p.m. Their performance will include songs from their newest album, "Never Again," with Bruce playing acoustic guitar and singing and Noble playing percussion.

Everyone is invited to eat, relax, and enjoy the lunch hour while listening to some great music. In case of bad weather, the program will be held in the community room.

This event is part of the library’s Summer Reading Program and is free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Lake Superior Binational Forum invites public comments on mining issues: deadline July 31

A swimmer enjoys a dip in Lake Superior at sunset near Big Bay, Michigan, which is only a few miles from the Eagle Mine, scheduled to start production for copper and nickel in 2014. Other new mines are planned for the Lake Superior Basin. The Lake Superior Binational Forum is asking for public input -- by July 31, 2013 -- on mining issues around the lake. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

ASHLAND, Wisc.-- The Lake Superior Binational Forum offers a public comment opportunity to allow the public to give input about mining issues in the Lake Superior
basin.

The Binational Forum is a diverse stakeholder group of 24 members from Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario, and Wisconsin, whose role is to make recommendations and provide input to the binational, state, provincial, and indigenous governments that manage the lake. In the U.S., the Forum is headquartered at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute on the Northland College campus in Ashland, Wisconsin.

"It's not the role of the Forum to take a position on an issue such as mining or any human-made activities in the basin. However, it is our role to solicit public input from lake users about how they want the natural and human environments to be managed," said Bruce Lindgren, U.S. co-chair, Herbster, Wisconsin.

(Photo inset: Bruce Lindgren, Lake Superior Binational Forum U.S. co-chair, introduces speakers at the March 23, 2012, Binational Forum in Ashland, Wis. (File photo by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now.)

All public comments will be compiled and used to help the Forum make informed recommendations and offer input and analysis to binational and indigenous nations'
governments and agencies.

The input form consists of 12 questions and gives the public an opportunity to express comments about mining from all perspectives. Public comments are accepted until July 31, 2013. Any person can take the online survey one time.

The public is invited to give input at the Forum’s web site: www.superiorforum.org/mining/public-comment-mining-in-the-lake-superior-basin

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Trio Tumpelot to perform with Finnish musicians July 26 in Hancock

HANCOCK -- Trio Tumpelot will be following its Aura Jamboree performance with another one from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. this coming Friday, July 26, at Porvoo Park in Hancock (right next to Copper Island Beach Club -- and few hundred feet West of the Ramada Inn).

"We will be featuring two young talents from Finland, Eliisa (keyboard) and Tuomas Jaakkola (accordion)," says Pasi Lautala.

The performance will be followed by The Panhandlers from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., so come to enjoy a nice summer evening with good music and cold beverages in Hancock.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected to hold rally for second referendum campaign July 24

HOUGHTON -- Keep Michigan Wolves Protected is rallying around the state to launch a second referendum campaign to overturn PA 21 (previously SB 288), which allowed the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to circumvent the first referendum and name the wolf a game species. The NRC has established a hunting season that will allow 43 wolves to be killed this fall.

A kick-off rally for the petition drive will be held at 7 p.m. TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 24, at the Country Inn Suites located at 919 Razorback Dr. in Houghton.

Representatives from Keep Michigan Wolves Protected will be discussing the upcoming wolf hunt and how you can get involved to stop wolf hunting in Michigan.

"This second referendum will preserve the impact of our first referendum that has already been certified for the ballot -- ensuring Michigan voters have the right to protect wolves and other wildlife matters," said Jill Fritz, director of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected. "Michiganders deserve to have their voices heard on the wolf issue, and we hope they’ll have an opportunity to vote on two ballot measures next year to do just that."

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected needs to collect 225,000 signatures to put the new referendum on the ballot and protect the voice of the people. For more information visit
their Web site.

If you have any questions please call 517-993-5201 or email info@keepwolvesprotected.com. 

(Photo of wolf howling courtesy wolfwatcher.org.)

Editor's Note:
See our July 13, 2013, article, "National Wolfwatcher Coalition: Michigan DNR lacks transparency, ignores public opinion on wolf harvest."

To learn what scientists say about wolf management, see our April 29, 2013, article, "Scientists, wildlife advocates ask legislators to consider science in wolf management."

Author of "Living on Sisu" to speak on research for historical fiction July 24

Deborah K. Frontiera, award-winning author of books for both children and adults, displays and sells her books at the June 2013 Finn Fest Tori at Michigan Tech. Frontiera will speak about her research for writing historical fiction TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 24, at the Calumet Library. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- Award-winning author Deborah K. Frontiera will present "Digging Up the Past for 'Real' Historical Fiction" from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 24, at the Calumet Library.

Frontiera will be speaking about the experiences of ordinary people during the 1913 copper strike. She will discuss her research for Living on Sisu: The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy, as well as what went into Copper Country Chronicler: The Best of J. W. Nara, and most recently, Picturing the Past: Finlandia University, 1896-2013. Her "adventures" in digging out the facts for all three books will help participants get a feel for the lives of people back then and also the richness of available resources in the Copper Country.

Following the presentation, Frontiera will be available to sign books. Proceeds from the sale of her books during this event will go to support projects sponsored by the Friends of the Calumet Public Library.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Calumet Public Library. For more information, visit the library or call 337-0311 ext. 1107.

Editor's Note: Read more about Deborah Frontiera's writing on her Web site.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Coppertown Museum exhibit, Induction Ceremony honoring "Big Annie" Clemenc to kick off centennial commemoration of 1913 Copper Miners' Strike

By Michele Bourdieu, with information from Keweenaw National Historical Park

Joanne Thomas, creator of the "Big Annie" exhibit at Coppertown Museum in Calumet, points out details about the life-size painted cut-out of labor leader Annie Clemenc to Calumet residents Margo McCafferty Rudd and her son, Max. Annie is pictured carrying the American flag during the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike. Coppertown will offer free admission tomorrow, July 23, to commemorate the 100 years since the beginning of the Strike on July 23, 1913. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- The 1913 Michigan Copper Miners’ Strike began on July 23, 1913, and continued until April 4, 1914. It was one of the most significant events of the labor movement in this country. One-hundred years later, on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the commemoration of the centennial will begin with an Open House at Coppertown Mining Museum in Calumet.

Coppertown, one of the 19 Keweenaw Heritage Site organizations that work with the National Park Service (NPS) at Keweenaw National Historical Park (KNHP) to tell the story of the local copper mining heritage, will offer free admission from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23. The museum features a brand new exhibit about "Big Annie" Clemenc, the Italian Hall doors exhibit, and other exhibits related to the strike.

Joanne Thomas of Allouez, creator of the new exhibit, will be present Tuesday; and NPS will have a ranger on hand at Coppertown throughout the day.

This display panel in the "Big Annie" exhibit at Coppertown Museum tells about Annie's role as a labor leader during the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike in Calumet. Click on photo for larger view.

Thomas says she became interested in the story of Annie partly because of her own Croatian heritage (Annie has been called both Croatian and Slovenian) and partly because she noticed the plaque honoring Annie at the Italian Hall Memorial in Calumet had disappeared.

"I surmised that if someone or persons bothered to remove it, it was not because they wanted it as a keepsake," Thomas said. "They wanted the representation of Annie and her story removed from our local history. I contacted the Women's Historical Center in Lansing, and the director was eager to get the plaque replaced."

This panel recounts the influence of socialist writers and political leaders on Annie Clemenc -- including Mother Jones, who visited Calumet during the strike.

Thomas said that led to contact with KNHP, caretakers of the Italian Hall site, and to plans for a wayside that tells the story of the Italian Hall, the strike and Annie. It is expected to be installed soon at the Italian Hall Memorial in Calumet. Thomas also  decided to learn as much as she could about Annie and to create this exhibit as a part of Calumet's 2013 centennial commemoration.

This detail on the life-size painted cut-out of Annie in the exhibit shows the socialist political button she proudly wore.

"I found that reestablishing Annie's story and all she stood for could become an important form of social justice activism that interested me," Thomas adds. "Annie was not considered 'well behaved.' Not in her day, and not even by today's standards. She divorced her husband because he physically and verbally abused her -- which likely increased as she became an outspoken woman leader for the rights of her laboring community. It takes great courage to withstand the onslaught of disapproval, but courage is nonetheless required for a conscientious activist to realize the needed change. 'Behaving' in the sidelines did little to correct injustices."

This display of photos shows Annie carrying a large American flag during the strikers' parades in Calumet.

As part of her research, Thomas located family members of Annie's and some historical photos. She says this exhibit at Coppertown is a condensed collection of all the known material and photos of Annie's legacy.

"Her own quotes lead the viewer to tell her story," Thomas notes. "All elements were created to come as close to scale and accuracy as possible. The entire process from its inception to its actualization yielded opportunities and miracles, with very few obstacles. The KNHP staff that aided me in this project was meritorious in bringing this exhibit to the standard that it is."

This painting of Big Annie, by Joanne Thomas, hangs on the wall in the Coppertown Museum as part of the exhibit. Thomas based the painting on historical photos of Annie and Calumet.

At 7 p.m. on the evening of Friday, July 26, at the Calumet Visitor Center, Annie Clemenc will be inducted into Labor’s International Hall of Fame in a ceremony honoring the eminent strike figure. On hand for the occasion, Lyndon Comstock, author and nominator of Annie, will speak and conduct a book-signing afterward for his recently published Annie Clemenc and the Great Keweenaw Copper Strike. Several descendants of Annie’s will be in attendance as well to receive the honor on her behalf. A reception will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony. Coppertown will also remain open until 9 p.m. that evening for those who wish to see the new exhibit.

"The Strike Centennial provides great opportunities for park partners to collaborate in commemorating a nationally significant time period," said KNHP Superintendent Mike Pflaum. "The National Park Service is proud of our many partners whose passion and pride for their heritage continue to make the Copper Country a nationally significant place that has great relevance in today’s world."

Strike-related events and exhibits will be occurring throughout the remainder of the year at National Park Service facilities, Keweenaw Heritage Sites, and other park partners throughout Upper Michigan’s Copper Country. On August 17, Main Street Calumet’s Heritage Celebration will be commemorating the strike, and on August 22 the Calumet Art Center will be hosting an evening of labor music for a Fourth Thursday in History event.

For further information, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906) 337-3168 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Videos, photos: "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally draws hundreds concerned about Great Lakes

By Michele Bourdieu

Hundreds of climate activists and supporters of the climate movement gather in Bridge View Park near the Mackinac Bridge (visible on the right, in the distance) for the July 14, 2013 "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally to share concerns about Enbridge's 60-year-old pipelines for tar sands oil under the Straits of Mackinac. (Photos by Keweenaw Now and Allan Baker)

ST. IGNACE --Concern about potential oil spills from Enbridge's pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac drew a crowd of about 400 to the "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally at Bridge View Park near the Upper Peninsula end of the Mackinac Bridge on July 14, 2013.

The weather was hot and sunny, but a pleasant breeze floated over the crowd of about 400 -- many of whom had come to hear the keynote speaker, Bill McKibben, climate activist and founder of 350.org -- an international movement to raise awareness about climate change and the need for energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

Bill McKibben, climate activist and founder of 350.org, addresses the crowd at the July 14, 2013, rally in Bridge View Park near St. Ignace, Mich.

"Think of all the sun that's going to waste," McKibben said, commenting on the weather. "[Today] we're having a 'solar spill' all around us and we need that energy so that we can get rid of this other kind of energy -- and fast."

Organized by TC 350, the Traverse City, Mich., chapter of 350.org, the rally also featured speakers Beth Wallace, co-author of the National Wildlife Federation report, "Sunken Hazard: Aging oil pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac an ever-present threat to the Great Lakes," which inspired the rally; Cecil Pavlat of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; Jess Spolstra of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, who described Enbridge's oil spill in the Kalamazoo River and its impacts; and Jarret Schlaff of the Detroit Coalition Against Tar Sands (DCATS).

Representatives from the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa and Don't Frack Michigan are among many who brought signs and banners to the rally.

Representatives from various environmental and conservation organizations were on hand with information booths; and activist musical entertainment included Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, Lake Effect, Raging Grannies and songwriter Dan Reynolds.

Cecil Pavlat of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians opened the rally expressing the Ojibwa view that it is everyone's responsibility to care for Mother Earth and her life blood -- water -- for the health of seven generations. Here is a video excerpt from his speech and song:

Cecil Pavlat of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians addresses the audience at the "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally and sings a song of meditation to help the crowd focus on the need to take responsibility for saving land and water -- before it is too late. (Videos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now unless otherwise indicated)

Several generations are represented in the rally audience. Activist speakers said the need to slow climate change by supporting alternatives to fossil fuels is especially urgent for the benefit of younger and future generations. 

Next M.C. Bill Latka of TC 350 (Traverse City, Mich.) announces the organizations supporting the rally and welcomes participants:

Rally M. C. Bill Latka of TC 350, the group that organized the rally, announces other rally supporters, including Michigan Land Use Institute, National Wildlife Federation, FLOW for Water, Food and Water Watch, Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands (MICATS), Detroit Coalition Against Tar Sands (DCATS), Ann Arbor 350, and Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council (NEMEAC).

Latka said Bill McKibben drove from Vermont with his wife, Sue, to speak at this rally at the invitation of TC 350.

In this video clip, McKibben tells the audience this rally is his first stop on his "Summer Heat" wave of action tour across the country:

At the July 14, 2013, "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally near the Straits of Mackinac, Bill McKibben, climate activist and founder of 350.org, speaks about the Tar Sands and the present extent of global warming -- temperature increases, floods, storms and climate imbalance. Click here for the rest of this speech, in which McKibben speaks about solar energy, the worldwide climate movement, the efforts to ban fracking for natural gas -- and more.

After the rally, McKibben sent a note to 350.org supporters, describing the blue waters of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan at the Straits and the large crowd that turned out for "Oil and Water Don't Mix."

McKibben writes, "And I got to explain how these local battles fit into the global one: even if that oil doesn’t spill in the Great Lakes, it will eventually spill into the atmosphere in the form of carbon, changing the climate: in fact, the water level on the Great Lakes is already falling fast because they don’t ice over for much of the winter any more, allowing increased evaporation."

McKibben also mentions the speech of Beth Wallace, co-author with Jeff Alexander of the 2012 National Wildlife Federation report "Sunken Hazard: Aging oil pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac an ever-present threat to the Great Lakes" -- a report that inspired the rally.* Here Wallace speaks about Enbridge's record of oil spills and the company's plans for expansion, including the pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac:

Beth Wallace, of the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center in Ann Arbor, co-author of a report on Enbridge's  60-year-old pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac, addresses the crowd at the July 14, 2013, "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally. Click here for the rest of her speech.*

Elaborating on Wallace's comments on the Enbridge oil spill in the Kalamazoo River, Jeff Spoelstra of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council described the oil spill in the Kalamazoo River attributed to Enbridge. Spolstra also encouraged audience members to participate in the climate movement in various ways in their local communities.

Here is an excerpt from Spoelstra's talk at the rally:

Jeff Spoelstra of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council tells the "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally audience about the impacts of Enbridge's Kalamazoo River spill of tar sands oil and the enormous task of cleaning it up.

Activist Jarret Schlaff of the Detroit Coalition Against Tar Sands (DCATS) then explained his group's action to block trucks dumping toxic Petcoke, a by-product of tar sands refining, near the Detroit River:

Detroit activist Jarret Schlaff explains why his group chose direct action -- a four-day protest -- to call attention to toxic Petcoke being dumped into the Detroit River in a neighborhood whose zip code (48217) is the third most polluted zip code in the U.S.

DCATS and MICATS (Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands) were among several groups educating the public with information and one-on-one conversations at booths set up at the rally.

A poster at the MICATS/DCATS booth at the rally explains the Petcoke process. Click on photo for larger version. See also the MICATS Web site for more information.**

MICATS organizer Jake McGraw, speaking with visitors to their booth, said, "We're trying to support local communities in organizing resistance to expansion of tar sands in the state of Michigan"

McGraw said the group is using a variety of tactics to raise awareness -- some within the system and some involving non-violent direct action, such as the Detroit group's protest described by Schlaff. These can sometimes include civil disobedience, McGraw added, such as blocking the road to prevent trucks from dumping Petcoke into the river.

"The police let us know we were in violation of the law, but they didn't make any arrests," he explained.

Jake McGraw, organizer for MICATS (Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands) explains their work to members of the audience at the July 14 "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally near the Mackinac Bridge. With him, at left, is MICATS/DCATS organizer Mariah Urueta. At right (in blue tee-shirt) is Georgia Donovan of Rockford, Mich., a member of the Izaak Walton League. She said her township, near Grand Rapids, was one of the first to pass a moratorium against fracking.

Many signs at the rally reflected the concern about fracking (hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, which threatens water supplies) in Lower Michigan.

Georgia Donovan (pictured above) of Rockford, Mich., near Grand Rapids, said her township was one of the first to pass a moratorium against fracking.

"My township is very pro-active about watershed issues," Donovan said. "Whether fracking spills or not, it uses unprecedented amounts of fresh water and it does not return it to the water system."

Donovan noted FLOW (Flow for Water, based in Traverse City) helped her township with the moratorium. The group helps townships with legal services needed for writing ordinances, she said.***

At the rally, handing out information about FLOW for Water, a non-profit policy and education organization working to ensure the waters of the Great Lakes are protected now and for future generations, are Liz Kirkwood, left, FLOW for Water executive director, and Eliza Somsel, FLOW grassroots outreach intern.***

Joining other groups against fracking in the booth area at the rally was Tia Lebherz, organizer for Food and Water Watch - Michigan.

"I think that fracking threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink, the communities we love and the climate on which we all depend," Lebherz said. "Natural gas and fracking is a bridge to nowhere. We stand in solidarity with all groups that are fighting extreme energy extraction."

During the rally, Tia Lebherz, second from left, organizer for Food and Water Watch - Michigan, joins Don't Frack Michigan representatives Joanne Beemon, left; and Anne Zukowski, right, with her husband, John Teesdale, at their booth. ****
 
Mari Hesselink of Cheboygan, Mich., collects signatures for a ballot initiative organized by Let'sBanFracking.org. *****

Some participants at the rally came from as far away as Wisconsin, including a group from Green Bay -- and also Milwaukee outdoor writer Eric Hansen, who said it's important to pay attention to the math in assessing the potential for another oil spill from Enbridge.

"The estimated velocity of the BP Gulf of Mexico spill was 57,000 barrels per day," Hansen told Keweenaw Now. "When Enbridge launched pipeline 67 (the Alberta Clipper, that runs from Canada to Superior, Wis., where it splits, with one branch running under the Mackinac Straits), they wanted to go to 440,000 barrels per day and eventually 800,000 -- and in the Kalamazoo spill they didn't shut off for 17 hours."

If you do the math, Hansen noted, three fourths of 400,000 barrels a day is 300,000, which is five times the velocity of the BP Gulf of Mexico spill. The tar sands people want to triple production because they are desperate to get a route to salt water. The gallons per day they want makes this issue "bigger than Keystone," Hansen said. ******

During the rally, Bill McKibben took time to speak informally to a group of young people about climate change and their future.

Bill McKibben offers advice to high school students on what they can do about climate change when they go to college. He is joined by scientist Peter Sinclair, who reports on his recent trip to Greenland. Click here to see a video clip of Sinclair's report to the youth at the rally.

Besides listening to speakers and learning about organizations working to protect the Great Lakes watershed, rally participants were energized and entertained by musicians and singers, including Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, Lake Effect, songwriter Dan Reynolds and the Raging Grannies.

Seth Bernard and May Erlewine express their support for Michigan and the lakes with a lively tune.

Lake Effect entertains with an audience participation song for kids of all ages.

Dan Reynolds of Bois Blanc Island, inspired by Beth Wallace's report from National Wildlife Federation: "Sunken Hazard – Aging Oil Pipelines Beneath the Straits of Mackinac an Ever-Present Threat to the Great Lakes," sings his own song about these pipelines near his home.

The Raging Grannies sing a song about the Great Lakes to the tune of "Alouette." Click here for an anti-fracking song by the Grannies.

Seth Bernard joins two musician/vocalists from the Lake Effect group in a closing hymn. (Video clip by Keweenaw Now)

More photos:

David Zaiss, former mail carrier for Interlochen Arts Academy, wearing a tee-shirt in honor of Interlochen's founder, Joe Maddy, said, "I'm here because of Joe Maddy's dreams of clean water and natural resources."

Representatives of supportive groups display their signs at the rally.

These signs publicize the Web site (HELPPA.org) of John Bolenbaugh, whistleblower for the 2010 Enbridge tar sands oil spill in the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Mich.

Shirley Galbraith of Houghton, Mich., listens to speakers during the rally. Thanks, Shirley, for sharing your umbrella protection from the "sun spill"! See Shirley's Keweenaw Now article on the February "Forward on Climate" rally in Washington, D.C., with more photos by her husband, Allan Baker. Click here for Allan's videos of that event. 

Notes:

* Click here for the 2012 National Wildlife Federation report "Sunken Hazard: Aging oil pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac an ever-present threat to the Great Lakes," by Beth Wallace and Jeff Alexander.

** Click here to learn more about MICATS and their work.

*** Visit the Flow for Water Web site.

**** Learn more at DontFrackMichigan.org and Food and Water Watch - Michigan.

*****  Visit letsbanfracking.org to learn about this ballot initiative.

****** See Eric Hansen's July 4, 2013, opinion article on the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel (JSOnline), "Wisconsin waters threatened by tar sands crude oil expansion."

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Artist Jan Manniko will be missed

ALLOUEZ -- Keweenaw Now wishes to express our condolences to the family of artist Janet Manniko, age 79 of Allouez, who passed away July 17, 2013, at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium after battling diabetes for seventy years. We knew Jan as a very quiet, very talented artist we often saw at art exhibits. Here is a photo we took, with her permission, in 2011, published in one of our slide shows of Calumet art:

Artist Jan Manniko finds a quiet corner in the Calumet Art Center to work on a portrait. (Keweenaw Now 2011 file photo)

According to the obituary on the Erickson-Crowley Funeral Home Web site, "Janet attended grade school in Chicago where in 1946 she won first place for her artwork in a city wide competition for children her age sponsored by the Chicago Board of Education. This was the first of many awards she won over a lifetime dedicated to artistic achievement. Janet attended high school in Miami, FL, and then took numerous art classes at the University of Miami and the Art Institute of Chicago where she further developed what turned out to be a passionate attachment to the visual arts. In 1988 at the age of 55 Janet finally completed her formal education by earning a BA degree in Communication from the Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI."

Janet Manniko is especially known for her colorful paintings, like this -- her "War With Tree Gods," a scene from the Kalevala, part of the 2011 Art from the Kalevala exhibit at the Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock. (File photo courtesy Community Arts Center)

Click here to read the rest of the obituary and more about Jan and her husband of 52 years -- Thomas A. Manniko, woodworking craftsman.

Friends may call at the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. TODAY, Sunday, July 21. Services will be held at 11 a.m. TOMORROW, Monday July 22, in the Erickson - Crowley - Peterson Funeral Home with Fr. Abraham Mupparathara to officiate.

Burial will be in the Lake View Cemetery. Online condolences may be left for the family by clicking below the obituary.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Janet's memory to the American Diabetes Association Research Foundation, 1701 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311.

2013 Canal Run draws more than 800 participants

2013 Canal Run participants and fans gather on the Quincy Green in Hancock to hear announcements of winners in this year's races: half marathon, 10-mile run, 5-mile run, 10-mile walk and 5-mile walk. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- A record number of runners and walkers -- more than 800 -- participated in this year's Canal Run on Saturday, July 20. The weather cooperated with sunshine and somewhat cooler temperatures for the annual event, sponsored by Portage Health, Finlandia University and FirstMerit Bank (formerly Citizens Bank) -- with additional support from local businesses, law enforcement and many volunteers.

Marquette and Hancock can boast winners of this year's new race -- the half marathon. Keweenaw Now captured photos of the half-marathon winners near the finish line:

Tracey Lokken of Marquette heads for the finish line in front of the FirstMerit Bank (formerly Citizens Bank) in Hancock to win the men's half-marathon race in the 2013 Canal Run. Lokken, in the 45-49 age group, finished first overall in the longest race with a time of 1:11:44.5 (and a pace of 5:28 min./mile).

Half-marathon winner Tracey Lokken of Marquette is interviewed by a local radio station announcer. The race was broadcast on Mix 93 FM and online at TheMix93.com.

Amy Aldrich of Hancock heads for the finish line to take first overall in the women's half marathon. Aldrich, in the 30-34 age group, finished with a time of 1:32:20 (and a pace of 7:02 min./mile).

Before the races, participants line up for the shuttle bus that takes them to the starting point of each race. The Canal Run follows the Portage Lake Shipping Canal along Highway M-203 in Hancock.

Near the Hancock Tori farmers' market, runners and walkers gather after the race on the Quincy Green.

For more details about the race visit the Canal Run Web site news page.

Click here for links to the 2013 Canal Run Results.