Celebrate Michigan's 2016 French Canadian Heritage week with music, dance, folk songs, storytimes, more ...

"Je te plumerai la tête ...Alouette!" sing the members of Maple Sugar Folk during their recent concert of French Canadian folk songs at the Portage Lake District Library. The group, led by Dave Bezotte, fourth from left, will sing again this Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Lake Linden Farmers' Market -- a preview of Michigan's coming French Canadian Heritage Celebration next week. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)*

LAKE LINDEN -- Maple Sugar Folk will offer a preview of next week's French Canadian Heritage Celebration with Live music and French-Canadian Folk Songs from noon to 1 p.m. and possibly later during the Lake Linden Farmers' Market Saturday, Sept. 24. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a blanket and enjoy the goods and the music.

Another preview event will be Portage Lake District Library's Children's Storytime with French-Canadian stories and crafts and French-Canadian Folk Songs at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. The library is at 58 Huron St. in Houghton.

During the 2015 French Canadian Heritage Celebration, children at the Portage Lake District Library Storytime enjoy a story about voyageurs read by Chris Alquist, the library's community programs coordinator. This year the library will host a French Canadian Children's Storytime at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 29. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Here is a schedule of the 2016 French Canadian Heritage events coming up next week:

September 28 (Wednesday)

10:15 a.m. CHILDREN’S STORYTIME AT PORTAGE LAKE DISTRICT LIBRARY, 58 Huron St., Houghton. French-Canadian stories and crafts. 

7 p.m. -9 p.m. DANCE at the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy, Hancock. Celebrate Finlandia University’s Festival Ruska and Michigan’s French-Canadian Heritage Week by dancing to Finnish and French-Canadian music by the Thimbleberry Band: folk dances, waltzes, schottisches, polkas and other favorites. $6 admission.

September 29 (Thursday)

10:15 a.m. CHILDREN’S STORYTIME AT PORTAGE LAKE DISTRICT LIBRARY, 58 Huron St., Houghton. French-Canadian stories and crafts. 

7 p.m. - 8 p.m. CONCERT AT THE CHASSELL HERITAGE CENTER, 42373 Hancock Ave, Chassell. Lively fiddle tunes and step dancing by Emma and Susan Dlutkowski and French-Canadian folk and response songs lead by Maple Sugar Folk. Doors open at 6 p.m., so come early to view the exhibits. Free admission - donations appreciated.

During the 2015 French Canadian Concert at the Chassell Heritage Center, Emma Dlutkowski performs on the fiddle with lively step dancing, accompanied by her mother, Susan Dlutkowski on keyboard and her dad, Dave Harmon, on percussion. This year Emma and Susan will perform at the Chassell Heritage Center on Thursday, Sept. 29, along with Maple Sugar Folk. (Keweenaw Now file photo)  

October 2 (Sunday)

3:00 p.m. ORGAN RECITAL BY FR. CORBIN EDDY AT ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, 701 Calumet St., Lake Linden. Performed on the Quebec-made Casavant Frères pipe organ, the recital will feature organ compositions by French-Canadian and French composers and will include vocal soloists and Gregorian Chant. There will be no admission charge, but a free-will offering will be taken.

For more information, contact David Bezotte at dbezotte@yahoo.com or 906-370-4956.

* Visit the Maple Sugar Folk Facebook page for more photos and videos of their performances.

In Marquette, French Canadian Heritage will be celebrated on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in the Beaumier Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University. Click here for the events.

U.P. Breaking News: Coast Guard leads air, water search for boating family missing on Lake Superior

By Greg Peterson
Posted on U.P. Breaking News Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016
and updated at 3:15 p.m. today

[Editor's Note: See below for updates to this article.]

BARAGA -- U.P. Breaking News has confirmed that a massive air and water search using dozens of boats, airplanes and helicopters has been launched to find a family -- two adults and one child -- who are missing on Lake Superior.

The US Coast Guard (USCG) tells U.P. Breaking News that their largest plane -- C-130s from North Carolina -- flew in last night and returned back to North Carolina, leaving the search to Canadian Coast Guard with similar planes. The C-130 from North Carolina is returning to the scene.

The search is on Lake Superior along the Keweenaw Peninsula, since the boat left from the Portage area.

Click here to listen to U.P. Breaking News exclusive interviews with USCG officials in Sault Ste. Marie and USCG Ninth District HQ out of Cleveland, Ohio.

U.P. Breaking News is withholding the name of the family that was reported missing about 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, when they failed to return to shore to attend a fish fry. Their trailer and truck have been found.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Coast Guard at (906) 635-3233.

Update from U.P. Breaking News: At 10:45 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19, the USCG again issued its all-mariners broadcast looking for the 14-foot boat with a canvas top that left Portage area of the Copper Country. These are the missing people on Lake Superior: 61-year-old Keith Karvonen of Atlantic Mine, Mich., 43-year-old Steven Chartre of Negaunee/Ishpeming area and his 9-year-old son Ethan.

Another Update from U.P. Breaking News: On Monday afternoon, Sept. 19, Commander Carolyn Moberley, Chief of Response, USCG Sector Sault Ste. Marie, has stated the search will continue tonight and into tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 20. She reports the 140-foot U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay from St. Ignace joined the search today. Commander Moberley requests that anyone who talked to the occupants of the boat, or saw them before their trip, needs to call the U.S. Coast Guard since even a small piece of information may be valuable. Click here for the interview. 

Editor's Note: Click here for a photo of the missing boat on Marquette's TV 6 News.