Noteworthy to offer "Keeping It Light" concert May 15

HOUGHTON -- The women’s chorus Noteworthy will present "Keeping It Light," a free concert of cheery, familiar melodies dating from the early 1900s to the 1990s, at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at Grace United Methodist Church, on Montezuma Street in Houghton.

At their May 2013 concert Noteworthy chorus members have fun with their rendition of "Wild and Wooly Ragtime Cowgirl." At left is Noteworthy Director Joan Petrelius. This year's May concert will again offer lively and cheery familiar songs. (Keweenaw Now file photo) 

Noteworthy, the only women’s barbershop chorus in the Copper Country, is recognized for its lush tonal quality and intricate, a cappella harmonies.

Songs on the program range from the sassy "Please Don’t Talk About Me," which dates from the flapper era, to the last song the Beatles recorded together, "Let it Be." Other favorites include "Why Haven’t I Heard from You," made famous by Reba McEntire in 1994, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," George and Ira Gershwin’s "Nice Work if You Can Get It," "What a Wonderful World" and a medley of old-fashioned barbershop love tunes.

"We’re singing light-hearted, happy music that many people know and love," said Director Joan Petrelius. "It’s the perfect concert to welcome spring after such a long, cold winter."

The Copper Notes quartet -- with Marilyn Sager, Bonnie Horn, Shelba Marietta and Hollie Pierce -- will perform the 1950s standard "Mr. Sandman" and the Beatles favorite "When I’m 64."

The quartet One A-chord -- with Marcia Goodrich, Sarah Niemeyer, Joan Petrelius and Jean Rilei -- will present "It Had to Be You" and "I Wanna Come Back as a Man."

Admission is free. A free-will donation will be taken to benefit Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly and the Keweenaw Spay and Neuter Group.

Noteworthy welcomes new members. If you are interested in joining the group, contact Petrelius at petreliusj@cts.k12.mi.us or 482-5088.

Dance Zone Marquette to offer dance sampler class May 13-25

MARQUETTE -- Dance Zone Marquette will offer a two-week dance sampler class from Tuesday, May 13, to Sunday, May 25, 2014. The class will include a variety of dance styles including ballroom (waltz, tango, swing and Latin); country (Texas 2-step, contra, square); and international folk dancing.

The package is 9 sessions in total, including a final evening of review and open dancing on Sunday, May 25. Classes are geared toward beginning-level dancers and are suitable for adults and teens.

Classes will meet from 7:15 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. each evening. Cost is $25 per person for all 9 sessions.

Dance Zone is at 1113 Lincoln Avenue (at College) in Marquette. Contact 906-236-1457 for more information.

Community Arts Center hosts group still life exhibit through June 7

"Onions" (detail) by Margo McCafferty. (Photo courtesy Copper  Country Community Arts Center)

HANCOCK -- STILL, a group exhibition, is on display in the Copper Country Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery through June 7, 2014. Artists were invited to explore the art of still life representation. Still life is a work of art depicting a composition of inanimate objects, both natural and man-made.

Eighteen artists responded with twenty-six works of art in oil, acrylic, photography, watercolor, collage, color pencil, encaustic, pastel, pencil, clay relief and a digital slide show. The following local and regional artists are included in the exhibition: Christa Walck, Bob Dawson, Eric Munch, Edith Marshall, Kris Raisanen Schourek, Fredi Taddeucci, Brooke Cummings, Melissa Hronkin, Hailey Macias, Kanak Nanavati, Clyde Mikkola, Margo McCafferty, Joyce Koskenmaki, Carol Phillips, Christine Saari, Bonnie Loukus, Jacquie Coté Suter, and Cynthia Coté.

The public is invited to a reception for the artists from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 15. Refreshments will be served. The Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock.

Gallery hours are Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. For more information call (906) 482-2333, email ccarts@coppercountryarts.com or visit coppercountryarts.com. You can also find Copper Country Community Arts Center on Facebook.

Inbred wolves struggle, moose proliferate at Isle Royale National Park

By Jennifer Donovan, Michigan Tech Director of News and Media Relations
Posted Apr. 30, 2014, on Michigan Tech News
Reprinted in part with permission

Isle Royale wolves trek through the snow. (Photo © and courtesy John Vucetich. Reprinted with permission.)

HOUGHTON -- During their annual Winter Study at Isle Royale National Park, scientists from Michigan Technological University counted nine wolves organized into one breeding pack and a second small group that is a remnant of a formerly breeding pack.

In the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study’s annual report released Apr. 30, 2014, the researchers say that over the past three years they have tallied the lowest numbers of wolves ever: nine in 2011–12, eight in 2012–13 and nine in 2013–14. During the same period, predation rates -- the proportion of the moose population killed by wolves -- also dropped to the lowest ever recorded, while the number of moose doubled, to approximately 1,050 moose.

Wolves are the only predators of moose on the remote island national park in northwestern Lake Superior. The moose population has been increasing because wolf predation has been so low. ... Click here to read the rest of this article on the Michigan Tech News.

Sen. Levin seeks legislation to close corporate "inversion" tax loophole

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, released the following statement today on corporate inversions:

"I’ve long been concerned about inversions -- companies moving offshore on paper, for tax purposes, while the management and operations remain in the United States. It’s become increasingly clear that a loophole in our tax laws allowing these inversions threatens to devastate federal tax receipts. We have to close that loophole. I am talking to my colleagues about legislation to close the loophole, which I intend to introduce soon. Companies that exploit this loophole benefit from the protections and services the federal government provides, including patent protection, research and development tax credits, national security and more; they shouldn’t be allowed to shift their tax burden onto others."

Take the National Bike Challenge

HANCOCK -- Don’t let the lingering cool weather fool you -- it’s bike-commuting season and time for the 2014 National Bike Challenge. Organized by the League of American Bicyclists, the goal of the bike challenge is to encourage more people to bicycle. The challenge aims to encourage 50,000 Americans to bike a total of 30 million miles between May 1 and September 30. Registering for the challenge is a free and easy way to keep track of your riding and find encouragement to ride more.

Locally, the bike challenge is sponsored by Bike Initiative Keweenaw (BIKE!), a regional bike advocacy group. Last year, Copper Country cyclists who took the challenge logged nearly 70,000 miles, saved $8,000 in fuel costs and reduced CO2 emissions by 24,000 pounds. Three local communities -- Copper Harbor, Atlantic Mine and Painesdale -- ranked in the top ten nationally for per capita miles logged. Lorri Oikarinen of Calumet was the top-ranked local cyclist, and women formed a larger percentage of Copper Country riders than nationally.

This year, local organizers hope to have more than 150 people registered and 100,000 miles logged during the next five months. Register anytime at nationalbikechallenge.org and you will automatically enter the local challenge. Then, simply log all the miles you ride.

To learn more about BIKE!, visit bikeinitiativekeweenaw.org. There you’ll find route maps, news and events -- and links to the National Bike Challenge and Keweenaw Bike to Work Day, scheduled for Thursday, May 15.