Protest against Seaplane Base May 14 to be followed by Portage Township Public Hearing via Zoom May 19

An eagle and its nest are one potential loss to the environment should a Seaplane Airport Base be allowed at Pilgrim Point. Concerned citizens are invited to express their views at a protest and a public hearing. (Poster courtesy Susan Schwenk)

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP -- A protest against the proposed rezoning of Pilgrim Point to allow a Seaplane Airport Base in Portage Township will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, meeting at the Nara Nature Trail parking lot near the Pilgrim River Bridge on US 41, Houghton.

This protest is five days prior to a Portage Township Planning Commission Public Hearing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, via Zoom.* (See details below) The Planning Commission will consider amending the zoning ordinance to permit seaplane operations as a Special Use in the Township's existing B-2 zoning district at Pilgrim Point.

The Isle Royale seaplane operation base intends to relocate its seaplane storage and service hangars, along with its daily flight charter service operation, to Pilgrim Point. This operation would be located on a lot immediately adjacent to the Nara Nature Park, under an active bald eagle's nest and adjacent to many beautiful lakefront homes.

An eagle is seen here on its nest, which is located near the proposed site of a projected seaplane charter business -- at Portage Point (the former Onigaming property) in Portage Township. (File photo © and courtesy Susan Schwenk)

This seaplane operation is on land that is not presently zoned to accommodate this aviation activity, and the zoning would have to be changed to make this accommodation. Local resident Susan Schwenk and a number of nearby neighbors, as well as many concerned citizens of the local area, including Copper Country Audubon, very strongly object to this type of use on the Pilgrim Point Property.**

There is a very rich and diverse listing of birds and animals within the nature park -- specifically the active bald eagle's nest. The site location for the proposed seaplane operation will likely be within 50-100 ft of their nest. It is highly likely that these eagles will abandon their nest, due to the extremely loud, obnoxious noise created by the radial engines of the numerous seaplanes -- not to mention the smoke, and oil leakage into the lake that these radial engines produce.

The proposed use of a charter seaplane operation base would be incompatible with the current use of the adjacent and surrounding residential and nature park areas.

If you can attend the protest Saturday, please bring a sign, banner, or just yourself and join concerned residents to raise awareness of this and to help preserve Pilgrim Point and its surrounding natural habitat.

* Zoom information for May 19 Public Hearing:

You may attend the Public Hearing and comment by Zoom:
Meeting ID : 836 3991 6832
Passcode : 428175
Note: During the Public Hearing public comments will be limited to 3 minutes per person.

The regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting will immediately follow the Public Hearing.

** See the Feb. 27, 2022, Letter by Dana Richter, president of Copper Country Audubon, "Copper Country Audubon comments on seaplane project."

Yoopers for Ukraine hold 10th Walk for Ukraine on Lift Bridge

By Michele Bourdieu

Participants in the 10th Walk for Ukraine display their signs and flags on the Hancock side of the Portage Lift Bridge. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © and courtesy Anna Hill)

HOUGHTON -- With the exception of a bit of wind on the Portage Lift Bridge, participants in 10th Walk for Ukraine from Houghton to Hancock and back on May 4, 2022, enjoyed pleasant, sunny weather and dry ground.

Adelina Oronova, far left, Ukrainian co-organizer, welcomes walkers at 5 p.m. on May 4 and announces the Walk is about to begin. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Nazar Gora -- co-organizer with his wife, Adelina Oronova -- posted photos of the Walk on the Yoopers for Ukraine Facebook page along with these comments: "It's been more than two months of Russian aggression, and this is not time to give up! Here in Keweenaw, we show that our community is with Ukraine standing for the same values: democracy, freedom, and rights. And we are very happy for you all being with us and walking through this hard time for the Ukrainian nation. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes! Slava Ukraini! Heroiam Slava!"*

As the Walk begins, participants display their signs to passing traffic. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

One special guest at the May 4 Walk for Ukraine was Bishop Rayford Ray, the Episcopal Bishop of Northern Michigan (His diocese includes the entire Upper Peninsula), who traveled many miles to participate. Bishop Ray has his office in Marquette and lives near Rapid River. Here he speaks about the importance of events like this Walk for Ukraine:

Bishop Rayford Ray, the Episcopal Bishop of Northern Michigan, speaks with Keweenaw Now during the 10th Walk for Ukraine on May 4 in Houghton. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Nazar Gora expressed thanks to Bishop Ray for a donation he made during his visit to Houghton.

"We would like to thank Bishop Rayford Ray and the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan for financially supporting Ukraine!" Gora said in his Facebook post. "The donated money will go to my family's friend, a military chaplain, who delivers military humanitarian help to the frontline in Eastern Ukraine. Thank you all for keeping in touch with us and caring about Ukraine!"

Participants in the 10th Walk for Ukraine return to Houghton from Hancock on the Portage Lift Bridge. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

On the bridge Jethro Loosemore displays a sign almost as big as he is. Jethro, 7; his sister, Kaitlyn, 9; and his brother, Jacob, 4, have participated in several of the Walks for Ukraine with their Dad, John Loosemore of Hancock. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

After returning to Houghton, participants in the Walk stood on the corner of the Houghton side of the bridge displaying their signs and flags to traffic passing by.

Walkers continue to display the message of support for Ukraine on the Houghton side of the Portage Lift Bridge. (Photo © and courtesy Nazar Gora)

Terry Lahti of Houghton, retired engineer and longtime Copper Country resident, told Keweenaw Now he was participating in the Walk on May 4 to support Ukrainians fighting against Putin and his aggression.

"I am marching to support the brave Ukrainians who are fighting that murderous criminal dictator Putin, who has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainian men, woman, and children," Lahti said. "Putin has started this war over false accusations of Ukrainian aggressions, just so that he could increase his control over the Russian people. The Russian people will eventually realize that Putin has killed thousands of young Russian men just to inflate his ego."

After returning from Hancock to Houghton, Terry Lahti of Houghton is pictured here, at right, with co-organizer Adelina Oronova. At left, Rick Stanitis, campus missioner for Canterbury House, the Episcopal campus ministry in Houghton, chats with Bishop Ray. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Keweenaw County resident Joanne Thomas of Allouez, who is of Croatian descent, commented on her experience participating in the Walk for Ukraine for the first time.

"This was my first time marching for 'Slava Ukraini,'" Thomas noted. "I left the event reflecting on the sense of imminent desperation and anguish of the leaders of this group who are from Ukraine or have ties to their citizens. (They reminded me of the haunting gaze of friends from war-torn Croatia that I knew in the early 90s.) It is true that at this time, assisting in saving Ukraine is literally saving the free world from fascism."

Joanne Thomas of Allouez is pictured here, second from left, with Ukrainian Anna Hill, left, of Chassell, and John Loosemore and his children -- Jacob, Kaitlyn, and Jethro. (Photo © and courtesy Nazar Gora)

Yoopers for Ukraine, organizers of these walks, have been holding additional events in support of Ukraine, including displays of children's shoes and toys this week to honor the children killed during this war. Watch for more photos and videos, coming soon.

*Click here to visit the Yoopers for Ukraine Facebook page to learn more about their events, see more photos and videos, and join them in support of Ukraine.