Houghton's NO KINGS 3 attracts 625 to rally, march for democracy, voting rights, free speech, more ...

By Michele Bourdieu

Carrying a variety of signs in support of democracy, voting rights, immigration justice, free speech and more, 600 people show up at the Houghton Pier for the March 28, 2026, nationwide NO KINGS 3 rally and walk to the Portage Lift Bridge (in background). In a supportive motor march, 25 more drove vehicles to accompany the marchers. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- Undaunted by the cold weather on Saturday, March 28, 2026, a crowd of 625 people participated in the NO KINGS 3 rally and march in Houghton. Following a rally at the Houghton Pier on the waterfront, two groups peacefully headed to the Portage Lift Bridge and walked on both sides of the bridge, displaying their signs to passing traffic. The event was organized by Keweenaw Indivisible (KI), a local group, whose many volunteers served as guides and peacekeepers.

"We were really encouraged by the turnout. Even with spring break, a lot of people out of town, and the colder weather, seeing that many people show up just shows how much this matters to our community," said Heather Mroz of the Keweenaw Indivisible leadership team. "Adding a march through downtown definitely meant a lot more planning than what we’ve done before, but we had a really strong team of KI members working through all the details. We brought in a large number of volunteers to marshal this time, and people really followed the plan. They took safety seriously, both for marchers and for pedestrian and traffic access, and kept things moving."

Displaying their signs, most of them homemade, participants in NO KINGS 3 gather on the Houghton Pier as the rally begins. (Photo by Keweenaw Now) 

The rally began with an energetic speech by Rich Canevez of the KI leadership team, who reminded the crowd of the importance of speaking out and letting our representatives and political candidates know our views on current threats to democracy and human rights in this country.

Rich Canevez of the Keweenaw Indivisible leadership team kicks off the NO KINGS 3 rally and march with a heartfelt talk on why people are gathered for a third nationwide No Kings event in Houghton, Michigan, on March 28, 2026. Click on YouTube for larger view of video. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Canevez continued, citing the meaning of "NO KINGS" and urging participants to speak out as a community.

Rich Canevez of the Keweenaw Indivisible leadership team continues his rallying speech to participants in the March 28, 2028, No Kings 3 event in Houghton. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Following the rally, the crowd divided into two groups and walked through downtown to the Portage Lift Bridge, peacefully lining both sides of the bridge and displaying many signs and flags to oncoming traffic.

This group of NO KINGS 3 participants walk up to Shelden Avenue in downtown Houghton to proceed to the east side of the bridge. Friendly neighbors assist Peter and Carol Ekstrom with her wheel chair. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Individual homemade signs express marchers' concerns about the current administration's move toward authoritarianism. (Photo by Keweenaw Now) 

Displaying signs and flags to oncoming traffic, marchers line both sides of the Portage Lift Bridge. (Photo courtesy Keweenaw Indivisible. Reprinted with permission.)

One of the decorated motor march vehicles accompanying the marchers on foot bears a message of concern for children detained, often illegally, by ICE. (Photo courtesy Keweenaw Indivisible. Reprinted with permission.)

During the March 28 NO KINGS 3 march in Houghton, participants walk toward Hancock, displaying their signs and flags to oncoming traffic on the east side of the Portage Lift Bridge. Several drivers honk their horns in support. (Video by Keweenaw Now) 

Among the marchers on the east side of the bridge were Jeff and Crystal Baker of Chassell, who told Keweenaw Now they were participating in NO KINGS 3 for a long list of reasons, including the fact that they have grandchildren in ROTC and nephews in the armed services.

"I would rather it be peacetime service than wartime service for everyone's children," Crystal said. 

Displaying their "Grandparents Against Fascism" sign are Jeff and Crystal Baker of Chassell. Crystal created the sign for the NO KINGS 3 march. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)
 

Dee Dee Bloom of AWAVE (Advocates for those Without A Voice Everywhere), who volunteered for Keweenaw Indivisible as a marshal for NO KINGS 3, proudly wears the blue vest of the many volunteers who helped provide safety and successful movement for the march. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

A second group of marchers walked along the west side of the Portage Lift Bridge:

Many participants display signs as they walk up the west side of the Portage Lift Bridge during NO KINGS 3 in Houghton, Michigan. (Video © John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Toward the end of the march, some people still displayed their signs on the corner of Shelden Avenue and the Houghton end of the bridge. One of these was Barry Fink, former president of the League of Women Voters (LWV) Copper Country Chapter and now LWV Director/Gogebic Range Unit Advisor, who told Keweenaw Now why she was present at NO KINGS 3.

Barry Fink represents the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country in solidarity with LWV members across the nation. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"I am here, along with other members of the League of Women Voters at rallies across the country, to participate in the NO KINGS March to stand in solidarity with partner organizations and stand up against hate and authoritarianism," Barry Fink said. "The League has consistently and boldly spoken up in the face of rising authoritarianism. This event is an opportunity to put words into action and show up in defense of democracy and the constitution."*

Liz Halkola of Pelkie displayed an artistic sign borrowed from Kelly Ilitalo, her former pastor of the Mission United Lutheran Church in Pelkie, Michigan.

Near the Lift Bridge, Liz Halkola of Pelkie displays a sign she borrowed from her former pastor, Kelly Ylitalo, who made the sign for a previous march and is moving to Wisconsin soon. She thanks Pastor Kelly for the sign and her work at the Mission United Lutheran church in Pelkie. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Another local pastor, the Rev. Bucky Beach, now serving as pastor at the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (KUUF), volunteered as a marshal and could be seen at various locations during the march.

Wearing the blue volunteer vest for Keweenaw Indivisible, Pastor Bucky Beach says he is "roaming" as a marshal during NO KINGS 3 in Houghton. (Photo © John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Hancock resident Alan Salmi, who has participated in several local marches, was also present on the bridge during NO KINGS 3. 

Alan Salmi of Hancock pauses for a photo on the Lift Bridge during NO KINGS 3. (Photo © and courtesy Miriam Pickens. Reprinted with permission.)

Following the march, Alan Salmi shared his thoughts about NO KINGS 3 with Keweenaw Now.

"Eight to nine million people don’t show up in the streets because nothing is wrong," Salmi noted. "They show up because Trump’s own counterterrorism chief resigned rather than support an unnecessary war, because our tax dollars are funding bombs instead of our communities, and because the curtain is finally coming down -- on Iran, on Epstein, on all of it."

A family familiar with marching on the Lift Bridge, even in very cold weather, because of their constant support of the Yoopers for Ukraine walks over the past four years, John Loosemore and his children, displayed their signs for Houghton's NO KINGS 3.

The Loosemore family of Hancock, from left, Jethro, John, Jacob and Kaitlyn, brave the cold as usual on the Portage Lift Bridge during NO KINGS 3 on March 28, 2026. (Photo by Keweenaw Now) 

Miguel Levy of Houghton, executive of the Michigan branch of the American Communist Party, handed out flyers stating their position against illegal wars of aggression. The flyer states, "No soldier should die for empire or the profits of the elite. We demand that not a single American should die for Israel!"

Miguel Levy displays his NO WAR ON IRAN sign and flyer on the Portage Lift Bridge during NO KINGS 3. (Photo by Keweenaw Now) 

Jean Ellis of Eagle Harbor traveled the distance to Houghton for NO KINGS 3 and told Keweenaw Now she believed the event was a great success.

"Thank you so much to the organizers and to all those who stood in the cold breeze on the Bridge for close to an hour," Ellis said. "Gratitude goes locally to everyone who stood on the Portage Lake Bridge in cold and windy conditions and peacefully demonstrated. Toes and fingers may have frozen but we persisted. Encouragement from passers-by helped too. Each person who braves the cold is important and it's wonderful to see more and more turn out.

"All that said, the goal is to not have to protest because the Constitution has been upheld and the country has returned to its principles and laws. May we see that soon!"

Ellis also commented on the reports about NO KINGS 3 beyond Houghton:

"Minnesota definitely stood out and showed how citizens stand together. Thank you, Minnesotans, for your courage and fortitude. 

"Nationally, conditions varied across the USA but recent reports say that up to 9,000,000 people carried signs, sang, and stood up. Pictures of crowds that filled streets for blocks and blocks show that this nation is populated by people who care about democracy, morality, ethics, and humanity. Demonstrators from nations like France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Portugal help us all to know that this is a world problem and we can hope for support and friendship when we reach a solution. And through it all, we need to thank those who worked to organize an incredibly peaceful event. 'Thank you' may not be enough but I hope it's a start."**

Another Keweenaw County resident, Dave Schumacher, traveled to Houghton from Eagle River, Mich., for NO KINGS 3 and stayed until the end. He noted he and his wife are worried about coming elections. Schumacher asked if one can think of any time in U.S. history when people were rallying in these numbers against our president.

Dave Schumacher of Eagle River, Mich., displays his sign and chats with Keweenaw Now about his concerns for the country. (Photo © John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Heather Mroz of Keweenaw Indivisible expressed gratitude for the turnout and cooperation of city officials for the NO KINGS 3 event.

"The City of Houghton and the Houghton Police Department were great to work with throughout, helping us plan ahead and supporting us day-of so we could carry out a safe event," Mroz told Keweenaw Now. "Overall, it was just a great day. It felt energized, it felt organized, and we’re really grateful to everyone who came out." 

More photos ... (These photos © John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

 

 

 

Thanks to John Peiffer for photos and videos of NO KINGS 3.

 

Editor's Notes:

 

* The League of Women Voters (LWV) -- a nonpartisan political organization -- encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. 

 

** Jean Ellis posted these comments on Facebook and gave us permission to quote them here. To see photos of NO KINGS 3 from around the world CLICK HERE. 

Sarah Green reports on COP 30, international climate conference, held in Brazil in November 2025

By Michele Bourdieu

Kapewē pukêní, 2024. By Brazilian indigenous artist Rita Huni Kuin. This painting tells the story of "Kapewē pukêní" (the alligator bridge), the origin story of the Huni Kuin people, who live in the Amazonian rainforest. Rita is a member of MAHKU (Movimento dos Artistas Huni Kuin), an Indigenous art collective from Brazil. From her village, Chico Curumim on the upper Jordão River/Acre, Rita Sales Huni Kuin speaks of her intention to bring healing not only to her family and community but to the world. This painting is included in an art exhibit by Brazilian indigenous artists at a site in the Estacao das Docas, an old port converted to a tourist area. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo courtesy Sarah Green)

Sarah Green, Michigan Tech professor emerita in chemistry and researcher known for her work on global climate change, has taken a group of students from Michigan Tech to the annual international climate Conference of the Parties (COP) every year since 2019 as observers. Green recently posted a report on COP 30, held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. 

In her report, Green describes what happens at a COP, including the negotiations among countries on how they will cooperate to implement the goals of the Paris Agreement, whose chief goals are the following:

• Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change;
  
• Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production; and
  
• Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.

She also notes the importance of information sharing among country and organizational representatives, negotiators and observers at the COP.

Green comments on the fact that the United States is the only party to have withdrawn from the Paris Agreement (twice).

"The United States had no official delegation at COP30, no negotiators, no seat at the table. But Americans were very present as observers," Green notes.

Sarah Green, left, is pictured here with Michigan Tech alumna Leigh Winowieki, who now runs a successful soil lab in Nairobi, Kenya. Winowieki hosted several panels on soil health at COP 30. (Photo courtesy Sarah Green)

"I attend COP with students from Michigan Tech because the university has observer status," Green adds. "We work closely with other observer universities: Boston University, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State, Colorado State, and others. Our students (and alumni) typically contribute to panel discussions during COPs."

Student observers participate in a panel discussion during COP 30. (Photo courtesy Sarah Green)

One of Green's group of observers from Michigan Tech was Lexi Tater, a Michigan Tech PhD student in Environmental and Energy Policy, who is now on a leave of absence from the PhD program in order to work as an UP North Advocacy Community Organizer. Tater, who also attended COP 29 last year in Azerbaijan, was able, at a COP 30 panel, to speak about international climate governance and policy from a Justice lens.*

"We focused on carbon crediting mechanisms, and discussed their implications on marginalized communities and developing nations," Tater told Keweenaw Now.

During a panel sponsored by NSF, Oak Ridge National Lab, and Vanderbilt University, Lexi Tater speaks on international climate governance and policy from a Justice lens. (Photo courtesy Lexi Tater) 

Tater said these were her takeaways from the COP 30 experience:

"Real climate action and real climate justice starts with listening to communities who have been stewarding the earth forever. Recognizing and asserting sovereignty, Land Back movements, and decoupling from colonial/capitalist structures/growth are critical pieces to furthering true climate justice." 

Over 50,000 delegates were registered to attend this conference, and COP 30 had the largest ever representation of Indigenous Peoples as delegates, Green reports.

Green also mentions the Peoples' Plenary, a COP tradition that gives an opportunity for observers, especially youth, to express their views. It brings a focus on justice and equity, with many delegates speaking about the impacts of wars. 

Observers at COP 30 had opportunities to speak at the People's Plenary. Pictured here are members of civil society during the People’s Plenary on Nov. 21, 2025. (Photo: © UN Climate Change - Kiara Worth)

In her report, Green summarizes several outcomes of COP 30, including the strong endorsement of the Paris Agreement and progress described in the document "Global Mutirão: Uniting humanity in a global mobilization against climate change."

Some of the progress Green mentions includes a Belém Gender Action Plan, more protection for forests and oceans, and the COP 30 Action Agenda -- a framework capable of mobilizing civil society, businesses, investors, cities, states, and countries. 

This most recent COP took place in Belém, a city in the remote northeastern Para province of Brazil. In her report, Green offers her impressions of Belém and includes several photos.

CLICK HERE to read Sarah Green's report on COP 30, posted in her December 6, 2025, Citizens Rally for Accountable Government (CRAG) newsletter.

* If you missed Lexi Tater's report for Keweenaw Now on last year's COP 29, see "Guest article: COP 29 in Azerbaijan and international policy on climate change."

UPDATED: Exhibit on Native American Boarding Schools to open March 11 at Michigan Tech Library

Old orphanage building at Assinins. The orphanage in Assinins, built by Father Gerhard Terhorst in 1881, was originally meant to house orphaned boys. (Photo courtesy Baraga County Historical Society)

[Editor's Note: Please see UPDATE below on showing of second film.] 

HOUGHTON -- A traveling exhibit on Native American Boarding Schools will be in the Opie Reading Room of Michigan Tech's Van Pelt Library from March 11 to 22, with an opening from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. This opening event will include the 25-minute film Remember the Children followed by a facilitated discussion with boarding school survivors, refreshments and visiting the exhibit.

UPDATE: Since Michigan Tech is closed Sunday and Monday, March 15 and 16, the date and location for the showing of the second film, Indian Horse (104 min.), have changed. On Wednesday, March 18, the film Indian Horse will be shown in Ballroom A2 of the Memorial Union Building (MUB) with a discussion and refreshments from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The exhibit will be open 24/7 in the Opie and Van Pelt Library through March 22. All events are free and open to the public. 

Native American boarding schools’ legacy continues to impact Native American people today. Known survivors in the UP are listed on an exhibit panel. When visiting the exhibit, participants can scan a QR code with their smartphones to listen to boarding school survivors tell their stories.

Holy Family Orphanage in Marquette opened in 1915. This orphanage was designed to serve only white children, however some of the first residents were 60 Anishinaabe children. These children came from St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Assinins after being sent away because of overcrowding.

The Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (KUUF) is partnering with Biskaabiiyaang Collective, a Michigan Technological University student organization (formerly the American Indian Science and Engineering Society), Trinity Episcopal Church Houghton, Canterbury House, and the Michigan Tech Van Pelt Library to host this Walking Together Finding Common Ground Traveling Exhibit. The exhibit was created by the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, the Great Lakes Peace Center and the Beaumier Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University and describes the impact of Native American boarding schools.

After being shutdown for several years, the Holy Childhood of Jesus School in Harbor Springs reopened in 1884. It no longer served just as a day school, but also operated as a boarding school.

The traveling exhibit and related events are intended to raise awareness of the fact that there were at least 417 federal Indian boarding schools in the U.S. from 1819 to 1980, four of which were in the Upper Peninsula and two in lower Michigan. 139 Indian residential schools operated in Canada from 1828 to 1997. Tens of thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly abducted from their families and sent to faraway boarding schools run by the federal government or by religious organizations where they were given English names, forced to cut their hair, and forbidden to speak their languages. Many children were beaten, starved and abused in these schools. More than 1,000 children died.

On January 3, 1893, the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School opened its doors. Initially, it only served seventeen students. Mount Pleasant eventually reached an average enrollment of more than 300 students a year with students from multiple states including Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York. Mt. Pleasant focused on vocational training, such as Agriculture, Home Economics, Carpentry, and Welding. Extracurriculars included a Brass Band and a number of sports teams. (Image courtesy Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University)

"The federal government took deliberate and strategic actions to isolate children from their families, deny them their identities, and steal from them the languages, cultures and connections that are foundational to Native people," said former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

For more information, visit https://nmu.edu/walking-together/home or contact Joan Chadde at jchadde@gmail.com or call her at 906-369-1121. 

Editor's Note: Photos and captions here are courtesy https://nmu.edu/walking-together/boarding-school-era. 

Public comments in Marenisco Township oppose ICE detention center; psychiatric hospital proposed

By Michele Bourdieu

This photo shows the closed Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco, MI, which was the subject of a discussion at the Feb. 16, 2026, Marenisco Township Board meeting concerning its future. The meeting attracted a large crowd whose public comments opposed using the facility for an ICE detention and deportation center. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © and courtesy Steve Garske)

MARENISCO, Mich. --  About 100 people attended the Marenisco Township Board of Trustees meeting on Feb.16, 2026, for a discussion of Michigan House Resolution 151, introduced by Michigan House District 110 Rep. Gregory Markkanen on Aug. 19, 2025.

During the meeting all who gave public comments -- nearly 25 speakers -- were opposed to the resolution, which urges the federal government to acquire the closed Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco, Michigan, and convert it into a detention and deportation center for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The facility is owned by the State of Michigan. It was shut down in December 2018, resulting in significant job losses for local workers. Since then, efforts to sell the property have been ongoing.*

This entrance to the former Ojibway Correctional Center is closed to traffic. Part of the facility can be seen in the distance. (Photo © and courtesy Steve Garske) 

However, public comments at the Feb. 16 meeting reflected strong opposition to the proposal for an ICE detention and deportation center. One speaker, Katie LaCosse -- a member of the leadership team for Keweenaw Indivisible, an RN by trade with a Master’s in Healthcare Administration, and Policy and Resolutions Chair for the Houghton County Democratic Party -- spoke about her white paper proposing the shuttered Ojibway Correctional Facility be converted into a state psychiatric hospital. LaCosse said she attended the meeting to provide context behind the idea of a state hospital and not for political reasons.**

"I’m here because the Treatment Advocacy Center says we need 30 beds per 100,000 people to be safe, and Michigan is currently at 19," LaCosse stated at the meeting. "That means we aren't just behind, we are in a state of systemic failure that directly affects our neighbors and families.

"So, this idea is about the 150 people, including children, who struggle with a mental disorder and are sleeping in Michigan emergency rooms per day because there is nowhere appropriate for them to go. 

"This is about our local law enforcement and jails returning back to what they are trained to do, which is not to treat and rehabilitate people experiencing a mental health crisis.

"This is about creating hundreds of high-quality clinical, administrative and support staff jobs, and investing in our youth by partnering with Gogebic Community College, Michigan Tech, NMU, and University of WI - Superior to create a career pipeline.

"This is about putting political agendas aside and taking care of each other. It’s a human-to-human commitment to take a dormant campus and turn it into a place of hope. We have the space, we have the need, and we have the heart. Let’s align our resources with our values."

This aerial view shows the large campus of the former Ojibway Correctional Facility at the lower left. (Photo courtesy Katie LaCosse) 

Michigan operates at just 19 psychiatric beds per 100,000 residents, far below the Treatment Advocacy Center’s recommended minimum of 30 beds and optimal recommendation of 60 beds. That means Michigan has a deficit of 1,065 beds. The Ojibway Correctional Facility currently has 1,180 beds spread throughout a campus of buildings that could accommodate and help to rehabilitate varying mental and substance use disorders.

According to LaCosse, the project of turning a correctional center into a psychiatric hospital would not only address the chronic shortfall in inpatient psychiatric care availability but would also serve as a catalyst for economic revitalization of Gogebic County since the facility’s 2018 closure. By establishing a state psychiatric hospital, Michigan can create a new economic anchor and generate hundreds of high quality jobs for healthcare professionals, administrative leaders, and essential support staff.

In her comments at the Feb. 16 Marenisco Township Board meeting, LaCosse offered the Mayo Clinic as an example for inspiration.

"The world-renowned Mayo Clinic was once dismissed as nothing more than a 'clinic in a cornfield,'" LaCosse said. "Innovation doesn't require a skyline, it requires a soul. In the U.P. our kindness is our nature, but our fierce advocacy for our neighbors is our strength. I am asking the folks in this room to look past what might be hard to achieve, and instead, support a solution that addresses Michigan’s most desperate need for generations to come."

Four other Keweenaw Indivisible members traveled to Marenisco and offered comments at the meeting.

The former prison property, now owned by the State of Michigan and for sale, has a large campus and buildings that could accommodate 1,180 beds. (Photo © and courtesy Steve Garske)

Heather Mroz, who is also on the leadership team of Keweenaw Indivisible, has worked for 25 years as a K-12 special educator, primarily with students who have serious emotional impairments and behavioral disorders. She spoke in support of the potential for a psychiatric hospital as proposed by LaCosse.

"The first eight years of my career were in a large metropolitan area. The last seventeen years have been back home in the UP, where I work in Houghton County," Mroz said at the meeting. "I am speaking tonight as a private citizen, not on behalf of my employer. I am here to ask that you consider supporting the proposal to explore converting the former Ojibway Correctional Facility into a state psychiatric hospital.

"Throughout my career, I have worked with children whose mental health struggles became so severe that they were taken to the emergency room because they were a danger to themselves or others. When doctors determine that a child needs admission to a psychiatric hospital, the next step should be placement. But in my experience working in the UP, this very rarely happens. Families are very often told that no bed is available within many hundreds of miles -- or that no bed is available at all. In my personal experience, I’ve known children to remain in an emergency room for days, and sometimes multiple weeks, waiting for a bed to open.

"There are currently no psychiatric hospital beds for children anywhere in the UP. When a bed does become available, it is downstate or out of state -- often eight hours or more from home. For some families, that distance makes treatment impossible. As a result, children are discharged from the emergency room and returned to public school the next day, without receiving the psychiatric treatment that doctors recommended.

"Federal law guarantees all children a free and appropriate public education, and our schools work very hard to meet that obligation. But schools are not hospitals. We are not equipped to provide the level of care that children in severe psychiatric crisis require. When students return to classrooms still in crisis, I have seen it result in serious injuries to teachers, classroom aides, and other children. Over time, repeated violent incidents take a toll. Student behavior is consistently cited as a major reason educators leave the profession, and I have personally watched multiple teachers and aides leave after students were unable to access necessary psychiatric care. Michigan already faces a serious special education teacher shortage, and the lack of psychiatric beds for children in the UP is making it worse.

"I drove here tonight from Houghton because families and schools across the UP face these same barriers when a child is in crisis. Converting the former Ojibway Correctional Facility into a state psychiatric hospital would directly address this shortage. It would create beds for children who need them, reduce long stays in emergency rooms, keep families closer to home, and help protect our school staff and schoolchildren," Mroz concluded.

Keweenaw Indivisible member Aili Palmer of Hancock also commented positively on the meeting in Marenisco.

"I am so grateful I went to the meeting," Palmer told Keweenaw Now. "We heard about it two hours before we would have to leave and then it was a two hour drive. It is hard to make that decision while at work and when you have a 4 year old at home. But it seemed really important to go. I don't have much power, but the power to speak up is always an option."

This map shows the location (within red dotted lines) of Marenisco Township in Gogebic County at the western end of the Upper Peninsula. For a larger  map click here or above on "View larger map." (Maps courtesy Google Maps.)

Palmer noted the room filled up quickly, and eventually the meeting had to be moved to a room with more space. 

"The board members started around 6 and they were very welcoming and said they hadn't had a group this large for public comments in a very long time," Palmer said. "The first person to speak was a local judge, a very public facing figure. He started a little bit unorganized but he quickly set the tone with letting his opinion [be] known that this small, close-knit, hardworking, honorable community does not want ICE and unregulated and unreliable federal agents coming in with no oversight or accountability."

Palmer said she was struck by the fact that every person who spoke at the meeting was anti-ICE and anti-Administration. She said some who had not planned to speak did so because they felt compelled to share their views -- on topics including honor, dignity, family, community, immigrants, parallels in history, being a midwesterner and Yooper, jobs, military experience and more. They also spoke about the fact that Alex Pretti (murdered by ICE /Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis) and his family were from the local area and opening an Ice Concentration Camp would be a dishonor to his family and to him.

"After Katie spoke about encouraging the building to be used as a mental health facility almost the whole room was moved," Palmer added. "In the end the message was so clear. The community does not want Ice, they do not trust Ice, they love their immigrant and indigenous neighbors. We were all at one time immigrants only trying to do the best for our children, and introducing violence and unregulated authoritarianism is not the answer."

Palmer said the meeting inspired her to become more involved and speak up at every opportunity.

"Sometimes you have to take a risk and others will feel empowered to speak up as well," Palmer noted. "It really does take a community and it can also take some practice. The more we speak up with each other the easier it gets."
 
Houghton resident Cathy Campbell-Olszewski, also a Keweenaw Indivisible member, said she went to Marenisco to support the folks who were opposing the detention center and to support the proposal for a psychiatric residential program.

"It was such a great turnout and so many positive statements by those in the community," Campbell-Olszewski said. "I did not personally speak but the comments people made were so heartfelt about the importance of community, heritage, history, Yoopers, taking care of each other. We all felt a kinship and a new sense of hope!!" 

Sarah Green of Calumet, another Keweenaw Indivisible member, who is the author of the Citizens Rally for Accountable Government (CRAG) newsletter, also attended the Feb. 16 meeting in Marenisco. In her Feb. 18 CRAG newsletter, Sarah said this about the residents who spoke at the meeting: "These passionate speakers represented a remarkable cross section of age and background from young parents to long-retired veterans. Many called ICE detention centers concentration camps, called out the illegal behavior of ICE, and emphasized the immigrant history of most of the UP population. Several mentioned that Alex Pretti had family ties to nearby Wakefield. This was a heartening display of the true values of Yoopers."

Green also told Keweenaw Now, "It was heartening to see Yoopers of many stripes united in opposition to the abuses of a federal agency that has turned from law enforcement to terrorizing citizens. And exciting to see them enthusiastically enforcing Katie LaCosse’s proposal for a Western UP psychiatric hospital. Yoopers value caring for their neighbors, not assaulting them."

 

Several groups have formally endorsed the proposal for a psychiatric hospital -- including the Houghton County Democratic Party, Baraga County Democratic Party, Gogebic County Democratic Party, Keweenaw Indivisible, and Northern Indivisible. The initial request of the State of Michigan is that a feasibility study be conducted to determine next steps. Community members wishing to express support can contact their State Representative and State Senator. 

In her CRAG newsletter, Green encourages citizens to support the idea of a psychiatric hospital instead of a detention center by taking the following steps:

Tell your current and wanna-be representatives that better mental health services are a critical need in Michigan and the UP.

    Contact your state reps:
        Representative Greg Markkenen (Mi-110)  517-373-0850, gregmarkkanen@house.mi.gov, http://repmarkkanen.com/
        Senator Edward W. McBroom (district 38), 517-373-7840, SenEMcBroom@senate.michigan.gov, https://www.senatoredmcbroom.com/contact/
        Or find your senator here and rep here.

 And the governor's office: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, 517-335-7858, https://somgovweb.state.mi.us/ContactGovernor
    Ask candidates vying for office if they will support this proposal.

 Editor's Notes:

 * To read Michigan House Resolution 151, click here.

** Click here for the White Paper on the Conversion of the Ojibway Correctional Facility into a State Psychiatric Hospital. (Note: This is a pdf file. You may need Adobe Acrobat Reader or another way to read the file.)

AWAVE celebrates anniversary with support for Homelessness Prevention Fund, local affordable housing, more

By Michele Bourdieu

During their January 28, 2026, meeting at Nutini's Supper Club in Hancock, Lois Gemingnani, co-founder of AWAVE (Advocates for those Without A Voice Everywhere), opens the celebration of the group's anniversary with a review of their year of volunteer work helping people in the local community and an introduction to their present plans to help the homeless. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- A special fundraiser to help prevent homelessness in the Copper Country is now underway through Hancock's Salvation Army office. The recent extremely cold weather has contributed to the need to shelter the homeless, and this special Homelessness Prevention Fund is independent of other work being done by the Salvation Army. The need for the fund and the connection between local housing needs and homelessness were explained in a recent gathering in Hancock to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the group AWAVE (Advocates for those Without A Voice Everywhere), which is joining with other local activist groups to raise money for this Homelessness Prevention Fund.

Lois Gemignani, one of the founders of AWAVE, gave a summary of their work during the anniversary event held at Nutini's Supper Club in Hancock on January 28, 2026.

Lois Gemignani of AWAVE (Advocates for those Without A Voice Everywhere) opens an anniversary meeting of the group on Jan. 28, 2026, in Hancock, MI, with a review of the group's work and an announcement of their latest project to prevent homelessness in the local area. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Following Gemignani's presentation, Lisa McKenzie, regional planner for the Western UP Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR), spoke about the current Regional Housing Crisis -- the high cost of either buying or renting housing and the need to provide affordable housing in the local area. McKenzie began by explaining her experience both in real estate and in rehab of older homes through a grant, which has expired. She then spoke about Michigan's Statewide Housing Priorities and how these relate to local housing needs.

 

During the Jan. 28, 2026, anniversary celebration of AWAVE Lisa McKenzie, regional planner for the Western UP Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR), speaks about Michigan Statewide Housing Priorities and statistics on housing in Houghton County. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

 

McKenzie noted WUPPDR's participation in the statewide housing plan calls attention to needs in the local area (including homelessness prevention), and brings funding here for affordable housing.  

 

McKenzie then gave several examples to illustrate how housing costs have actually doubled in the last ten years, even in the Western Upper Peninsula, making single-family homes much less affordable and rents much higher.

 

In her presentation Lisa McKenzie displayed this slide to illustrate how housing prices in Houghton County have more than doubled since 2015, making it difficult for average families to own a house. Click on image for larger version. (Photo by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

 

Next McKenzie pointed out the role of MSHDA (Michigan State Housing Development Authority) in meeting the challenges of providing affordable housing. Using a guide from MSHDA, she spoke about the relationship between income and housing costs and the need for housing affordable for low-income workers.

 

Lisa McKenzie, regional planner for the Western UP Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR), notes MSHDA promotes affordable housing statewide -- e.g., offering low-interest loans or down-payment assistance to those with a low income -- but the local area needs more developers interested in providing that cost level of housing. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

 

McKenzie also noted MSHDA's guidelines for monthly or yearly housing costs depend on a maximum of 30 percent of income being spent for housing. Discussion among the audience included comments on including utilities and taxes as part of the housing cost in that 30 percent or less.

 

This chart shows annual and monthly rent limits at 30 percent of income. Click on chart for larger image. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Finally, McKenzie concluded by giving examples of homelessness cases Pete Mackin, director of the Hancock Salvation Army, has helped -- a total of 80 cases in 2025.*

Lisa McKenzie speaks about the relationship between the housing crisis in the local area and AWAVE's participation in the Homelessness Prevention project through funding for the local Salvation Army office. AWAVE is working with Hancock Salvation Army Director Pete Mackin. In this video Lois Gemignani of AWAVE and Nadija Packauskas of Yoopers for Ukraine also give examples of homelessness cases Mackin has worked tirelessly to help. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Michelle Morgan, a community member who attended the AWAVE meeting, commented on Lisa McKenzie's presentation.

"I was interested to hear from Lisa McKenzie, who has been concerned with our housing challenges through her work at WUPPDR," Morgan said. "She explained the roots of our housing crisis. The volunteers of AWAVE are taking on this challenge to prevent and combat homelessness by educating the community and collaborating with and raising funds for the Salvation Army, which actively works to find housing for our neighbors in need." 

The goal for the Homelessness Prevention Fund is $30,000. Donations already total more than $5,000. See below this poster for how to donate.

This poster lists services the Homelessness Prevention Fund may provide as well as the requirements for those receiving assistance from the fund. To donate, click on the poster for a larger view and on the QR code for the virtual Red Kettle page and click DONATE NOW. Important: In the Comments type Housing Assistance so your donation will go to the Homelessness Prevention Fund. Or CLICK HERE to go to the Red Kettle page and donate as above.

A more direct way to donate is to write a check for any amount made out to The Salvation Army and mail it to

The Salvation Army
408 Ravine Street
Hancock, MI 49930

Write Housing Assistance or Homelessness Prevention on the memo line and mail it or drop it off at the Salvation Army office, above address.

Mariah in Minnesota

AWAVE also invited Mariah Dunham -- educator, basketball coach, and a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians -- to speak on her two recent trips to Minneapolis following the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Dunham began by describing a dream she had that inspired her to make the first trip with her wife, Brigitte LaPointe.

During the Jan. 28, 2026, AWAVE anniversary meeting, Mariah Dunham speaks about her first trip to Minneapolis following the murder of Renee Good. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Dunham continued by recounting her experiences near the Whipple Federal Building that houses an ICE field office, where she witnessed ICE attacking protesters. She later returned there to speak on behalf of Native people captured illegally by ICE. Dunham also described her second visit to Minneapolis right after the murder of Alex Pretti.

Mariah Dunham speaks about being inspired to return to Minneapolis right after she heard of the murder of Alex Pretti by federal agents. She describes how moved she was to see people grieving for Alex and generously donating needed things to protesters from their car windows. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Dunham then noted the effects on teachers of recent events in Minneapolis as well as the fear of school shootings. A discussion among the audience followed.

Members of the AWAVE audience join Mariah Dunham in discussing the effects of events in Minneapolis, including the generosity of many groups that are providing help to those in need. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

AWAVE founders pause for a photo following the Jan. 28 anniversary meeting. Pictured here are, from left, Nadija Packauskas, Sue Johnson, Lisa McKenzie and Lois Gemignani. (Photo © and courtesy Sue Johnson. Reprinted with permission.) 

Some members of Keweenaw Indivisible (KI) attended AWAVE's anniversary meeting, including Rich Canevez of KI's leadership team. Canevez told Keweenaw Now that Keweenaw Indivisible is supportive of the Homelessness Prevention Fund on a communicative and marketing side, encouraging members to donate to the fund and to spread the word about it.

Canevez also commented on the presentations as a private resident, not representing KI.

"It was powerful to hear Mariah's story, and informative to hear Lisa McKenzie's breakdown of the housing issues our community is facing," Canevez said. "I remember 2023 when my wife and I moved back to Houghton, and trying to find affordable housing almost pushed us to leave the job at MTU due to housing being simply unaffordable or inaccessible. It was hard then, and to hear it captured in the data that Mrs. McKenzie presented validated our struggles, but also makes clear my own privilege that I could, eventually, find us a home. As we know, that's not a privilege accorded to everyone ... affordable housing should not be a privilege, but a right."

* Editor's Notes:

Pete Mackin, Hancock's Salvation Army director, was unable to attend this meeting as scheduled because of the flu.

AWAVE meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Keweenaw Indivisible meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. Both are scheduled to meet at the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (KUUF) building, 604 Bridge St., Houghton, MI 49931. See February calendar.