See our right-hand column for announcements and news briefs. Scroll down the right-hand column to access the Archives -- links to articles posted in the main column since 2007. See details about our site, including a way to comment, in the yellow text above the Archives.

Saturday, July 04, 2015

Pine Mountain Music Festival to present UPstarts! concert July 5 in Houghton

HOUGHTON --  The Pine Mountain Music Festival is underway! The Festival will present UPstarts! at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 5, at the Portage Lake United Church, 1400 Houghton Avenue, Houghton.

This fourth UPstarts! season features Marquette artists Paige Graham (soprano), Alexis Mahler (violin), Lauren Perala (viola, violin) and Iron Mountain native, Audra Hagen (saxophone). Local pianist Susan Byykkonen, UPstarts! program coordinator and coach, accompanies the young musicians.

On Monday, July 6, Upstarts! will perform at the Ontonagon Theater in Ontonagon.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $11 for students/children. Click here to order tickets.

For information about the 2015 Pine Mountain Music Festival Season, click here.

Friday, July 03, 2015

18th Annual Horsetail Scramble at Marsin Nature Area July 4 to feature guided paddle, hike, traditional feast

The Marsin Nature Area and Retreat Center, located on the Portage Waterway near Oskar, will again be the site of the Keweenaw Land Trust's Annual Horsetail Scramble, as it was in 2014, but with guided paddle and hike. The Center adjoins the 40-acre Marsin Preserve established in 1999. The late Mary Sinish, who grew up in the Keweenaw, bequeathed these properties to the Keweenaw Land Trust. (Keweenaw Now file photo courtesy Keweenaw Land Trust)

HANCOCK -- The Keweenaw Land Trust will hold its 18th Annual Horsetail Scramble TOMORROW, Saturday, July 4, 2015, at their Marsin Nature Area and Retreat. This year's event will keep everyone's favorite tradition alive: the Keweenaw Famous Horsetail Potluck Feast! The delicious potluck is a staple of the Horsetail Scramble and will be the feature event this year.

In lieu of a competitive run, the event will include a guided paddle on the Portage Waterway and a guided 5k hike around the Marsin Nature Area's trails. This year's hike will be considerably more interesting now that KLT has completed the boardwalk connector across the cedar swamp. You'll have to stop by to enjoy the wonderful addition to this special place.

The full schedule is as follows:

10:30 a.m. -- Event start at the Marsin Nature Retreat
11 a.m. -- Guided paddle begins at the Marsin waterfront
11:30 a.m. -- Guided 5k walk begins
1 p.m. Horsetail Potluck Feast
3 p.m. -- Wrap-up and goodbyes

If you plan to take part in the potluck, please bring a dish to share and you own tableware. KLT will provide corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake for you to enjoy inside or out. Bring a friend or two to share in this fun event! Live music and lawn games will also be played throughout the day. The event is free and open to the public, though donations are appreciated. The Horsetail Scramble will take place rain or shine.

Visit the KLT website to download and print directions to the Marsin Nature Area and Retreat.

Editor's Note:
The Heart and Hands Award will not take place during the Horsetail Scramble Event this year. According to Terry Kinzel, nominations can be made in August and the award will be given in September. Watch for an announcement later this summer.

Thursday, July 02, 2015

First Friday in Calumet, July 3: Art exhibits, receptions, activities, and Heritage Rose Garden Grand Opening

Lines of Communication, by Kathleen Conover, is part of the July "Scapes" exhibit at the Paige Wiard Gallery in Calumet. (Photo courtesy Paige Wiard Gallery)

CALUMET -- Celebrate the holiday weekend with an art walk in Calumet and enjoy the new exhibits and art activities. Don't miss the Grand Opening of the Calumet Art Center's Heritage Rose Garden!

Paige Wiard Gallery: "Scapes"

Artwork can be inspired by all types of environments -- real and in the mind, urban and rural, industrial and primitive, coastal and arid, and the beauty and destruction created by Mother Nature. For the month of July the Paige Wiard Gallery, 109 5th St., will be displaying artwork portraying artists' impressions of "Scapes."

Arch and Cliff, photography by Ron Gratz. (Photo © Ron Gratz and courtesy Paige Wiard Gallery)

An opening reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, July 3. Come and explore the different worlds of "Scapes." For more information please call 906-337-5970 or email paigewiardgallery@gmail.com.

Calumet Art Center Heritage Rose Garden: Grand Opening

Calumet Art Center's new Heritage Rose Garden will have a Grand Opening on First Friday, July 3. This grand wooden arch entryway, wheelchair accessible, was commissioned by Felix and Virginia Fournier, who have been great enthusiasts for the Art Center. (Photo courtesy Calumet Art Center)

The members of the Calumet Art Center heartily welcome the public to join them in celebrating the Grand Opening of their newly planted Heritage Rose Garden from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening, July 3. Light refreshments and cups of rose-hip tea will be served.

The garden is the result of the serendipitous meeting last spring of fellow local gardeners Dawn Andersson and Karena Schmidt. About ten years ago Dawn, who can coax life out of all things green and has a particular love for roses, began collecting snippets pruned from roses growing in overgrown, untended cemeteries and abandoned homesteads throughout the Keweenaw. These old roses are survivors -- cold-hardy, fragrant, disease resistant, many petaled and blushing in myriad shades of pink.

Roses bloom in the Calumet Art Center Heritage Rose Garden. (Photo courtesy Calumet Art Center)

Stop inside the Art Center as well this First Friday evening. Learn about the Art Center's many traditional art-based activities and classes for youngsters and adults. The Calumet Art Center is at 57055 5th St. For more information call (906) 934-2228.

Cross Country Sports: Photography by Steve Brimm

For the month of July, Cross Country Sports will be featuring photography by Steve Brimm.

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. Photography by Steve Brimm. (Photo © and courtesy Steve Brimm)

Steve has been photographing the wonders around him for over 25 years. His early years found him shooting with film and medium format cameras. Much has changed since those days -- which brings us to this exhibit titled "Have iPhone, will travel." Steve's work has been published in Lake Superior Magazine, Midwest Living and more. He has published two books and operates EarthWorks Gallery in Copper Harbor.

Visit Cross Country Sports, 507 Oak Street, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 3, for an open house, refreshments and a chance to talk to Steve about his work.

Copper Country Associated Artists: From Doodles to Art

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. this First Friday, July 3, Copper Country Associated Artists, 205 Fifth St., will host a workshop on a new doodling method with Heather McGee. She will be teaching new ways to doodle alphabet letters, greeting cards, and even old coloring book pages.

Use your doodles for a unique house decoration or a handmade gift to a friend.

Galerie Bohème: "Assemblages" by James Russel Cox

This art work by James Russel Cox is part of his exhibit "Assemblages" opening at the Galerie Bohème in Calumet July 3. (Photo courtesy Galerie Bohème)

Galerie Bohème, 423 5th Street, will present "Assemblages" by James Russel Cox from July 3 through July 30. An opening reception will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, June 3. The public is invited.

For more information please call Tom Rudd at 369-4087.

Hahn Hammered Copper: "Salvagion Two, Quirky Assemblages"

Hahn Hammered Copper will have a continuation of last months industrial salvage show --  "Salvagion Two, Quirky Assemblages" -- featuring found object art by groovy Calumet artists. They will also have their ever popular, Guess the Mystery Object contest. The person who identifies this month’s odd object correctly wins a copper zipper pull!

Peter and Shelly Hahn welcome visitors to their shop, Hahn Hammered Copper. This First Friday they will be celebrating the 6-year birthday of Hahn Hammered Copper in Calumet. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Last but not least, Peter and Shelly Hahn will be celebrating Hahn Hammered Copper’s 6-year birthday! So stop in from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, July 3, at 203 Fifth Street, for great art and festive treats!

Café Rosetta: Pencil drawings by Owen Karaniemi

Pencil drawing by Owen Karaniemi, featured artist at Café Rosetta. (Image courtesy Café Rosetta)

Café Rosetta, 104 Fifth Street, will feature drawings by local artist Owen Karaniemi, a 2013 Calumet High School graduate. He just finished his second year at Michigan Tech in the mechanical engineering program. His hobbies include pencil drawing, playing guitar and playing sports. Check out Owen's exceptional pencil drawings!

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

North Woods Conservancy launches 2015 Photo Contest TODAY, July 1

CALUMET -- North Woods Conservancy (NWC) is launching their 2015 Photo Contest today, July 1. This contest is for non-professional photographers of all ages. You don’t have to have a fancy camera. You don’t have to be an expert on the plants and animals of the Keweenaw. Photos must be taken in 2015 at one of NWC's Natural Areas: Conglomerate Falls, Dore Woods, Gratiot River North, Merganser Pond and Seven Mile Point.

NWC welcomes Digital photos of the following:
  1. Wildlife (plants, animals, bugs and birds)
  2.  Scenery (landscape, skyscape, natural features)
  3.  People Playing (people enjoying NWC Natural Areas)

The photos should tell a story about the photographer’s personal experience at the area visited. For example, does the photograph show something that surprised you? Puzzled you? Amazed you? Made you smile?

If you can tell your story through a photograph, this contest is for you! Photos can be submitted online from July 1 to August 3, 2015.

The purpose of the contest is to encourage visits to the NWC Natural Areas by members and non-members alike. Get out there and explore these beautiful areas! Also, trying to take good photos makes you look at things more deeply.

THERE ARE PRIZES!  $50 for 1st, $25 for 2nd, and $10 for 3rd. Prizes will be awarded for each category, and for Adult and Youth (under 18) divisions. The entry fee is only $2 for each photo you submit.

Also, the winning photos will be displayed in August at the Calumet Visitor Center (Union Building) at Keweenaw National Historical Park in Calumet, and later in a traveling display and on the NWC Web site.

Click here for details on how you can participate.

Learn about NWC natural areas by clicking here.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Community Arts Center to host 30th annual Summer Arts Camp and 5th annual Book Arts Camp

Summer Arts Camp for 3rd to 6th graders begins in July at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. (Poster courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center is offering two arts camps this summer. Registration is open and space is limited.

Summer Arts Camp, now in its 30th year, is five exciting days of art making and exploration for children entering 3rd-6th grades. This year’s theme is "Colorways and Color Play." Students will explore color usage through making projects with local professional artists in a variety a media, such as painting, clay, paper arts, fiber arts, and writing.

Camp happens from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and students can choose to attend either session, July 20-24 or July 27-31. Register by Wednesday, July 1, for a discounted rate. Deadline to register is Wednesday, July 15. Summer Arts Camp Fee: $110 by July 1. After July 1 the fee is $125. Supplies included; students must bring a lunch.

Book Arts Camp for students in grades 8-12 will be Aug. 10-14. Register by July 21 for a discounted rate. (Image courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

The 5th annual Book Arts Camp is a unique opportunity for students in grades 8-12 to study bookbinding, creative writing, zines, paper marbling, letterpress printing, and block printing. This program is supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. Book Arts Camp happens from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. August 10-14. Register by July 21 for a discounted rate. Deadline to register is August 4. Book Arts Camp Fee: $80 by July 21. After July 21 the fee is $90. Supplies included; students must bring a sack lunch.

The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Call 906-482-2333 for more information.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Local summer youth projects benefit from National Park Service increased funding

Kendra from Dollar Bay paints a window for the Carnegie Museum in Houghton. Her work is a summer youth project supported by Keweenaw National Historical Park. (Photo courtesy Keweenaw National Historical Park)

WASHINGTON -- From trail repairs to new wayside interpretive panels, road and bridge repairs and restoring the most photographed barn in America, the National Park Service announced $26 million for more than 100 initiatives that will help parks prepare for centennial visitors.

The National Park Service received a $10 million Congressional appropriation that was matched with $15.9 million from more than 90 partner organizations. The 106 projects, located at more than 100 parks in 31 states and the District of Columbia, are designed to improve visitor services, support outreach to new audiences, and leverage partnerships to reinvigorate national parks while forging connections with communities.

"As the National Park Service approaches its Centennial in 2016, the National Park Foundation and local park friends groups have pledged to raise private funds to improve the facilities, accessibility, and programs of our national parks, matching the federal appropriation and resulting in a $26 million investment in the parks," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

Keweenaw National Historical Park (Keweenaw NHP), with $20,000 of federal funds and $20,000 from the Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission, National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation, and Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association, will establish a Youth Stewardship Work Crew to Assist Heritage Sites and Partners.

"We are very grateful that some of our outstanding park partners have stepped in to help make this program a reality," said Keweenaw NHP Superintendent Mike Pflaum. 

Local youth will be employed during the summer to work on a variety of projects throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula while also learning about the area’s copper mining history. For this project, the Park is also partnering with SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth to create change. Everyone involved is excited about this upcoming season and the chance to work with historic properties and engage with park visitors.

"We will be able to accomplish important work for the park and partner sites and provide meaningful employment for young people in our community," stated Superintendent Pflaum.

Follow the Keweenaw NHP Facebook page for project updates and photos of the youth working throughout the summer. Click here for a complete list of centennial challenge projects and partners.