DNR Chief approves mineral rights exchange with Graymont but delays decision on 10,000-acre land transaction; residents, groups express opposition to Graymont project

By Michele Bourdieu

Art and Dorothy Mills of Rexton in Mackinac County made this "No Mining" sign on the property of Al and Kathy English, residents of Trout Lake in nearby Chippewa County. Residents in this area of the eastern Upper Peninsula are concerned about a proposed 10,000-acre sale of public land to Graymont Inc., whose Rexton Project proposes both underground and open-pit limestone mining. (Photo © and courtesy Kathy English)

LANSING -- Art and Dorothy Mills of Rexton, Mich., who have been enjoying their retirement in a beautiful area of the eastern Upper Peninsula, have recently been making "No Mining" signs for themselves and their neighbors -- because of their concerns about the potential Graymont Rexton Project, a proposed limestone mining operation to include 10,000 acres of public land, centered in their township.*

"I was born up here," Art Mills told Keweenaw Now in a phone interview. "I love it up here. I have kids and grandkids living here."

Art, who spent many of his working years doing construction and laying pipes, says one main concern is that the limestone purifies their well water. If Graymont removes the limestone, the impacts to their water supply -- and to the land, forests, wildlife and plants -- could contaminate the water and upset the environment they know and love -- threatening their quality of life and that of their children and grandchildren.

Graymont Inc., North America's second largest supplier of lime and lime-based products, now in the process of applying to the Michigan Department of Natural Resource (DNR) with their land transaction proposal, has already received mineral rights for the project in an exchange with the state.

At the Feb. 12 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Committee (NRC) in Lansing, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Keith Creagh approved a mineral exchange with Graymont.

The action exchanges 1,700 acres of mineral rights in Chippewa County, in the eastern Upper Peninsula, that are currently owned by the state and are beneath land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. The action achieves a major DNR goal, which is to unify surface and mineral ownership where possible. The exchange does not guarantee that mining will take place on the Graymont minerals. In approving the exchange, Director Creagh pointed out that Graymont would have to work with the Forest Service before mining could occur.

A historical marker in the Hiawatha National Forest marks the site of a Depression-era federal project, the Civilian Conservation Corps. The marker is near the home of Al and Kathy English, whose property borders on federal land where state-owned mineral rights were recently exchanged with Graymont. (Photo © and courtesy Kathy English)

Creagh delayed a decision on a separate land transaction proposal from Graymont for a limestone mining operation in Mackinac County near the town of Rexton involving about 10,000 acres of state-managed public land. The transaction had been slated for a decision by the director at the Feb. 12 NRC meeting. However, in order to allow the public and the DNR to thoroughly review a revised proposal from the company, the director will now make a decision on the land transaction no earlier than the March 19, 2015, NRC meeting in Roscommon.**

This photo from June 2014 shows an old quarry just west of CR 393. This is the northeast side of the 1,005 acre North Hendricks Tract ("Tract A" in the proposal) which Graymont proposes to purchase from the State of Michigan.** (Photo and caption © and courtesy Steve Garske, Save the Wild U.P. board member)

At the Feb. 12 meeting, DNR Forestry Resources Division Chief Bill O'Neill updated the commission on Graymont's proposal. The department has received over 1,500 public comments to date and public comment remains open on the land transaction application that has not yet been decided. The comments include letters from environmental and tribal groups opposed to the Graymont project.

Save the Wild U.P. objects to Graymont proposal

"We are disappointed by the DNR’s approval of the mineral rights exchange," said Kathleen Heideman, president of grassroots environmental group Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP).

According to Steve Garske, biologist and SWUP board member, "Upper Michigan environmental organizations, including SWUP, have submitted extensive written comments outlining our serious objections to the Graymont proposal, including the exchange of mineral rights. This DNR decision fails to serve the DNR’s mission of conservation, protection, and public enjoyment of public natural resources. It benefits a foreign mining company at the expense of Michigan’s environment."

In July 2014 Garske published SWUP's statement opposing the original Graymont proposal in the Marquette Mining Journal, noting DNR staff opposition to the proposal.

In that article, Garske writes, "The DNR staff review is highly critical of the sale because it would dispose of some of the state's most productive and diverse forest land, fragment state forest land ownership, limit access to adjacent state lands and make them harder to manage, threaten wildlife populations and cold-water trout streams, reduce hunting and other recreational opportunities, and cost millions in logging revenues."

This wetland is just east of Borgstrom Road, near Rexton. Wetlands cover most of the northern and eastern portions of the proposed underground mine area ("Tract D" in the Graymont proposal).** (Photo and caption © and courtesy Steve Garske)

Garske adds, "Consolidation of political power in state government has resulted in a situation where the director of the Michigan DNR, Keith Creagh (a Snyder appointee), has sole authority to decide whether or not to sell this land to Graymont. If MDNR gets away with selling over 10,000 acres of prime state forest land to a private company, any state land could be sold."

Jon Saari, SWUP vice president, notes the multiple revisions in the proposal make it difficult for the public to comment.

"The Graymont proposal has become an administrative circus," Saari said. "First introduced in 2012, the proposal gets revised a bit every time objections are raised, including most recently a week before a decision was to be made by the DNR Director! How are we in the public supposed to comment on this moving target? Which proposal? The original one? The final one? The final final one? This is no way to conduct public business. It is a joke. The Graymont proposal should be thrown out for toying with the DNR and the public."

Repeating SWUP's request in their earlier comments that the DNR reject the Graymont proposal and urging the public to oppose the project, Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP interim director, notes, "The proposed sale would fail Michigan’s taxpayers, tribes, the Eastern Upper Peninsula’s growing sustainable forest and tourism economies, and especially Michigan’s environment, sacrificing critical habitat and rare species."

Maxwell adds, "The Graymont proposal includes lands currently open to the public for hunting and recreational trails, lands supporting wildlife, and lands managed for timber -- contiguous forest lands considered 'some of the most productive forest land in the Eastern Upper Peninsula' by the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition. Graymont’s Land Transaction Application has yet to be decided though, and there is still time to make your objections heard."***

Residents question benefits of project

Art Mills, who has been aware of the proposal since it was first introduced to his community with the promise of four to six local jobs, now increased to about 45, says he doubts the project will do anything to benefit the local population, despite gifts being made by Graymont to schools and community groups.

"Somebody's got to stick up for Mother Nature," he said. "Money's not everything."

Dorothy Mills adds that the area is mostly a retirement community and, while some people are reserved about giving their opinion on the project, many residents are opposed to the project, as evidenced in a door-to-door survey taken recently.

"Each of us has chosen our home for its natural beauty," Dorothy Mills said. "This is where people come to escape the noise and hustle and bustle of the city."

Looking north down Borgstrom Road. If Graymont's proposal goes through, this part of the southeastern U.P. will never be the same. (Photo and caption © and courtesy Steve Garske)

Like Art and Dorothy Mills, Chippewa County resident Kathy English of Trout Lake expresses concerns about loss of limestone that filters their well water and about potential impacts to the land.

English mentioned the rare alvar communities scattered through the area could be destroyed by limestone mining. According to the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, alvar -- a grass- and sedge-dominated community occurring on broad, flat expanses of calcareous bedrock (limestone or dolostone) covered by a thin veneer of mineral soil, with scattered shrubs and sometimes trees -- is classified as an S1 natural community because of its extreme rarity. Alvar communities occur in only three areas of the world: the Baltic region of northern Europe; Counties Clare and Galway of northwest Ireland; and the Great Lakes region south of the Canadian Shield, which includes this eastern area of the Upper Peninsula.****

"We're real concerned about the destruction of our water table -- but we're also concerned about the land, the peace and quiet," English told Keweenaw Now.

Potential blasting for the limestone could occur near the Michigan American Legion Wilwin Lodge in the Trout Lake area, a facility that helps veterans and has a program for those with post-traumatic stress syndrome, English explained, noting her concern that blasting could have negative effects on that program.

This photo shows an autumn 2014 scene on Wilwin Road near the Michigan American Legion Wilwin Lodge, a veterans' facility that could be impacted by potential blasting from limestone mining. (Photo © and courtesy Kathy English)

English said a survey in Trout Lake Township showed 96 percent of those who returned the survey were opposed to the Graymont project. Many retired residents have built nice homes on nearby lakes and they bring support to the community, she noted.

As for the promise of 45 jobs, English is dubious about the local benefit.

"The jobs just aren't going to be there," she said. "They're going to bring people in from the outside."

A second "No Mining" sign on the English family's property is opposite a cabin, right, and a garage that are part of a two-acre parcel recently purchased by Graymont. Kathy English is concerned that the company plans to use the buildings (also including a workshop) for an office and possibly a bunkhouse for non-local workers. (Photo © and courtesy Kathy English)

English notes the main industry of the area is tourism, which would suffer if the limestone project is approved.

"To me it's kind of ludicrous -- all the money that's been spent on the 'Pure Michigan' (tourism) campaign --  and now they're going to destroy it," she said. "The land does not belong to the state or the DNR or the federal government. It's not theirs to sell or destroy. It belongs to the people."

Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK) oppose land sale

In a recent letter to DNR Director Creagh, Linda Rulison, president of FOLK (Friends of the Land of Keweenaw), on behalf of the FOLK Board of Directors, asks Creagh to oppose the proposed Graymont project because it would have too many negative impacts -- both environmental and economic -- and because the state lacks knowledgeable staff and funding to regulate such a project.

"Public need for open lands is in no way diminishing with current rates of population growth," Rulison writes. "Pressure on northern forests will only increase with the exhaustion of available private lands near population centers. The true need we have in Michigan is of acquiring more land through a program of strategic purchases of contiguous areas of public land and closure of roadways. If allowed by you, Graymont's proposal will create in-holdings that will break up contiguous wildlife habitats, and create more disturbed edge effects.

"Sale of public land is furthermore inappropriate, because in principle it must be assumed to be a permanent loss and public control over further development is compromised. There have been too many examples of mining claims being thinly veiled land grabs masking other development interests, as is occurring in the Yellow Dog Plains where the Eagle Mine proposes to further compromise the watershed."

Native American groups say Graymont project would violate treaty rights

In a Feb. 4, 2015, letter to DNR Director Creagh, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) expresses their opposition to Graymont's proposal:

"If approved, the Graymont transaction would set an alarming precedent for yielding massive amounts of public land across the state," the letter states. "Lands dedicated for the public support numerous wildlife, ecological, recreational, tourism, subsistence and cultural values."

The letter also notes the importance of access to public lands for exercising Native American treaty rights, including hunting, fishing and gathering -- which are guaranteed by the Treaty of 1836 for territory that includes the Graymont site.

"This particular treaty was negotiated with the federal government before Michigan received statehood," the letter continues. "Article 6 Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution upholds such treaties as 'the supreme law of the land.'"*****

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians also opposes the Graymont project.

Catherine Hollowell, elected tribal Board of Directors member representing Unit 2, which includes the Rexton / Newberry area, said the Sault Tribe passed a resolution in opposition to Graymont's proposal a year and a half ago.

"We are 100 percent opposed to Graymont's proposal to DNR," Hollowell told Keweenaw Now.

She also mentioned the importance of the 1836 Treaty, which guaranteed the tribe the rights to hunt, fish and gather on undeveloped land that was ceded to the federal government. The area of Graymont's proposed land sale is within the tribe's ceded territory. The state, however, doesn't take those rights into consideration, Hollowell explained.

"We rely on the public land to exercise our treaty rights," she added.

Linda Cobe, a member of the Lac Vieux Desert Tribe who lives in Garnet, near Rexton, is also opposed to the Graymont project.

"I'm against it because it infringes on Native American treaty rights and because of the harm it can do to the environment," Cobe said.

Graymont now claims on their Web site that the "initial phase of the project is expected to create up to 50 direct jobs in local mining and transportation operations, plus up to 100 indirect jobs in the region."******

Graymont most recently revised their application to the DNR in early February.

The DNR held a public meeting in Newberry on Jan. 28, 2015. The DNR presentation at that meeting can be viewed here. It includes maps of the project area and lists DNR concerns, including wetland protection, the royalty rate and local economic benefits.

Notes:

* Click here to see the Land Transaction Map on Graymont's Rexton Project Web site.

** Click here for the DNR's page of links to documents concerning the Graymont Land Transaction Proposal.

*** You can email comments on the proposal to DNR-GraymontProposalComments@michigan.gov or mail them to the Roscommon Customer Service Center, ATTN: Kerry Wieber, 8717 N. Roscommon Road, Roscommon, MI 48653.

**** Click here to learn more about alvar communities.

***** Click here for KBIC's Feb. 4, 2015, letter to the DNR.

****** Click here to read Graymont's description of their Rexton Project.

Carnegie Museum to host lecture, discussion on "Indigenous Culture and Elements of Keweenaw and Isle Royale" Feb. 24

Michigan Tech Professor Emerita Susan Martin, expert on prehistoric archeology and ancient copper, will present a lecture and discussion on "Indigenous Culture and Elements of Keweenaw and Isle Royale" on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Carnegie Museum. (Poster courtesy Carnegie Museum)

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech Professor Emerita Susan Martin, expert on prehistoric archeology and ancient copper, will lead a discussion about ancient cultural elements of our region from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton. She will be joined by Seth dePasqual, cultural resource manager at Isle Royale National Park. The museum will open at 6:30 p.m. for refreshments.

The event is part of a monthly series of sessions on the Geoheritage and Natural History of the Keweenaw, held at the Carnegie Museum. The discussions are aimed at the general public, but discuss current research and science.

Professor Martin explains her discussion: "My discussion will center on the long human history of the Keweenaw Peninsula, with side trips to other parts of the Lake Superior Basin. I will discuss the many cultures that made the UP their home, and introduce some of the raw materials, including stone (lithics) and copper, that they used to build their liveways. I will be joined by Seth dePasqual of Isle Royale National Park, who will bring us up to date on current Isle Royale archaeological research." 

The Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw is located at Huron and Montezuma in downtown Houghton. Seminars are held in the recently restored Community Room on the ground level of this historic building. Lectures are free, open to the public, and barrier free (wheelchair accessible). For further information please contact the Museum at 906-482-7140.

Portage Library to host Family Science Night Feb. 24

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library invites all K-6 students and their parents for an evening of fun and science with the Michigan Tech Family Science Night program from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Families will have two hands-on activities to work on. In "Ooey, Gooey Slime!" participants will mix up some common household items, conduct experiments and see what happens. "Starry, Starry Night" will give participants a chance to explore the cosmos and create their own constellation.

Family Science Nights develop children's curiosity and their ability to solve scientific challenges. These activities also provide an opportunity for parents and their children to learn together while having fun and making scientific connections to everyday life.

This event is coordinated by the Western U.P. Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education and Michigan Technological University.

Library programs are free and everyone is invited. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org and www.wupcenter.mtu.edu.

NOSOTROS to hold Latin dance, salsa lessons TONIGHT, Feb. 21

Poster courtesy NOSOTROS.

HOUGHTON -- NOSOTROS, Michigan Tech's Latin American students' organization, will hold a dance from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. TONIGHT, Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Memorial Union Ballroom (MUB). Salsa lessons will be offered from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by open floor dancing from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. It is absolutely FREE and FUN! So, bring all your friends along. Invite people to attend this event! All are welcome!

Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra to explore music of Shostakovich during Stalin’s Soviet regime Feb. 21

HOUGHTON -- The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts will host the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra and their performance of "Shostakovich and Stalin: A Soviet Artist’s Creative Response," at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. Come and listen as the KSO interprets the creative struggles of the Russian composer Shostakovich in reaction to disillusionment and persecution under Stalin’s Soviet dictatorship.

Tickets for adults are $19, youth tickets (17 and under) are $6, and Michigan Tech student tickets are free with the Experience Tech Fee. Presented by the Michigan Tech Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

According to KSO Conductor Joel Neves, the evening will present "A musico-dramatic and audio-visual exploration of the repressive climate that Stalin imposed upon artists in the 1930s, and how this shaped Shostakovich’s musical output. The Fifth Symphony -- the composer’s greatest masterpiece -- embodies Shostakovich’s creative response to Soviet demands for 'socialist realism' in classical music."

For tickets, go online, or call Ticketing Operations at Michigan Tech’s Student Development Complex (SDC), (906) 487-2073, or visit in person at 600 MacInnes Drive, in Houghton. SDC box office hours are 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Saturday, and noon - 8 p.m. on Sunday. Please note the Rozsa Box Office is only open two hours prior to show times.

For more details, please contact Dr. Joel Neves, DMA, Music Director, Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, jbneves@mtu.edu or (906) 487-2859.

Closing reception for Finnish textile artist Aino Kajaniemi's exhibit is Feb. 19 at Finlandia Gallery

Textile art by Finnish artist Aino Kajaniemi. A closing reception will be held at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Feb. 19, in the Finlandia University Gallery in Hancock. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

HANCOCK -- A closing reception for Finnish textile artist Aino Kajaniemi’s "Dreams and Memories" exhibit is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, Feb. 19, at the Finlandia University Gallery in the Finnish American Heritage Center.

Anita Jain, director of Common Strands, a non-profit International fiber art exchange organization based in Minneapolis, will present a talk about Aino Kajaniemi's work beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Aino Kajaniemi, Finland's 2010 Textile Artist of the Year. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

Aino Kajaniemi, Finland's 2010 Textile Artist of the Year, uses the historic Scandinavian textile tradition as a medium for exploring contemporary individual and community emotion and memories. In her adept hands, the traditional tapestry medium -- one with a rich cultural history -- is transformed into something simultaneously both familiar and cutting-edge.

"My textiles are my way of thinking," says Kajaniemi. "I want to produce the objects of my wonderings into something concrete, so that I could understand them. The subjects of my works usually originate from the inmost of a human being: sorrow, joy, uncertainty, guilt, tenderness and memories."

Next at the gallery

The next exhibit at the gallery will be the annual Finlandia University International School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibit, beginning with an opening reception at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26. It will continue through March 24. More details on the upcoming exhibit will be released soon.

Tech Theatre to present Jean Anouilh’s adaptation of "Antigone" Feb. 19-21, 26-28

HOUGHTON -- The Tech Theatre Company will present Antigone, a contemporary retelling of the ancient tale of conflict between the political terror of dictatorship and the vision of humanity at its very best. In spite of the sham and lies, the twisting of facts and rewriting of events, truth finds a way in this conflict of opposing visions of humanity, depicted by Jean Anouilh.

The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 19-21, and Feb. 26-28 in the McArdle Theatre, in the Walker Center for Arts and Humanities on the Michigan Tech campus.

General admission is $13, youth tickets (17 and under) are $5, and Michigan Tech student tickets are free with the Experience Tech fee. To purchase tickets, call 487-2073, go online or visit Ticketing Operations located in the SDC. Tickets will also be available at the McArdle Theatre box office, located on the second floor of the Walker Center for Arts and Humanities, prior to the show.

Michigan League of Conservation Voters releases 2014 Lame Duck Scorecard for legislators on conservation, environmental issues

ANN ARBOR -- Today, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters (Michigan LCV) released their 2014 Lame Duck Scorecard. This special-edition Scorecard offers a non-partisan window into the voting records of Michigan’s State Representatives and State Senators on conservation and environmental issues during the busy last few weeks of the 2013 - 2014 legislative session.

"We saw serious attacks waged on Michigan’s land, air and water, including bills that promoted air pollution and denied the scientific management of public land, all in the span of a few weeks," said Lisa Wozniak, Michigan LCV executive director. "We also saw strong bipartisan support for clean energy legislation that promotes the reduction of energy waste. Lame Duck legislative sessions are often overlooked, but Michigan LCV members took action to stop bad bills and move good policy forward. Today, we are proud to release a complete description of all that took place in the waning days and hours of the legislative session, and hold elected officials accountable for their actions. Did they or did they not work to protect the natural resources that define our Great Lakes State?"

Upper Peninsula constituents should not be surprised at the following scores for our local state legislators:

State Senator Tom Casperson of Escanaba -- (R, 38th District, most of the U.P.) and chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes -- received a 2014 Lame Duck session score of 40 percent, up from his original 2013-2014 score of 0 percent, giving him an overall score of 20 percent for 2013-2014. That ties Casperson with House Committee on Natural Resources Chair Andrea LaFontaine (R, District 32), who also received an overall score of 20 percent. Both score in Michigan LCV's "No" category (scores of 0 to 49 percent) on their performance for land, air and water issues. Casperson sponsored three of the Lame Duck session anti-environment bills scored by Michigan LCV.*

State Rep. Scott Dianda of Calumet (D, 110th District) received a Lame Duck session score of 47 percent, down from his 2013-2014 score of 64 percent, giving him an overall new score of 56 percent for 2013-2014. That score puts him in Michigan LCV's "Maybe" category (scores of 50 percent to 74 percent) for his legislative performance on conservation and environmental issues.

Here are the scores of state representatives from the Marquette/ Menominee area:

State Rep. John Kivela of Marquette (D, 109th District):
Lame Duck score: 62 percent
Original 2013-14 score: 56 percent
Overall 2013-14 score: 59 percent ("Maybe")

State Rep. Ed McBroom of Vulcan (R, 108th District):
Lame Duck score: 10 percent
Original 2013-14 score: 51 percent
Overall 2013-14 score: 31 percent ("No")

Michigan LCV’s 2014 Lame Duck Legislative Scorecard scores votes on six bills, including committee votes and votes on the floor of the House and Senate. It also includes bill sponsorship for three bills introduced during the Lame Duck session that would have expanded and strengthened Michigan’s commitments to renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Finally, for the first time the Scorecard also includes a count of a conservation majority in the state legislature.

Click here for a full summary of the 2014 Lame Duck Scorecard, including brief descriptions of the lame duck bills.

"The Lame Duck session clearly illustrates that our elected officials in Lansing are sorely lacking a core conservation commitment, which is counter to the assumption held by the majority of citizens in this state. Our Pure Michigan is a shared value among citizens from Detroit to Marquette. Those who represent us in Lansing must understand that their constituents expect strong leadership to protect both our world-class Great Lakes and the amazing outdoors that define our state," said Wozniak. "The legacy of the 2014 Lame Duck session will live on this year, and we look forward to working with Michiganders and state legislators to move Michigan forward."

Click here for the 2014 Lame Duck Legislative Scorecard. See p. 8 for the list of Lame Duck session bills and scroll through the following pages to see how your State Senator and Representative voted.

* See Senate Bills 78, 891, and 910 summarized here.

Backroom Boys Jazz Band to entertain TONIGHT at Michigan House Café Mardi Gras party

Mardi Gras poster courtesy The Backroom Boys.

CALUMET -- It's Mardi Gras, and the Michigan House Café at 6th and Oak in Calumet invites you to bring your beads and masks to the Mardi Gras party TONIGHT, Tuesday, Feb 17. The Backroom Boys Jazz Band will jam it up from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., and the Boys will probably insist on a "second line" parade around the place to finish off the Carnival season.

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!" says Backroom Boys' musician Oren Tikkanen.

Just to let you know -- Tim is making his chicken and andouille sausage gumbo for the Mardi Gras observance TONIGHT. If you want him to save you some, call 337-1910 tout de suite for a dinner reservation.

Green Film Series to present documentary on food and health Feb. 19

HOUGHTON -- The Green Film Series will present Forks Over Knives, a film  that examines the profound claim that many of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The film features leading experts on health, examines the question "why we don't know," and tackles the issue of diet and disease in new and engaging ways.

The film will be shown from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19, in G002 Hesterberg Hall, Forestry Building at Michigan Tech. Coffee, tea and delicious refreshments will be provided by the Keweenaw Food Co-op.

Ray Sharp from the Community Planning and Preparedness team at the Western U. P. Health Department will lead a discussion after the film. The event is free and open to the public, though donations are appreciated.

The Green Film Series is sponsored by Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative,  Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Keweenaw Land Trust.

Houghton Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) to hold meeting Feb. 18

HOUGHTON -- The Houghton Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) will hold a meeting at 5 p.m. this Wednesday, Feb. 18, at Michigan Tech's Advanced Technology Development Complex (ATDC). The major goal for the meeting is to update everyone on the search for the Energy Manager and to establish a hiring process. In addition, HEET will unveil their exciting Winterization Program!

The ATDC is located at 1402 Sharon Avenue in Houghton across the street from the Tech intramural softball fields. The meeting is free and open to the public.

HEET is looking for a part-time Energy Manager to coordinate its activities and help to implement the Houghton County Energy Plan. The Energy Manager position will be a part-time, two-year, paid position. Click here to learn more.

To learn more about HEET, visit http://energizehoughton.org/.

Heikinpäivä 2015: new slide show, videos ...

The Heikinpäivä 2015 Parade heads down Quincy Street in Hancock. Participants often wear traditional Finnish or Sami outfits such as these. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Now offers our readers a new slide show -- Heikinpäivä 2015 -- with photos of the parade, wife-carrying competition, kicksled races, Tori markets, Polar Bear Dive and Community Arts Center art exhibits. Find the slide show near the top of our right hand column and click on any photo to access the slide show.*

Heikinpäivä is the annual Finnish-American mid-winter celebration in Hancock.

Videos of Heikinpäivä Jan. 31, 2015, highlights

Michigan Tech's Pep Band adds a lively atmosphere to the parade on Quincy Street in Hancock:

During the 2015 Heikinpäivä Parade, Michigan Tech's Pep Band is followed by representatives of local Finnish-American and community organizations, Finlandia University and characters from the Kalevala (Finnish epic). (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Riding atop "Big Louie," known in Hancock as "arguably the world's largest kicksled," is the Hankooki Heikki winner for 2015, Reuben Niemistö, who presides over the festivities. Each year someone who has contributed to the preservation and enhancement of Finnish-American cultural life in Michigan’s Copper Country is chosen as Hankooki Heikki. Niemistö, a longtime board member and past president of the Hanka Homestead near Askel, has devoted many of his nearly nine decades of life to sharing Finnish cultural traditions, especially those from the more distant past.

After the parade, the wife-carrying competition, a Finnish tradition, is held on the Quincy Green. This year a couple from Finland came in second place. Here they are in action:

Olli Malinen and his wife, Heli Lehtivuori, of Jyväskylä, Finland, participate in the 2015 Heikinpäivä Finnish-American mid-winter festival wife-carrying contest. Heli was giving visiting lectures at Michigan Tech the week of Heikinpäivä and attended the festival with her family.

Olli and Heli encourage their daughter Pihla to speak to the TV6 reporter after the wife-carrying contest. Their younger daughter, Lumi, was also interviewed (see slide show). Pihla also participated in the kicksled race (see below).

Kids take off for one of the kicksled races. Pihla is second from right in the lineup.

Here is a video clip of the runoff race among top kicksledders ...

The winners of previous races compete for prizes in the runoff Kicksled Race.

For more photos see our slide show.

* You can go directly to the slide show page by clicking here. Then click on "slide show" in the upper left corner.

County Road 595 a bad idea in wrong place

By Jessica Koski*

Proposed Marquette County Road 595 would irreversibly impact high quality wetlands at the headwaters of several watersheds and foreseeably lead to additional roads that would open up one of Michigan's last remaining wilderness areas to resource exploitation.

Wetlands are a foundation of our nation's water resources and are one of the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth, rivaling that of tropical rainforests. Vital to the health of waterways, wetlands recharge groundwater, absorb floodwaters and filter pollution. They provide essential wildlife habitat, agricultural resources (berries, wild rice), timber production and economic activities. Michigan's economy depends on tourism dollars from hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation businesses enabled by wetlands.

Yet, wetlands are on the frontlines of development and their preservation is vastly underappreciated. Michigan has already lost more than half of its original 11 million acres of wetlands due to filling and draining.

From an Ojibwe standpoint, many culturally significant plants, foods and medicines occur in wetlands and within the County Road 595 project area. These resources are an essential part of Ojibwe lifeway; and tribal rights of access, collection and use are guaranteed through treaties signed with the United States.

This photo shows Wildcat Canyon in the potential CR 595 corridor. Looking straight down the canyon, one can see Eagle Rock in the middle of the photo, close to the top, below the bluish ridges on the horizon. The proposed 21-mile primary county road, running north-south between U.S. Highway 41 and County Road Triple A, was originally intended to connect the Eagle Mine with the Humboldt Mill. (File photo © and courtesy Jeremiah Eagle Eye)

Last month, the Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) voted to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its "arbitrary and capricious" objection to County Road 595 over two years ago. In reality, the MCRC failed to submit an application consistent with federal Clean Water Act requirements.**

In EPA's objection letter, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) was given detailed requirements to address inadequate wetland minimization and compensation plans, and 30 days to satisfy the objection or deny the permit. MDEQ denied the permit, although the process could have transferred to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authority.

Prior to a decision, EPA heard directly from the public in Marquette on August 28, 2012. Many citizens expressed concerns in opposition to County Road 595, contrary to many government officials.

Jessica Koski, author of this article, presents her comments on the proposed County Road 595 during the Aug. 28, 2012, public hearing held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Marquette. (File photo © and courtesy Jeremiah Eagle Eye)

The lawsuit's price tag is $500,000 and road construction is estimated to cost $80 to $100 million, without additional maintenance costs. Eagle Mine says they won't fund the lawsuit or road. Taxpayers are promised they won't foot the bill. According to local officials, state Sen.Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, is a driving force behind the lawsuit and an assembly of secret private funders.

Casperson's road rage is currently attempting to amend Michigan's Constitution to rob the state's Natural Resources Trust Fund for timber and mining infrastructure. This is contrary to the opinion of Michigan's Attorney General and the original intent of the Fund since 1976 to support environmental preservation and enhance outdoor recreation benefits for the public.

Recent Eagle Mine trucking accidents are undeniably a public safety concern. However, even if MCRC is successful, it would be years before County Road 595 could be a reality. Are there alternative actions to more immediately protect the public from ore trucks? Yes.

In June 2013, the Marquette City Commission asked MDEQ to require Eagle Mine to amend its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regarding transportation. MDEQ denied the request, claiming the city is not within the mine's "affected area."

Marquette County could object to MDEQ's unwillingness to enforce the state mining rules. Part 632 states that an EIA shall define the affected area. Because the company significantly changed transportation from rail to truck after receiving a mining permit, the people of Marquette County were never rightfully provided an opportunity during the permitting process to weigh in on transportation impacts and the now inaccurate affected area.

Eagle Mine can also go beyond regulatory requirements and implement best practices. In fact, their original permit included hard cover trailer tops, but switched to soft cover tarps for easier loading and unloading. Is a convenience for Lundin Mining Corp. more important than public safety?

The company could also reconsider its original rail option. This would create jobs, alleviate stress on public road infrastructure and better protect public safety and the environment.

Rail probably could have saved much wasted investment and headache for the local community. Also, imagine if as much political support and energy exhausted into County Road 595 went toward a truck bypass around the city.

Ultimately, local officials are empowered with zoning and ordinance authority to establish more stringent conditions for how, when and where heavy ore trucks travel through the city.

(Inset photo of Jessica Koski courtesy Native American Political Leadership Program)

Editor's notes:

* Guest author Jessica Koski is a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC). She is an alumna of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and currently serves as Mining Technical Assistant for the KBIC. This article appeared in the Marquette Mining Journal on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015. It is reprinted here with the author's permission.

** See Keweenaw Now's Jan. 28, 2015, article, "Marquette County Board, residents, environmental groups oppose Road Commission vote to sue EPA over CR 595; lawsuit funding sources undisclosed."

DNR receives updated Graymont proposal for Eastern U.P. land transaction, limestone mining

By Michele Bourdieu, with information from Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources

LANSING -- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has received a revised land transaction application from Graymont, Inc., a limestone-mining company based in British Columbia. The company is proposing development of a limestone mining operation in northern Mackinac County near the town of Rexton in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. The land transaction application amends a January 2015 version of the proposal.

The revised land transaction application is unchanged in the total amount and location of public land under consideration (more than 10,000 acres of public surface lands or mineral rights).

A Jan. 15, 2015, article in the Detroit Free Press, noting six DNR division heads sent a Jan. 13 memo to DNR Director Keith Creagh opposing the transaction for several reasons, describes the mining operation as "a sprawling, 13,000-acre, open-pit and underground limestone mining operation touching three U.P. counties --  Luce, Mackinac and Chippewa."*

The Jan. 13 memo notes opposition to the land transaction from tribal governments, individual citizens and groups and at least one affected township, although it states general support of the project by local governments.**

Environmental groups oppose Graymont proposal

The Sierra Club Michigan Chapter applauded the DNR officials for their opposition to the January land transaction application, noting, "The proposed $2.9 million purchase, lease and options to buy 10,457 acres of public land by Graymont would constitute the largest sell-off of DNR lands in the state’s history."

Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter conservation director, said, "Michigan’s public lands like this are too valuable to sell off -- and to do so for a few million dollars in short-term benefits would be tantamount to theft."

Marvin Roberson, Sierra Club forest ecologist, said the DNR land that Graymont wants to buy and lease includes ecologically important parcels -- prime forest land -- in Luce and Mackinac counties.

Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) has also expressed opposition to the proposed land transaction. In a Jan. 27 action alert email message, SWUP said Trout Lake Township resident and community advocate Kathy English is encouraging the public to attend meetings on the Graymont proposal.

"We need to let the DNR know that the majority of the citizens and taxpayers in the affected areas are vehemently opposed," English said.

Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP interim director, noted, "The Graymont proposal makes no sense, economically -- only a handful of mining jobs would be created -- and will sacrifice public lands for the benefit of a foreign mining company. Residents fear that any short-term economic gain is outweighed by the loss of existing long-term jobs in forestry and tourism industries. The Rexton area supports unique hydrology and biodiversity that must be protected -- including critical karst terrain featured in Michigan’s Natural Features Inventory, globally-rare alvar plant communities, and northern fens (wetlands) supporting the rare Hine's Emerald Dragonfly, considered 'one of North America's rarest dragonflies.'"***

SWUP sent 16 pages of comments to the DNR on Feb. 6, the same day Graymont submitted their newest revision. SWUP, based in Marquette, plans to review the new version and submit more comments. In their submitted comments so far, SWUP expresses serious concerns about the proposal -- both the land and mineral rights transactions -- and doubts about the proposal’s economic benefits given losses for tourism and forestry.

In the introduction to their Feb. 6 comments, SWUP states the following:

"It is outrageous that a comprehensive environmental review process did not require a detailed mining plan or a formal Environmental Impacts Assessment. Multiple revisions to the Graymont Proposal, moreover, create a confusing and ever-shifting focus for reviewers, with little meaningful emphasis on public input, and a striking lack of concern for tribal sovereignty, or federal land concerns which may legally prohibit limestone mining in this area. The unprecedented loss of public land would represent a loss for Michigan’s environment, Michigan’s taxpayers and the Eastern Upper Peninsula’s growing sustainable forest and tourism economies -- and especially Michigan’s environment. Graymont's Proposal threatens endangered species, fragile ecologies, with negative impacts to groundwater, drinking water, and hydrologies."****

Public comments on revised application being accepted

The new Graymont application proposes an increase in the offered royalty payment for the limestone to be mined. Under the revised application, Graymont would pay the state 30 cents for each ton of extracted limestone, up from an earlier offer of 18.75 cents per ton. Those royalties would be deposited into the State Parks Endowment Fund. In addition, Graymont is proposing to develop a regional economic development fund to provide grants for local units of government, schools and/or small businesses. The company has proposed to pay a timber consideration fee on Tract A, limit wetland impacts on Tract E, and has suggested possible routes for the relocation of recreation trails on Tract E. The entire revised proposal, along with maps of tracts under consideration, can be found at www.michigan.gov/graymontproposal.

The transaction had been slated for a decision by DNR Director Creagh at the Feb. 12, 2015, Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting in Lansing. However, in order to allow the public and the DNR to thoroughly review this revised proposal, the director will now make a decision on the land transaction no earlier than the March 19, 2015, NRC meeting in Roscommon.

The company has a second proposal pending -- a mineral exchange application -- which remains unchanged from a Jan. 15 application. This proposal seeks to exchange more than 1,700 acres of state-owned minerals under the Hiawatha National Forest in Chippewa County for 1,700 acres of Graymont-owned minerals under state-owned lands in northern Mackinac County. The mineral exchange application will go before Creagh for a decision at the Feb. 12 NRC meeting. The mineral exchange proposal can be found on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/graymontproposal.

There are multiple ways people can provide comments about these proposals. The public will have an opportunity to make comments at upcoming NRC meetings. The DNR continues to maintain an email address for the public to comment. Interested parties may send comments to DNRGraymontProposalComments@michigan.gov. Mailed comments can be sent to the Roscommon Customer Service Center, ATTN: Kerry Wieber, 8717 N. Roscommon Road, Roscommon, MI 48653.

Comments will be accepted until a final decision is made.*****

NOTES:

* Click here to read the Jan. 15, 2015, Detroit Free Press article, "DNR division heads: Reject massive U.P. land sale."

** Click here to read this Jan. 13 memo.

*** Click here to read about Great Lakes Alvar communities. Karst terrain is an area of limestone terrain characterized by sinks, ravines, and underground streams (according to dictionary.com).

**** Read Save the Wild U.P.'s Feb. 6 comments here.

***** The DNR presentation for the Jan. 28, 2015, public meeting in Newberry on Graymont's earlier proposal, including maps of the area, is available here. An updated Graymont Fact Sheet is available here. Visit the DNR Web page on the Graymont Land Transaction for more information. Click here for Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting minutes and agendas.

Barneløpet children's race is TODAY, Feb. 8, at Maasto Hiihto

Sons of Norway members announce the Barneløpet children's ski race during the Heikinpäivä Parade on Jan. 31, 2015, in Hancock. (Photo by Keweenaw Now).

HANCOCK --The Barneløpet ("Children’s Race" in Norwegian) -- a classic-style cross-country ski event sponsored jointly by the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club (KNSC), City of Hancock, and the Sons of Norway’s Ulseth Lodge -- will be held at 2 p.m. TODAY, Sunday, Feb. 8 at Maasto Hiihto Trails. Registration is at 1 p.m.at the the Four Seasons Chalet at the trailhead in Hancock (County Fair Grounds).

Kids take off at the start of the 2014 Barneløpet. (File photo © and courtesy The Trail Mutt Reports)

Registration is open for ages 3 through 17 years old. The Barneløpet start is at the Hancock Four Seasons Chalet trailhead on the Maasto Hiihto cross-country trail system with groomed and marked courses of 1, 2, 4, and 6 km, each for children of differing ages/abilities. Start times: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in age groups. Parents can ski with their children if they wish, to make it a family outing.

This is a noncompetitive event. Ski for time or take your time!

Youth skiers who complete their chosen course receive a large, colorful enameled Participation Medallion and can enjoy the hot chocolate and cookie treats provided at the Chalet for everyone after they finish. A suggested donation of $3 per child or $5 per family, to help defray the costs of the event, is welcome.

To download a registration form, click here.

First Friday in Calumet TONIGHT offers new exhibits, poetry, photography, more ...

Woodcut color reduction by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty. On exhibit at the Galerie Bohème in Calumet. (Photo courtesy Galerie Bohème)

CALUMET -- First Friday in Calumet will offer new art exhibits, poetry, a photography workshop and tasty treats in the galleries, cafés and studios.

Galerie Bohème: New and previous work by local artists

Galerie Boheme will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Feb. 6, with new and previous works by Margo McCafferty, Georgi Tsenov, Cynthia Coté, Tom Rudd and others.

"Come to the first Friday events in Calumet and visit us at Galerie Bohème for a cuppa, a slice of cheese to go with the fresh bread and plenty of chatter from friendly faces," says host Tom Rudd.

Galerie Bohème is located at 423 Fifth St. in Calumet.

Café Rosetta: Poetry and Art

Café Rosetta is hosting a Poetry Reading at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, as well as a reception for Lena Wilson, a mixed-media watercolorist and sketch artist. With liberal use of color, the human form and natural and abstract elements, her artwork plays on the mysterious, but possible properties of cosmic energy.

Café Rosetta is at 104 Fifth St.

Paige Wiard Gallery: Colors of Winter

Pastel by Michelle Wegler. (Photo courtesy Paige Wiard Gallery)

Visit the Paige Wiard Gallery to bring a little color into your winter days! For the month of February artists will be displaying their visions of winter color. From bright sunset colors reflecting off the snow to shades of grey from shadow, see how artists view the colors of winter. An opening reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, in the Gallery at 109 5th St.

For more information call 906-337-5970 or email paigewiardgallery@gmail.com. Stop in and add a little winter color to your day.

Hahn Hammered Copper: Found Object Art and more ...

Stop in at Hahn Hammered Copper to see what's new in Art Copper and Found Object Art. You are sure to find something for your taste and for your budget at Hahn Hammered Copper, 203 Fifth St. in Calumet!

Calumet Art Center: Studio art projects

Old Mission twiner Teri Gray-Keenan enjoys twining a rug while streaming movies. Teri is the daughter of ceramic artist Ed Gray, Calumet Art Center executive director. (Photo courtesy Calumet Art Center)

The Calumet Art Center welcomed the New Year with a busy schedule of workshops. During the February First Friday, visitors can see the ongoing projects.

Ed Gray has been helping adult students discover "The Spirit of Clay" in a vessel building class. The weaving class has created manycolorful rugs which will be on display. Explore the beautiful sewn gift bags crafted for students of the knitting class. Touring the studio spaces at the Calumet Art Center is a great way to find inspiration for a project.

For more information, call 906-934-2228 or check out the website at www.calumetartcenter.com. The Calumet Art Center is at 57055 Fifth Street.

Cross Country Sports: Jewelry by by Annele Sakari

For the month of February, Cross Country Sports will feature jewelry by Annele Sakari -- Hello Starling Designs. Annele creates fine silver and pure copper jewelry using precious metal clay, a medium consisting of very fine particles of precious metals mixed with an organic binder and water.  During kiln firing, the binder burns off leaving only the pure, sintered metal behind. Often drawing inspiration from the local geography and nature, her beautiful designs include images of Lake Superior, the Upper Peninsula, ferns and flowers.

Visit Cross Country Sports at 507 Oak Street for an open house from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. First Friday. Meet Annele and enjoy refreshments while viewing samples of her art.

Copper Country Associated Artists: Photography Workshop with Mark Upton

Mark Upton, local photographer and Copper Country Associated Artists member from Allouez, Mich., will present a "How To" on Photography on First Friday, Feb. 6. Here is the schedule:

6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. -- Camera basics, equipment and use
6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. -- Action photography -- Copper Dog
7 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. -- Long Exposure photography -- Northern Lights
7:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. -- Open Questions and Answers

All ages are welcome to join this event. No reserved seating is required -- join the fun! Bring your camera along for any questions you might have.

For more info contact Pamela Hecht, CCAA First Friday program chair, at 337-2274. The Gallery, at 205 Fifth St., is closed during the winter months EXCEPT for 1st Friday Events.

Tau Kappa Epsilon captures first place in Winter Carnival snow statue competition

With their London snow sculpture, Houghton fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon won first place in the Fraternities Division and first place overall in the 2015 Winter Carnival competition with a vacation theme. The sculpture is facing Hwy. 41 next to Michigan Tech's Administration Building. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech University)

HOUGHTON -- Tau Kappa Epsilon's towering and intricate snow sculpture of London as a winter vacation getaway took first place in the Fraternities Division and first place overall in Michigan Tech 2015 Winter Carnival's month-long statue competition.

Judging was held this morning, Thursday; and the Blue Key National Honor Society -- which runs Winter Carnival -- announced the results Thursday afternoon.

Second place overall and in the fraternity division was a Hawaiian scene built by Phi Kappa Tau, a Hancock fraternity whose snow statues won first place for the past seven years.

Hancock fraternity Phi Kappa Tau, at 1209 Quincy St., took second place this year -- a break in their seven-year winning streak -- with this Hawaiian snow scene, including King Kamehameha, hula dancers, sea creatures and a Tiki Bar. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

While the Houghton winner met challenges of engineering to produce the tall structures of Big Ben and the London Eye giant ferris wheel, and added such London favorites as the double-decker bus and traditional taxi, Hancock's Phi Kappa Tau created very detailed ice and snow figures -- one of their specialties.

The Hancock second-place winner, Phi Kappa Tau, created a Hawaiian atmosphere with the surfer at left; icy sea creatures, foreground; the volcano Mauna Loa, center, sending smoke into the sky; hula dancers; a lifeguard; a daredevil fire thrower and more. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

How about a nice, cool drink at the Tiki Bar? (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Third place overall was Air Force ROTC, whose statue of Cape Canaveral in front of the ROTC Building also placed first in the Student Orgs Division. The Army ROTC's ocean statue placed second in that division and the Four Wheelers' Griswold family vacation, third.

Third place in the Fraternities Division was Sigma Tau Gamma, with a statue representing Egypt.

Theta Chi Epsilon placed first among women's groups with its statue depicting the Roman Coliseum, facing Hwy. 41 in front of the Opie and Van Pelt Library. Alpha Sigma Tau took second with a statue portraying Venice, Italy; and Delta Zeta's Taj Mahal statue came in third.

Summitt/WIE took first place among Residence Halls groups, with Raptor Hall placing second and Mama's Boys, third.

Statues built during the All-nighter Wednesday night were also judged, with St. Albert the Great, on MacInnes Drive, coming in first; TreeHouse, second; and FYE Wads, third.

Click here for the full results and more photos.

Michigan Tech's 2915 Winter Carnival continues through Saturday night, Feb. 7, with hockey games against Bemidji State Friday night and Saturday afternoon, snow volleyball, human dogsled races, a torchlight parade down Mont Ripley at 8:15 p.m. Saturday and fireworks following the torchlight parade.

Comedian Justin Willman to perform at Rozsa for Winter Carnival Feb. 6

Comedian Justin Willman will entertain during Winter Carnival at the Rozsa Center Friday, Feb. 6. (Photo courtesy Rozsa Center)

HOUGHTON -- The Rozsa Center, the Michigan Tech Student Entertainment Board, and the Memorial Union Board  welcome Comedian Justin Willman as the 2015 Winter Carnival Comedian, at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. Tickets are on sale now; all ages are welcome. To purchase tickets, call (906) 487-2073, go online at rozsa.mtu.edu or visit Ticketing Operations at Michigan Tech’s Student Development Complex (SDC). Tickets are $25, or Michigan Tech Students $10.

According to the IMDb mini-biography by Alex Murray, Justin Willman is an American magician, comedian, actor, and TV personality. The Guardian dubbed him as "some kind of variety Voltron with a comic flair that marks him out as the leader of the pack." He's a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003), and Chelsea Lately (2007); and he hosts the hit shows, Cupcake Wars (2009) on the Food Network and Win, Lose or Draw (2014) on the Disney Channel. He also tours regularly with a magic/comedy live show that Time Out says, "has to be seen to be disbelieved." His greatest trick yet, however, was receiving a standing ovation from President Obama, following a private performance at the White House. How did he do it? Magnets.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Justin began entertaining at the age of 12. After breaking both of his arms trying to ride a bicycle while wearing rollerblades (a hopeless attempt to impress girls), he started learning card tricks as an alternative to physical therapy. Nicknamed "Justin Kredible" by his mother, he officially turned pro when his parents hired him to perform at his sister's fifth birthday party. (He still has not been paid for the gig.) Justin is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston and currently resides in Los Angeles. He does not own a rabbit.

Click here for more about Justin.

Please note the Rozsa Box Office is closed during regular business hours and will only open two hours prior to show times.

From Tech Today: Celebrate Winter Carnival at Michigan Tech this week

HOUGHTON -- It’s time to celebrate our snowy home: Winter Carnival is back with the snow statue competition judging on Thursday, Feb. 5.

The 2015 Winter Carnival theme is "While Frozen in the Ice and Snow, We Dream of Vacations on Which to Go."

The Winter Carnival tradition began in 1922. Organized by the Blue Key National Honor Society since 1934, Winter Carnival is Michigan Tech’s mid-winter celebration of the season in the Keweenaw. Festivities kicked off in January when the month-long statue-building competition got under way. Since then, speed skating, broomball, curling, ice bowling, ice fishing, snow volleyball and much more have gotten underway.

Carnival culminates in Wednesday night’s All-Nighter, Feb. 4, with one-night statue construction joining the month-long statue projects. Broomball, a smorgasbord of unique food treats, a snowy wall of speakers pounding out music, and much more will take place across campus well into the night.

The weekend brings a two-game series against Bemidji State in hockey, the Broomball Alumni Invitational and the Torchlight Parade with fireworks over Mont Ripley.

Click here for the complete schedule.

For additional information, visit the Winter Carnival website or contact Blue Key at 487-2818 or bluekey@mtu.edu.

(Winter Carnival logo courtesy mtu.edu.)

Parking during Winter Carnival and extended Shuttle Service

In order to accommodate the many visitors during Winter Carnival, the following lots will be available beginning at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4 (Lot 11 opens at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6), free of charge, no permits required.

Lot 9 (commuter lot by the Rozsa Center)
Lot 5 (graduate student lot by the Rozsa)
Lot 27 (pay lot between the Administration Building and MUB)
Overnight parking -- You may park in Lot 9, the commuter lot by the Rozsa, without a permit.
Lot 11 (near the Administration Building) will be open at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Lastly, there will be free parking at all metered areas. Transportation Services will also extend its operations during Winter Carnival. The Michigan Tech shuttle service will run from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The City of Houghton shuttle service will run its regularly scheduled service. Please remember that the Michigan Tech shuttle bus is not equipped to handle children but you may use the on-demand service that the City of Houghton provides.

For any questions or comments regarding Winter Carnival parking regulations or shuttle bus service, call Transportation Services at 487-1441 or Public Safety and Police Services at 487-2216.

Portage Library to host Master Gardener presentation, workshop TONIGHT, Feb.2

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will host the Keweenaw Garden Club for an evening of mid-winter landscaping wisdom and planning presented by certified Landscape Designer and Master Gardener at Michigan Technological University Quincy Higgins Arney.

Higgins Arney will present "The Do’s and Don’ts of Landscape Design" from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. TONIGHT, Monday, Feb. 2. An optional workshop will begin at 8 p.m. and graph paper, pencils, and rulers will be provided.

Winter is a great time to plan and design gardens, yards, and outdoor spaces, and Higgins Arney will guide participants through the landscaping design process. She will share tips and tricks that can save time, money, and energy while creating a landscape that enhances a home’s aesthetics and usability. She will also show how to reduce the amount of maintenance it requires as well as how to make the landscape more environmentally friendly.

The Keweenaw Garden Club was established by and for gardening enthusiasts. They have presentations at the Portage Lake District Library on the first Monday of each month, September through May. To learn more about the club, visit https://sites.google.com/site/keweenawgardenclub/.

Library programs are free and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl,org.

Community Arts Center to host reception for Art from the Kalevala Jan. 31 during Heikinpäivä

Scene from the Kalevala by Robert Obaga. (Photos courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center presents Art from the Kalevala, a group exhibition coinciding with the City of Hancock’s Heikinpäivä mid-winter celebration. The Kalevala is a 19th century work of poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology. It is regarded as the national epic poem of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature.

Bear. Kalevala art by Joyce Koskenmaki.

The reception will take place from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Arts Center. Finnish style refreshments will be served.

Artists taking part in this year’s exhibition in the Kerredge Gallery are Kris Raisanen Schourek, Harriet King, Joyce Koskenmaki, Cynthia Coté, Bob Dawson, Robert Obaga, Phyllis Fredendall, Eric Munch, Bonnie Loukus and Hilka Karhumaa Brown. The works include paintings in gouache, acrylic, pastels and oil; fiber art; photography; drawing on handmade paper; and digital art.

Kalevala painting by Harriet King.

Exhibitions are supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m - 6 p.m. and Saturdays 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.. For more information call 482-2333 or visit the website www.coppercountryarts.com.

Celebrate Mid-Winter at Heikinpäivä 2015 in Hancock

A highlight of the Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival is the parade on Quincy Street in Hancock. This year's parade will begin at 11 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 31. (Keweenaw Now file photos)

HANCOCK -- Heikinpäivä celebrates the midpoint of winter, when the hibernating bear rolls over; but he’s not the only creature revolving on that particular day. Finlandia University’s Quincy Green will be filled with folks who will have plenty of opportunity to take a "spin" through some Finnish-American fun.

Immediately following the parade, which gets under way at 11 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 31, Quincy Green will be the site of some longtime festival favorites, as well as some new attractions.

Kids enjoy a ride on the vipukelkka (whipsled) during Heikinpäivä in Hancock.

In one part of the Green, a group of intrepid volunteers led by Hancock High School teacher Steve Aho will be manning the vipukelkka (whipsled), on which young people can have a human-powered ride in a sled around a snowy and icy track. With all of this circular motion, both the pushers and riders can enjoy the ride.

The first competition on the agenda is the annual wife-carrying contest, with a mid-winter spin on a longtime Finnish tradition. Couples navigate a short obstacle course, with the "husband" carrying the "wife" (participants need not be married) while completing a series of tradition-based tasks in preparation for having guests at their home. Whoever does this fastest will leave the course with some prizes in hand.

A bit of role reversal sometimes happens during the "wife" carrying contest. The "husband" seems to be enjoying the ride here.

Once the wives are all carried, the young people can spin around a race course on some youth-sized potkuri (kicksleds), with the fastest in each age bracket earning himself or herself a prize as well. Age brackets will be determined on-site dependent on number and age of participants.

Kids line up for the kicksled race on Quincy Green during Heikinpäivä games. 

Another ride option will be a sled-dog ride around the perimeter of the Green. A team from Otter River Kennels will be offering folks a sampling of what it’s like to be mushed along the trail in a true dogsled race. These rides will be starting from the area of the Green nearest the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC).

After a whirlwind day of outdoor activities, Heikinpäivä-goers should also take a spin through the tori inside the FAHC and also inside the First United Methodist Church at the other end of Quincy Green.

Meghan Pachmayer, left, and Anna Leppänen offer Finnish snacks for sale at a previous Heikinpäivä Tori in the Finnish American Heritage Center.

Visitors can enjoy food, music and gifts to warm both inside and out, before venturing back onto the Green for more Heikinpäivä fun.

Carol Williams offers her lovely handmade jewelry for sale at the Tori. 

At 3 p.m. Saturday don't miss the Polar Bear Dive, near Porvoo Park, Hancock. $5 fee for competing divers; $1 all others.

The Polar Bear Dive on the Hancock Waterfront is only for the brave or (a little) crazy!

Heikinpäivä Dances: Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30, 31

A Finnish music jam session will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday evening, Jan. 30, at the Copper Island Beach Club on the Hancock Waterfront at the foot of Tezcuco Street. Come on down and sing, play, and dance hard enough to roll the bear over onto his other side. Let's make sure that winter's back is broken.

This year, the Heikinpäivä festival will not include a buffet dinner, but you can enjoy plenty of good food at the traditional Saturday Heikinpäivä Dance, beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Finnish American Heritage Center. Festival-goers can wrap up their 2015 experience by dancing to the musical stylings of Aallotar, a duo of Finnish-American fiddler Sara Pajunen and Finnish accordionist Teija Niku, who have traveled hundreds (or in Teija's case, thousands) of miles to share their talents with us. Admission is only $10 per person. Come and join the fun!