Group opposing sulfide mining to walk from Eagle Rock to Mackinac Bridge

Update from SavetheWildUP:

MARQUETTE -- Beginning Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008, a lively group of dedicated and concerned citizens will WALK with a support team from Eagle Rock on the Yellow Dog Plains (northern Marquette County) to their final destination -- Governor Granholm's walk across the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day, Sept. 1.

View of Salmon Trout River where Kennecott Eagle Minerals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, plans to put a sulfide mine for nickel and coppper. (Photo from SavetheWildUP)

The team will journey across the Upper Peninsula raising awareness about the potential harmful effects of metallic sulfide and uranium mining. The team believes that the prospect of several new mining operations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan poses major risks to our health and to the Great Lakes precious groundwater and surface water habitat.

"Don’t be fooled. This is NOT just an isolated 'Yooper problem'; nor is it just a 'Michigan problem,'" says Margaret Comfort, head walker of the group. "IT IS A GREAT LAKES PROBLEM. I know how precious these lakes are … how they feed our souls and refresh our spirits. It would be a TRAVESTY to see them destroyed."

The recent increase in mineral exploration by several mining corporations throughout the western region of the Upper Peninsula, including Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company’s focus on the Yellow Dog Plains region of northern Marquette County, has raised concern from over 30 organizations. Opposition groups consider the development of this type of mining, in our water-rich and wild region of the Great Lakes, dangerous to our communities, natural resources, tourism-based economy and ultimately our future generations.

The walking team will be meeting with communities along the way to educate the public about the connection between watersheds and people of the Upper Peninsula and will be encouraging folks to join Governor Granholm for her Annual Walk across the Mackinac Bridge on September 1, 2008 (Labor Day).

To keep current on details of the walk or to make a donation visit these Web sites:
www.savethewildup.org, www.yellowdogwatershed.org and www.northwoodswild.org.

HELP NEEDED!!
Walkers are encouraged to join the group along the way. Business and individual supporters can donate money and/or food and other supplies. Visit SavethewildUP for details on how you can help. See the brochure for a map of the walk and other information.

Poets to read at Ed Gray Gallery Aug. 15

CALUMET -- Visiting poets Ralph Murre and Sharon Auberle will be joined by resident poet Tom Blessing at 7 p.m. this evening, Friday, Aug. 15, as they each read from their collected works at Calumet 's Miskwabik Ed Gray Gallery, 109 Fifth Street.

The program will also feature the launching of the latest book from Miskwabik Press, Keweenaw favorite Joe Kirkish's Superior Seasons, a volume of color photography. The photographer will be on hand for book signing.

The evening will conclude with a reading of Murre's "Psalms" in the voices of Auberle, Blessing and the author, who will also be available to sign copies of his book of art and poetry, available from the Gallery.

Calumet Heritage Celebration underway through Aug. 16

CALUMET -- The 2008 Calumet Heritage Celebration is underway now through Saturday, Aug. 16. Events are scheduled for the whole family -- from a Croatian Cabbage-Roll-Making Class to a two-day Calumet-Keweenaw Sportsman's Show to the Great Deer Chase Mountain Bike Race to the Duquesne University Tamburitzans performing in Agassiz Park Saturday afternoon.

During the 2007 Calumet Heritage Celebration, Helen Stimac, right, of Dodgeville, president of the Croatian Fraternal Union, and Julia Simila of Calumet, active member of the Union, pause for a photo with the Croatian flag. Members of the Croatian Fraternal Union will participate again this year in the Heritage festivities. (Photo © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Special events for kids on Saturday include old-fashioned children's games in Agassiz Park, the Children's Bike Parade at 10:05 a.m. and the Great Deer Chase Youth Race at 2 p.m. in Downtown Calumet.

Other highlights of the Celebration include the Miss Coppertown Pageant at 7 p.m. in the Calumet Theatre Friday evening, a Traditional Horseshoe Tournament at 8 a.m. Saturday*, the Copper Country Heritage Parade at 10:05 a.m. Saturday and an Open House at the Coppertown Mining Museum from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday including a special Copper Miner's Reunion from 11 a.m. to Noon.

Last year the Heritage horseshoe competition was well attended. Here the photo captures the horseshoe (circled in yellow) in mid-air. You can register for this year's competition on the Main Street Calumet Web site.* (Photo © 2007 Gustavo Bourdieu)

On Saturday, don't miss the free horse-drawn wagon rides, arts and crafts demonstrations and sales and authentic ethnic foods -- from Croatian povitica and cabbage rolls to corn on the cob.

Visit the Main Street Calumet Web site for the complete schedule of events.

*Pre-register for the Horseshoe Tournament on mainstreetcalumet.com or call 906-337-6246.

Editor's Note: More than 100 Mountain Bikers have already pre-registered for the Great Deer Chase Race. Volunteers may still be needed. Contact Marc Norton at gpc49913@charter.net if you can help.

Rosetta Trio to perform chamber music concert at Temple Jacob

HANCOCK -- The Keweenaw audience will have a unique opportunity to hear classical and contemporary chamber music performed in a unique venue when a trio of performers on vacation presents a special concert at Hancock’s historic synagogue, known for its excellent acoustics.

The Rosetta Trio will perform a concert of chamber music at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, at Temple Jacob in Hancock. The program includes Schubert: Trio in Bb Major; Mozart: Divertimento; Sibelius: String Trio and more. Trio members are violist Sarah Darling, violinist Abigail Karr and cellist Kate Bennett Haynes.

Haynes is a fifth generation Yooper with deep roots in the Copper Country. Her great-great grandparents, the Kargelas, and her great-grandparents, the Stroms, lived in Calumet and Laurium. Her ancestor Ocha Potter, a Tech alum, designed and developed Brockway Mountain Drive and the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. Currently based in Toronto, Haynes performs frequently with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. At age four, she told her parents, "I want to play the cello."

Temple Jacob is the only active synagogue in Michigan on the National Register of Historic Places.

The concert is free, but donations are appreciated. Parking is available at the bank east of the synagogue or at the marina down the hill.

According to their Web site, the Rosetta Trio will also perform this concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Vertin Gallery in Hancock.

For more information about the Trio go to http://www.rosettatrio.com/. For more information about the event, phone 482-3270.

MTU to offer Transatlantic Forest Resources Master's Degree

HOUGHTON --In a first-of-its-kind, transatlantic graduate program, students on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean now can earn dual forest resources master’s degrees from Michigan Technological University and a Finnish or Swedish university.

Michigan Tech and North Carolina State University have received a $224,000 grant from the US Department of Education and the European Union (EU) to partner with the University of Helsinki in Finland and the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in offering a transatlantic dual master's degree program in forest resources and biotechnology. The program is one of 16 just funded by the new US-European partnership called ATLANTIS (Actions for Transatlantic Links and Academic Networks for Training and Integrated Studies) ...

Read the full story by Jennifer Donovan on the MTU Web site.

Eagle Harbor Art Fair to be Aug. 9, 10

EAGLE HARBOR -- Eagle Harbor will soon awake to the sound of more than 60 artists setting up their tents for the 48th annual Fine Art Fair and Exhibition to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10, in the churchyard of St. Peter’s by the Sea and the area surrounding the historic Rathbone School.

Featuring recent work by the members of the Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) and by 66 invited artists, the Fair will be held come sunshine or clouds, wind or rain or any other combination of the fascinating variables of Keweenaw weather.

This year the medium list includes watercolor and oil paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, quilting, fiber, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, basketry, silver, iron, copper, stone, wood, bark, computer assisted prints and other materials. Each work exhibited is original and presented by the individual artist who produced it.

Selected as this year’s Featured Artist by the Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA), photographer Roger Little of Calumet will discuss and show his work both Saturday and Sunday. Retiring from the business of taking pictures for others, he is now able to apply his technical photographic skills as an artist discovering the natural world.

Roger Little displays one of his nature photographs. (Photo courtesy Linden Dahlstrom of Copper Country Associated Artists)

"I am now able to show people what is out there," Little says, "the uniqueness of what I see and would like to help others to also see."

Concerning the perspective of a nature photographer, Little quotes his dad who told him, "'Anything that man makes, the further back you are, the better it looks. Anything that Nature makes, the closer you are, the better it looks.'"

"Woods" by Roger Little. (Photo courtesy Linden Dahlstrom of Copper Country Associated Artists)

Several local organizations will be offering food and beverage services. All of the Keweenaw County Historical sites will be open. A handicap-accessible restroom is available.

Copper Country Associated Artists maintain an art center in Calumet offering workshops and a gallery of members' work. For more information, contact CCAA show coordinators, Karen Secor or Ginny Douglas, 906 337 1252 or visit the CCAA web site: www.ccaartists.org.

Protect the Earth Summit on sulfide, uranium mining deemed successful

MARQUETTE -- Several media reports indicate that the Protect the Earth Summit held Aug. 2-3 in Marquette and at Eagle Rock was a success. This Summit to address the issue of hardrock sulfide mining and uranium mining in the U.P. consisted of workshops at Northern Michigan University, a rally with music and speakers on Presque Isle in Marquette and a walk to Eagle Rock, a site held sacred by Native Americans.

"Tribal representatives from around the Great Lakes attended and spoke to a crowd of 140 staunch supporters of the Yellow Dog Plains effort to oppose Kennecott mining on the plains," said Cynthia Pryor of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve in an email thanking participants and organizers. "It was full of energy, strength and resolve," Pryor added.

Gabriel Caplett of Yellow Dog Summer said the event, showing both diversity and unity among the local people, marked a turning point in the effort to protect land and water from sulfide and uranium mining.

"Protect the Earth proved that dangerous mining is not a done deal in the UP, Minnesota or anywhere, as long as communities are willing to work together," Caplett noted.*

* Editor's Note: Caplett was quoted by Save the Wild UP. See also the Marquette Mining Journal article, "Mine foes hold rally at Eagle Rock," by Miriam Moeller, Journal Staff writer.

Hancock City Council seats open to write-ins for Nov. 4 election

HANCOCK -- Not only was Aug. 5, 2008, the date of Michigan Primary elections for state and township officials and judges, but it was also the deadline for registering as a candidate for Hancock City Council seats to be determined by the Nov. 4 General Election.

According to Hancock City Clerk Karen Haischer, Ward I Councilor and Mayor Pro-Tem William Laitila was the only person to register by the Aug. 5 deadline in order to be considered a candidate for (re-) election. Haischer noted no one applied to run for the two other open Council seats that are to be determined by the Nov. 4 election. Hancock Mayor and Ward III Councilor Barry Givens and Ward II Councilor Sarah Heinonen have indicated they do not wish to run for re-election to the Council, Haischer explained. Thus, two seats on the Council remain open with no candidates running for them.

The remaining seats on the City Council include At Large Councilors Lisa McKenzie, James Hainault, Tom Gemignani and Ted Belej -- who continue to serve their terms of office.

Haischer said any residents who wish to run for City Council as write-in candidates must register with her by Oct. 24, 2008, for the Nov. 4 election.

Primary Results

U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Detroit), unopposed within his Democratic Party, received more votes in the Primary than his Republican opponent, Jack Hoogendyk, Jr., who will face Levin in the Nov. 4 election for U.S. Senator.

U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) will run against Tom Casperson, who earned the Republican party nomination over two other Republican Primary candidates, Don Hooper and Linda Goldthorpe.

Michigan Representative Mike Lahti (D-Hancock), who represents the 110th District in the Michigan House of Representatives, easily defeated Democratic Primary candidate John L. Faccin. Republican candidate John Larson will run against Lahti in November.

The proposal for renewal and allocation of Houghton County's operating millage passed, as did the Keweenaw County proposal for .1-mill to provide support and assistance services to veterans.

See Jane Nordberg's article in the Daily Mining Gazette, for details on the Primary Election results.

Viewpoint: To Keweenaw County voters: Vote for veterans

By Don Keith, Chair, Keweenaw County Commission

Please join me in voting yes for a Keweenaw County veteran's millage proposal on Tuesday, Aug. 5th. What's asked is just 0.1 mill to provide support and assistance services for our veterans.

That's 10 cents per $1,000 of your property's taxable value. My cost will be about $3.90 per year; most property owners will pay less. The good accomplished, considerable, the good feeling gained ... priceless!

Justice and decency cry out for this proposal. Numerous veterans carry scars outside and inside, both physical and emotional. Many veterans are soft-spoken and too proud to seek assistance services.

This proposal shows respect for our veterans and helps ensure their dignity. They have earned our support. How a community treats its veterans speaks loudly of that community's character. Together, let's make assistance services available when needed.

Vote a dime for veterans; it's the right thing to do!

Sincere thanks,

Don Keith
Eagle Harbor

Primary ballots predict challenges for November General Election

HOUGHTON, EAGLE RIVER -- The Aug.5, 2008, Michigan Primary Election will include some challenges to incumbents running for re-election. While some of these candidates are unopposed within their own party in the Primary, they may face a more serious challenge from opponents in the General Election on Nov. 4.

United States Senator Carl Levin (D-Detroit) is running for re-election to a six-year term and is unopposed on the Democratic ballot; however, his Republican opponent, Jack Hoogendyk Jr., is likewise unopposed on his own party's ballot.

Known for his long career in the Senate (1978 to the present), Senator Levin's leadership and experience make him a strong candidate for the November General Election. Visit his Web site to learn about his accomplishments and his positions on many issues.

While U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee), representing Michigan's First District, is also unopposed by any fellow Democrats, three Republicans will compete in the Primary in order to run against Stupak in November: Don Hooper of Iron River, Linda Goldthorpe of McMillan and Tom Casperson of Escanaba. For Bart Stupak's views on issues, visit his Web site.

Houghton County Democrats recently endorsed State Representative Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) for re-election to his position representing the 110th District (most of the Western U.P.) in the Michigan House of Representatives (see the press release on this). Lahti is opposed by one Democratic candidate, John Faccin of Crystal Falls, in the Primary. The winner of this race is expected to face Republican John Larson of Hancock in November.*

Locally, Houghton County Drain Commissioner John Sullivan of Houghton, unopposed by any fellow Republicans, could face a challenge in November by Democrat John Pekkala of Hancock, who is running on the Democratic Primary ticket without any Democratic opponent.

Houghton County Commissioner for District 3, Democrat Anton Pintar of South Range, is running for re-election, with no Primary opposition from Democrats; however Republican Craig Brewer of Hancock, also unopposed in his own party, could be a challenge for this Commissioner's seat in November. District 5 Commissioner Paul Luoma, Democrat, of Houghton, could face a November challenge from Republican Matt Huuki of Atlantic Mine. Both are unopposed in the Primary by any candidates in their respectives parties.

Three candidates (non-partisan) for Judge of the 97th District Court will face off in the Primary: Douglas Edwards, Michael Makinen and Mark Wisti. For the position of Judge of the 4th District Court of Appeals, voters will choose one from the following non-partisan candidates: Eric Doster, Jim Howell, Michael J. Kelly and Paula Manderfield.

Voters in Houghton County will also be asked to vote on the following millage proposal:

RENEWAL AND ALLOCATION OF OPERATING MILLAGE WITHIN THE COUNTY OF HOUGHTON

Shall a renewal of separate tax limitations be established for the period of 4 years ( 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 inclusive) for the County of Houghton and the Townships and Intermediate School District within the County, the aggregate of which shall not exceed 8.0 mills, as follows:

County of Houghton -- 6.3 mills

Townships -- 1.3 mills

Intermediate School District -- 0.4 mills

TOTAL: 8.0 mills

Keweenaw County

In Keweenaw County, the Primary ballots show few challenges. No Republicans or Democrats are on the ballot to challenge Democrats Donna Jaaskelainen, Prosecuting Attorney; Ronald Lahti, Sheriff; James Kaura, Inspector of Mines; or Byron Muljo, Road Commissioner. Republican Barbara Been, unopposed by any Republicans in the Primary, is expected to run against County Treasurer Geri Hall, Democrat, in November.

Four County Commissioners are running for re-election without opposition in the Primary: Republicans Joe Langdon, District 1, and Donald Keith, District 2; and Democrats Frank Stubenrauch, District 4, and Randy Eckloff, District 5. The District 3 Commissioner position is open because of the retirement of Al Gunnari. In the November election, however, three non-Primary independent candidates intend to run: Carol Rose Fouts will run for the District 3 position, while Tami A. Anderson and James A. Ziemnick will run for the District 4 and District 5 County Commissioner positions, respectively.

Keweenaw County voters will be asked to vote on the following Proposal:

08-01 Veteran's Millage

Shall the 15 mill tax limitation on general ad valorem taxes within Keweenaw County, State of Michigan, be increased as provided by Article IX, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Michigan, by .1 mill (10 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) for each of the years 2008 through 2018 (10 years inclusive), for the purpose of authorizing Keweenaw County to levy such millage commencing in 2008 to equip, operate, maintain and defray debt service and provide support and assistance services to veterans through a multi-county department of Veteran's Affairs, which increase shall raise in the first year of the levy an estimated $11,781?

Polls in Michigan will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008.

Because of the controversial Michigan Primary held in January, no candidates for President of the United States will appear on this August Primary ballot.

*Editor's Note: See our June 23, 2008, interview with Mike Lahti to learn about his views. You can also send Mike a comment through his new Blog: http://mike-lahti.blogspot.com/.

Houghton County Dems endorse State Rep. Mike Lahti in Aug. 5 primary re-election bid

HOUGHTON -- At its July 3, 2008, business meeting the Houghton County Democratic Party (HCDP) voted unanimously to endorse 110th District Representative Mike Lahti in his August 5th primary bid against John Faccin of Crystal Falls.

In announcing the Lahti endorsement, Brian Hoduski, HCDP co-chair, said, "Mike’s strong record of accomplishment and integrity as our representative is only one reason for this endorsement. Mike knows this district and its people and he has worked hard to promote jobs; better education; and protection of our hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation heritage."

Hodusky noted Lahti was instrumental in saving the Calumet State Police post and has been a force for making insurance laws fairer and more transparent.

"But most importantly," Hoduski added, "Mike is an honest man who is determined to make life better for the people of the U.P."

The HCDP had also endorsed Lahti in his 2006 primary and general election campaigns.

Editor's Note: Read more about Mike Lahti in our Keweenaw Now interview of June 23, 2008. See also Mike Lahti's new blog.

Merle Kindred to describe building energy-efficient house in India July 31

HOUGHTON -- Merle Kindred will present "Building an Energy-Efficient House in Kerala, India" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, in the community room of the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. Using a slide show presentation, Kindred will share her experience in the southwest corner of India, where she commissioned a prototypical house that uses alternative design and construction strategies for energy savings.

During construction of the Kerala house, workers use bamboo for lateral reinforcement instead of expensive, corroding rebar. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos © 2008 Merle Kindred)

Designed by the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD), the house is constructed of locally made burnt bricks and mud walls with provisions for solar hot water, biogas, an Indian-designed smokeless chula (wood-burning cooker especially suited for cooking rice), rainwater harvesting, micro-hydro and containment of spring water.

This photo shows the base for the hexagonal tower of mud and rainwater storage.

COSTFORD is a non-profit organization that uses eco-friendly design and social conciousness as a path to positive societal change.

"As the global community becomes increasingly aware of the challenges associated with energy use in all forms, we are going to have to rethink how we construct our built environments," Kindred said.

Merle Kindred is seen here "between a rock and a laptop" during construction of the Kerala house.

The house models the design strategies and construction technology for an energy efficient, cost-effective building based on the principles of architect Laurie Baker (1917-2007), founder of COSTFORD. The site is a quarter of an acre on a terraced hillside overlooking an agricultural valley and open to the prevailing eastern breezes necessary for ventilation in subtropical conditions.

This is a view of the trenched site of the Kerala house from the road.

The site was cleared of underbrush with efforts to preserve coconut, banana, pepper, jackfruit, teak and other indigenous plants not directly on the building site.

"As the house grows, I will continue tending the coconut and banana, pineapple and jackfruit," Kindred noted. "Caring for the natural world helps strengthen my resolve that this house demonstrate a less obtrusive, less offensive presence as an example of an alternative built environment for greater sustainability in design and construction practices in a world grappling with abrupt climate changes from its current lifestyle practices."

The corner stone of the Kerala house is set on Dec. 26, 2007.

An indigenous Kerala cow of the vechur breed plus discarded fruit and vegetable matter from the household will provide fuel for the biogas tank. Waste water will be treated onsite using Indian technology with effluent directed into the biogas tank and purified water returned to the stream for agricultural use. Both spring water and rainwater will be harvested in onsite tanks.

The household is designed for two cultures and three generations of inhabitants and provisions have been made for culturally-diverse visitors with guest quarters equipped with both Indian and Western toilets. Food-bearing and medicinal plants abound and will continue to be nurtured and increased for the health and welfare of the household, livestock (initially cows and chickens), and wild creatures.

Kindred is a recent Michigan Tech graduate with doctoral studies focused on alternative rhetorical strategies relating to altering perception and action in relation to energy use in the residential built environment. She recently presented a paper at the annual conference of the American Solar Energy Society in San Diego. The title is "An Indo-American Venture: Building an Energy Efficient House in Kerala, India, with the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD) Using Indigenous Materials and Appropriate Technology."

At the library presentation, items and books from India will be on display and Indian refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited to attend library events, and presentations are free. For more information please call 482-4570.

Editor's Notes:
Text courtesy Merle Kindred and Portage Lake District Library. Photos courtesy Merle Kindred, through Kodakgallery.com.

Merle Kindred, Keweenaw Now guest columnist, has family roots in the Copper Country that date back to great grandparents who settled in Atlantic Mine in 1900, but left for Saskatchewan in 1912. Merle was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Warren, Michigan. She has served as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Volunteer in the U.S. Virgin Islands and as a CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas) Volunteer in Jamaica. Merle also trained teachers for six years in the Bahamas. She has been active locally in Habitat for Humanity. See her profile and links to her articles on our archived Keweenaw Now site.

Yellow Dog Summer to hold Protect the Earth Summit Aug. 2-3 in Marquette

MARQUETTE -- Yellowdog Summer invites the public to join a Protect the Earth Summit On the Shores of Gichigami (Lake Superior) on Saturday, Aug. 2, in Marquette and Sunday, Aug. 3, at Eagle Rock.

Eagle Rock rises above the Yellow Dog Plains, potential site for Kennecott Minerals' proposed Eagle Project sulfide mine. (Photo © 2007 Sue Ellen Kingsley)

The event is part of an effort to take back the land from multinational corporations and protect our freshwater from metallic sulfide and uranium mining.

Workshops will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, in the University Center (UC) Explorer rooms, 2nd floor, at Northern Michigan University (NMU). A rally including speakers and music will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday night from at the bandshell on Presque Isle in Marquette. In case of rain, the rally will be held at NMU’s UC Explorer rooms.

Speakers will include Susan La Fernier, vice-president, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community; Paula Sherman, co-chief, Ardoch Algonquin and First Nations Rights activist; Al Gedicks, author, filmmaker and Wisconsin mining activist; Laura Furtman, author, Wisconsin Flambeau Mine expert; Fred Rydholm, local historian and landowner on the Yellow Dog Plains; Skip Jones, Wisconsin folk singer, educator and social activist; and more.*

Sunday morning, Aug. 3, will include a walk to Eagle Rock on the Yellow Dog Plains -- rain or shine. All those who join are invited to a celebratory picnic feast on the plains and a camp out. Bring blueberry pails!

On Eagle Rock, a staff with two carved fish dangling from its point bears the carved message SACRED WATERS SACRED LAND. (Photo © 2007 Sue Ellen Kingsley)

"Yellow Dog Summer," according to the group's Web site, "intends to rally citizens from the Great Lakes Region and, specifically, communities along Lake Superior to stop Kennecott’s Eagle Project on the Yellow Dog Plains. The group will also do what it can to assist citizen movements opposing metallic sulfide mining in other parts of the UP, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario. We chose to stop the Kennecott project as a first step for the group, as this project is further along and could set a dangerous precedent for the future of our public lands and freshwater resources. Because Kennecott’s project is located on the Yellow Dog Plains, Yellow Dog Summer was named to honor this specific ecosystem."

Yellowdog Summer follows a set of principles developed by the Women’s Peace Camp at Seneca, New York, in 1983. These include an attitude of openness and respect without engaging in physical or verbal violence toward anyone they encounter. They will not bring or use any drugs or alcohol other than for medical purposes; they will carry no weapons; and they will not run.

*Editor's Notes: Visit the Yellowdog Summer Web site for the workshop schedule, complete list of speakers and detailed directions to Eagle Rock.

Susan La Fernier was one of four citizens from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula who attended Rio Tinto’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center (QEII), in London, England, last April. The other three were Gabriel Caplett from Yellow Dog Summer and Northwoods Wilderness Recovery, Cynthia Pryor from the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve and Fran Whitman from Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK). Read Gabriel Caplett's article, "UP Citizens and KBIC Vice-President Address Rio Tinto Board, in London" on the Northwoods Wilderness Recovery Web site.

In a recent article on Save the Wild UP, "Rio Tinto's CEO Brett Clayton Sneaks through Town," Clayton had agreed at the April meeting in London to hold a public meeting with the mine opposition back in the United States. He visited the U.P. this past week; but, according to the article, he "only took time to meet with the Lake Superior Community Partnership and the Marquette County Ambassadors." Read the article on Save the Wild UP.

Isle Royale National Park to celebrate 50 years of Wolf-Moose Research July 25-27

HOUGHTON -- This weekend (July 25–27), Isle Royale National Park will host a gala celebration of 50 years of continuous wolf-moose research. Headed by wildlife ecologists from Michigan Tech University, this research is the longest running predator-prey study in the world.

During the weekend celebration, some of the scientists who have led the study -- Rolf Peterson, John Vucetich, L. David Mech and Doug Smith -- will talk about their research and answer questions.

Rolf Peterson, Michigan Tech University professor and renowned researcher, gives a slide presentation and talk on his Isle Royale Wolf-Moose study during MTU's 2008 Earth Week celebration in March. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

Peterson and Vucetich, wildlife ecologists at Michigan Tech, now head the research. Mech, a senior scientist with the Biological Resources Division of the US Geological Survey, worked on the project with Purdue University wildlife ecologist Durward Allen at its inception in 1958. Smith, who recently headed the re-introduction of gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park, participated in the Isle Royale research from 1979 to 1992.

A film four years in the making, Fortunate Wilderness: the wolf and moose study of Isle Royale, will have its world premier at the Rock Harbor Auditorium on Isle Royale on July 25. George Desort, an independent filmmaker from the Upper Peninsula, produced the documentary, which is slated for showings in Houghton and Duluth, Minn., during coming months. For a preview of the film, see www.isinglasspictures.com/ ...Read this complete article by Jennifer Donovan on the MTU Web site.

Sibelius Academy musicians to perform July 30, 31, Aug. 1

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University will present the 10th Annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival the week of July 28, 2008, in Hancock and Eagle Harbor. The series of three concerts showcases the professional-level talent of musicians from the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki, Finland.

"We are excited to welcome these gifted Finnish musicians to the U.P.," said Finlandia President Philip Johnson. "We are looking forward to this annual celebration of the Copper Country’s Finnish heritage and the furtherance of our contemporary connections with Finland."

The classical music festival begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, with a concert by mezzosoprano Melis Jaatinen and her piano accompanist, Maija Väisänen, at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock. The concert is preceded at 6:45 p.m. by a free performance of the local Kivajat Dancers, a children’s traditional dance troupe directed by Kay Seppala.

In the first of three concerts by Sibelius Academy musicians, mezzosoprano Melis Jaatinen will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University.)

Jaatinen studied voice and musicology at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, and now studies voice at the Sibelius Academy. She has, in recent years, sung in the Bach b-minor Mass, in a Schumann concert series and at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. Jaatinen sang the bridesmaid in Weber’s Freischütz and Ulla in Isän tyttö (Daddy’s Girl) by Olli Kortekangas for the Finnish National Opera in the 2007-2008 season.

Jaatinen's talent has been recognized at the Timo Mustakallio, the Lappeenranta Vocal Competition, and in the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s competitions. Jaatinen's vocal repertoire includes songs by Fauré, Grieg, Ravel, Schumann and Sibelius.

Jaatinen's accompanist, pianist Maija Väisänen began playing the piano at age six. Since 2002, she has been studying at the Sibelius Academy and in Berlin. Ms. Väisänen has performed at Finnish festivals such as the Nauvo Chamber Music Festival and the Aboa Musica Festival. In 2005 she was named the Young Artist of the Year at the Oulu Music Festival. She has appeared as a soloist of the Turku Filharmonic Orchestra and the North Carelia Polytechnic Orchestra and has performed concerts in Finland and Germany as a solo pianist and a chamber musician.

Pianist Maija Väisänen will accompany mezzosoprano Melis Jaatinen in the first of three Sibelius Academy concerts sponsored by Finlandia University. The duo will perform selections by composers Robert Schumann, Leevi Madetoja, Maurice Ravel and Edvard Grieg.

In 2007, Väisänen received Second Prize in the International Concours Grieg Piano Duo Competition in Oslo, and a Special Prize for Outstanding Performance of Finnish Music in the International Maj Lind Piano Competition in Helsinki.

In their program notes, Melis and Maija write that for their Sibelius Festival concert they wanted to perform song cycles in their entirety to understand the music on a deeper level and create a well-balanced program.

"We also wanted to include Nordic, French and German songs in our program because Melis lived in Norway for four years and Maija lived in Germany, both while studying music. From the Finnish repertoire we chose songs which are not often performed outside Finland," Melis and Maija add.

Pianist Joonas Ahonen will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, also at the Finnish American Heritage Center. Thursday's concert is preceded at 6:45 p.m. by the Noteworthy Chorus, a local women’s a cappella vocal ensemble directed by Theresa Goodell.

Pianist Joonas Ahonen will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, at the Finnish American Heritage Center. Ahonen has appeared with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Finnish Chamber Orchestra and the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra.

Ahonen began taking piano lessons when he was five. He has been studying at the Sibelius Academy and at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. Audiences first became widely aware of Ahonen following his success in the National Jyväskylä Piano Competition in 2001 and the International Maj Lind Piano Competition in 2002. In Finland he has performed at the Helsinki Festival and with the Finnish National Opera. In 2003, Mr. Ahonen was appointed Young Musician of the Year by the Lux Musicae Festival in Siuntio, Finland. He has appeared with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Finnish Chamber Orchestra and the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. Ahonen has worked with the eminent Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina in Santander, Spain. He has premiered two piano concertos composed for him, and he regularly records for the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE).

The third and final Sibelius Festival concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at St. Peter's by the Sea Church in Eagle Harbor. It will feature Kaisa Koivula, clarinet, and Jukka Ojala, accordion.

Kaisa Koivula, clarinetist, and Jukka Ojala, accordionist, will perform in the third Sibelius Academy concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at St. Peter's by the Sea Church in Eagle Harbor. They will also perform several selections at the public reception from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Vertin Gallery, Calumet.

Clarinetist Kaisa Koivula is preparing for her Diploma at the Sibelius Academy. She is a member of Soli Amici, a chamber music group that has been studying and performing in Italy, France and the U.S. In 2005 Soli Amici appeared here at the 7th Annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival. Ms. Koivula has worked as an assistant in the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki, and with the Tampere Philharmonias. She has played productions of Janacek's Cunning Vixen, Puccini's Tosca, Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady. Ms. Koivula, who teaches clarinet, is an active member of the Helsinki Klezmer Kapelye. She has participated in Yiddish music master classes in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Weimar, Germany.

Accordionist Jukka Ojala began accordion lessons at the age of seven in Kouvola in southeastern Finland. In 2000, he began his studies at the Sibelius Academy. In addition to performing a solo repertoire, Mr. Ojala is an experienced chamber musician. He has performed with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra and the Finnish National Opera orchestra. This April, Ojala gave his accordion Diploma Concert, receiving the highest honors. Just this summer, he completed a Master of Music at the Sibelius Academy of Music.

To conclude this year’s festival, a public reception will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Vertin Gallery in Calumet. During the reception, Sibelius Academy musicians Kaisa Koivula, clarinet, and Jukka Ojala, accordion, will perform several selections. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Since 1999, Finlandia University and the Sibelius Music Academy have collaborated to bring a taste of Finland’s musical excellence to Michigan ’s Upper Peninsula and the Midwest. More than 50 Sibelius Academy students have performed as part of this festival.

For ticket information, please visit the Finlandia Web site or contact Karen Johnson at 906-487-7348.

Art in the Garden tour July 19 to benefit Community Arts Center

HANCOCK -- The 10th annual Art in the Garden tour will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. This annual fundraising event, to benefit the Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock, is a self-guided tour of six beautiful gardens in Houghton and Hancock.

Volunteer demonstrating artists and musicians will provide entertainment at each site.

Tour books cost $12 and are available at the Arts Center, 126 Quincy in Hancock. The booklets contain garden details, directions, maps and all the info you need to find the featured gardens.

Art in the Garden happens rain or shine! Get a group of friends together and carpool your way to glorious gardens, fascinating flowers and precious plants! Visit the Copper Country Community Arts Center Web site to learn about the many activities your participation will support.

Photo of potato flower © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu.

Keweenaw Krayons' Thimbleberry Jam Fest to offer music, food, hike / bike tours, fun July 20 at Mountain Lodge, Copper Harbor

MOHAWK -- Celebrate with Keweenaw Krayons at their 9th Annual Thimbleberry JAM Fest from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and in Copper Harbor.

Browse the vendor booths, grab some food and thimbleberry sundaes, and JAM with an amazing line-up of musical artists! Get your picture taken with Oreo the Skunk. While waiting for the bus or trolley, visit the unique Copper Harbor shops, have your face painted, listen to street musicians and watch Bob and Jason juggle.

Carol Rose, left, and Susan Hallwachs of Keweenaw Krayons take a break during the 2007 Thimbleberry Jam Fest at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. The Lodge will host the festival again this year, and shuttle buses will take visitors to and from Copper Harbor and Fort Wilkins as well. (Photo © 2007 Michele Bourdieu)

This year's festival includes Guided Trail Hike/Bike Tours from Noon to 4 p.m., leaving from the Lodge at the top of each hour. Explore the hike/bike trails from the Lodge to Copper Harbor. The Tours are courtesy of the Copper Harbor Trail Club. A limited number of mountain bikes will be made available by Keweenaw Adventure Company.

Parking is limited parking at the Lodge so consider parking in Copper Harbor and taking one of the shuttle buses. The Red Jacket Trolley and the Copper Harbor School bus will provide transportation from various bus stops in Copper Harbor (including Fort Wilkins) to the Lodge all day -- for no charge, but donations are certainly appreciated!

Frank Fiala picks up passengers in Copper Harbor during a shuttle run to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge during the 2007 Thimbleberry Jam Fest. This year Frank will also offer round-trip rides to the festival from Calumet. (Photo © 2007 Michele Bourdieu)

Save fuel by riding with Frank Fiala on the Red Jacket Trolley from Calumet to the Lodge in the morning and back at the end of the day. The Trolley will pick up passengers along US 41. $10- round trip. Reservations required! Call 337-4706 or email staff@keweenawkrayons.com.

The Music Line-UP on stage at the Lodge*

11 a.m. - Noon -- Jazz with Kirsten Gustafson and Dave Ziegner
Noon - 12:15 p.m. -- Don Rupp on the harmonica
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- Augustine Family Band
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. -- On the Spot Blues Band
3 p.m. - 4 p.m. -- Mz. Behavin’ and the Swing Cats
4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. -- Rhythm 203
5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. -- Blue and the Swill Merchants
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. -- Squeaky Clean Cretins

*Schedule subject to change

Activities will include a Sweepstakes with prizes donated by the vendors and a 50/50 Drawing.

Street Musicians are wanted to play at the shuttle stops in Copper Harbor and/or on the bus and trolley. No pay, but you are welcome to put out your hat/guitar case, etc.

For more information call 906-337-4706 or email staff@keweenawkrayons.com.
Check www.keweenawkrayons.com for updates.

Editor's Note: The Thimbleberry drawing above is by Jordan Kariniemi.

Beekeeper comments on bee exhibit at Community Arts Center

Melissa Hronkin's representation of the Queen Bee atop several hives is part of the exhibit, "Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees," on display at the Community Arts Center in Hancock.

By Gustavo Bourdieu *

HANCOCK -- For the past forty years I've been raising bees -- either as a hobby or as a business. These marvelous insects are truly enviable for their organization and work ethic. I have participated in many classes and workshops demonstrating the advantages of raising bees and the benefits they provide for humanity. Not only do bees produce honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis and wax; but their work of pollination -- visiting millions of flowers and plants to enable nature to do its work of bearing fruit -- is incalculable.

Pictured here with some of his bees, Gustavo Bourdieu, author of this article and photographer for Keweenaw Now, has been a beekeeper for many years. (Photo by Gustavo Bourdieu)

Last Thursday the editor of Keweenaw Now (my wife) asked me to take photos at "Icarus Rising," an art exhibit on bees at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. Never in my life of many years had I seen such dedication toward these insects. I was impressed by the attractive presentation of the art works, but also by the variety of information -- a little of everything.

Artist, teacher and beekeeper Melissa Hronkin holds up a "queen cage" as she speaks about her art and bees during the reception held for her on Thursday, July 10, in the Community Arts Center in Hancock. (Photo © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Mead (wine made from honey) and different varieties of honey snacks were served as refreshments, and visitors were even offered small gifts of "queen cages."

Visitors taste a variety of snacks prepared with honey during the July 10 reception for Melissa Hronkin and her exhibit, "Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees," at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. The exhibit continues through July 31. (Photo © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu)

I wish to congratulate Melissa Hronkin for her excellent work and her compilation of bee-related information presented at the exhibit. Since I'm not an art critic, I can't comment on the art; but for me this was a great display of dedication that attracted many art lovers, friends and students, who filled the gallery with their comments of praise and admiration.

In this video clip, Melissa Hronkin comments on her art during the reception for her exhibit, "Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees," July 10 at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. (Video clip © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Many thanks, Melissa, for such a beautiful exhibit. Keep up the good work!

* Translated from the original Spanish by Michele Bourdieu.

Editor's Notes: "Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees," encaustic and beeswax collage and assemblages by Melissa Hronkin, is on exhibit at the Community Arts Center in Hancock through July 31. Don't miss it! Hronkin, who teaches art at Ontonagon High School, will offer a workshop -- "An Introduction to Experimental Encaustics and Beeswax collage" -- from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, at the Community Arts Center. For details see our previous article on the exhibit and the workshop, posted July 8. Also, visit Melissa Hronkin's blog to read more about her bees and her art.

Pine Mountain to present "La Tragédie de Carmen" at Calumet Theatre July 13

CALUMET -- If you thought Bizet’s Carmen was intense and dramatic, you will be amazed by La Tragédie de Carmen, a provocative adaptation by English theatre and film director Peter Brook. Searching for a deeper humanity in Carmen, Brook delves into Prosper Mérimée's original story. Pine Mountain Music Festival (PMMF) celebrates 18 Years in Love with Music! with a production of La Tragédie de Carmen at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at the Calumet Theatre, 340 Sixth St., Calumet.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students/children and are now available at the Rozsa Center Box Office on the Michigan Tech Campus; at the Calumet Theatre, 340 6th St., Calumet; on-line at www.pmmf.org; or by calling 487-3200. Tickets will also be available at the door. All seats are general admission.

The Festival's production, directed by PMMF artistic director, Joshua Major, and conducted by Maestro Steven Byess,* will be performed by PMMF's remarkable Resident Opera Artists, who will bring you a version of Carmen not to be missed. The performance will begin with an introduction by the director, and the opera will be sung in French with English supertitles. This electrifying and emotional adaptation, with its familiar music and streamlined plot, has been thrilling audiences for more than 25 years.

Maestro Steven Byess returns to the Pine Mountain Music Festival to conduct the Festival Orchestra in Peter Brook's La Tragédie de Carmen at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at the Calumet Theatre. (Photo courtesy Pine Mountain Music Festival.)

Peter Van Pelt, chairman of the PMMF Management Committee, attended a rehearsal and shared this reaction to the production:

"Last Saturday, as a trustee of Pine Mountain Music Festival, I saw the first run-through of La Tragédie de Carmen, with Russell Miller on the piano," Van Pelt said. "This is a special and powerful theatrical experience. It is like a piece of theater, with all the incidentals stripped away, plus Bizet's music and the Festival's Resident Opera Artists' strong, enthralling singing."

Van Pelt noted the production is about one hour and ten minutes, with no intermission; Director Joshua Major will give an introduction to the show at curtain time.

Joshua Major will direct the Pine Mountain Music Festival's production of Peter Brook's La Tragédie de Carmen at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at the Calumet Theatre. (Photo courtesy Pine Mountain Music Festival.)

"The singers are dressed to character, including Carmen in brilliant red skirt and Escamillo poured into all black as befits a toreador," Van Pelt added. "The staging is spare but creative and clear. I knew it would be simple and would have Bizet's music, but I didn't know it would be this gripping."

Van Pelt said the PMMF production might even appeal to people who think they don't like opera.

"It is gritty, direct, tough, unadorned and ultimately beautiful and satisfying," he noted. "It's a powerful show."

Carmen, by French Composer Georges Bizet, is based primarily on Chapter 3 of the novella by Mérimée, and omits characters in the first two chapters. La Tragédie de Carmen is based on the whole story and stays true to the nature of the original book. It is a gritty and emotional story of obsession, jealousy and betrayal. The New York Times called Brook’s innovative version of Carmen "a raw, brutal tale of mutual self destruction that’s fueled by both lust and existential bloodlust -- and is as deadly for others as it is for [the protagonists]."

For those who would like to read the whole story, an electronic version of Prosper Mérimée's novella is on the Festival's Web site.

PMMF patrons may also enjoy a post-opera reception at the Vertin Art Studio and Gallery, 220 Sixth St., Calumet, for a $2.00 minimum donation at the door. It will be a chance to meet the artists and celebrate the end of a successful 2008 season.

This theatrical and musical tour de force may also be experienced at the Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11.

La Tragédie de Carmen is made possible with the support of the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

* Editor's Note: In the summer of 2007, Maestro Byess conducted Bernstein's Candide at the Pine Mountain Music Festival. He is the Music Director of the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra and serves as Cover Conductor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Opera Conductor for the Cleveland Institute of Music and California State University -- Los Angeles. He recently finished an eleven-year tenure as the Associate Music Director of the Ohio Light Opera where he conducted, to critical acclaim, over 400 performances of 50 diverse operas, operettas, and musical theater works. (Read more about Steven Byess on his Web site.

Updated: Free excursions aboard Agassiz research vessel at Chassell Strawberry Festival July 12

Michigan Tech's research vessel Agassiz awaits passengers between excursions during the 2007 Strawberry Festival in Chassell. (Keweenaw Now file photos © 2007 Michele Bourdieu)

HOUGHTON -- Get a view from the lake! Free 45-minute scientific excursions aboard Michigan Tech's research vessel Agassiz will be offered at the Chassell Strawberry Festival on Saturday, July 12.

Excursions will depart from the Chassell Marina at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.; if there is sufficient demand, a fourth will depart at 4 p.m. Come early to sign up. Seventeen persons may participate on each excursion (must be 7 years of age or older). Life jackets are available for all passengers. Displays and educational materials will be available for public viewing onshore.

Young passengers on the Agassiz observe samples of sediment from Portage Lake being collected by Martin Auer, MTU professor of civil and environmental engineering, as Agassiz Captain Stephen Roblee supervises during a 2007 Strawberry Festival educational excursion on the research vessel.

"Residents and visitors are encouraged to discover how scientists study the Great Lakes and what factors contribute to a healthy lake," says Joan Chadde, program coordinator. "These scientific excursions have been offered for the past two summers and have been very well attended. Youth and adults will enjoy the opportunity to interact with Great Lakes scientists and ask questions."

Aboard the Agassiz in July 2007, a curious young science student observes samples from the bottom of Portage Lake as MTU Professor Martin Auer explains some of the organisms on the slide. Both youth and adults have the opportunity to participate in the free excursions, which will be offered again this Saturday, July 12, during the 2008 Strawberry Festival in Chassell.

The event is coordinated by the Western UP Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education with funding from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Coastal Management Program, Chassell Lions Club, the Wege Foundation, the Michigan Tech Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and the Michigan Tech Remote Sensing Institute.

Update: See the complete Schedule of Events for the 2008 Strawberry Festival on the Einerei Web site.

Arts Center presents "Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees," exhibit through July 31

HANCOCK -- The Community Arts Center presents a new exhibit, "Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees," encaustic and beeswax collage and assemblages by Melissa Hronkin.

This piece by Melissa Hronkin, part of the current exhibit at the Community Arts Center in Hancock, is titled "Triptych in Frames from the Hive." (Photo by Gustavo Bourdieu)

Intimate in scale, this body of work (a sequel to work made 10 years ago) explores the use of beeswax as an art medium. The Mass City artist and beekeeper uses images depicting bees, beekeepers, the history of beekeeping, the lore surrounding this collaboration between humans and nature and human interrelationships.

"The sacred and sensual aspect of honey and beeswax is an area of interest for me," Hronkin writes in her statement about the work. "This new work is kind of a personal return to the 'quest,' the rising of Icarus, whose wings failed him because the wax that was holding them together melted when he flew too close to the sun."

"Sister Bee" is the title of this work by artist and teacher Melissa Hronkin, who is also a beekeeper. (Photo by Gustavo Bourdieu)

The exhibit will be on display in the Kerredge Gallery through July 31. The public is invited to come and meet the artist at a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 10.

This exhibit is supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. For more information call (906) 482-2333 or visit the website www.coppercountryarts.com.

Hronkin, who teaches art at Ontonagon High School, will offer a workshop -- "An Introduction to Experimental Encaustics and Beeswax collage" -- from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. Since space is limited, interested persons should pre-register soon. Participants will learn about the history and contemporary uses of pigmented beeswax and create several small-scale pieces. The cost is $40 and includes all supplies. Call 482-2333 to sign up.

To learn more about encaustics or to view examples of artworks, please visit http://www.melissa-hronkin.blogspot.com/.

Quincy Anniversary Special Events to include Tour of Company Housing July 10

By Michele Bourdieu

This is a historic photo of the gabled Quincy No. 2 shaft-rockhouse, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. A train trestle, pulley stands and the original hoist house are also visible. The negative is imprinted with the words "Quincy No 2 Shaft Rockhouse Photo By Isler." Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo and caption courtesy Michigan Tech Archives. Historic photos reprinted here with permission.)

HANCOCK -- The Quincy Mine Hoist Association and the Keweenaw National Historical Park (KNHP) are celebrating the 2008 triple anniversary of the Quincy Mine with several events open to the public. The events commemorate the 160th anniversary of the Quincy Mining Company, the 100th anniversary of Quincy's No. 2 Shaft-Rockhouse and the 50th anniversary of the Quincy Mine Hoist Association.

This week's event, "Company Housing at the Quincy Mine," will be a car pool tour from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 10.

The Quincy Mining Company 's Clubhouse (bath house), completed in 1917, is in the lower left hand corner of this historic photo taken from the rockhouse at Quincy Location. Several houses enclosed by fences are shown. Laundry hangs out to dry, and a vintage automobile is parked near one of the houses. (Photo and caption courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

Kim Hoagland, Michigan Tech University professor of history and historic preservation, will lead the tour, which departs from No. 2 Hoist House on U.S. 41 just outside of Hancock. Participants will car pool to different neighborhoods where the historic houses are located. Some are presently occupied.

This historic photo of the Quincy Mining Company's Frenchtown on Quincy Hill shows a dirt road with houses on either side. A note from original negative sleeve reads "Frenchtown." (Photo and caption courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

Hoagland has a special interest in vernacular architecture and has a longstanding interest in workers' housing, focusing on the Copper Country. She served as Chair of the Steering Committee for "Key Ingredients Michigan Foodways," the Smithsonian/Michigan Humanities Council exhibit that was on display in Calumet last summer. She was also the curator for the exhibit "Minor Houses/Miner Houses: Copper Country Company Housing,” at the Keweenaw Heritage Center in Calumet in 2003 and 2004.*

Kim Hoagland, right, chair of the Key Ingredients Steering Committee, and Michigan Tech historian Larry Lankton welcomed visitors at the opening of the Key Ingredients and Michigan Foodways exhibits in the Keweenaw Heritage Center on July 14, 2007. Hoagland and Lankton are both participants in the Quincy Anniversary Special Events 2008. (Keweenaw Now file photo © 2007)

During the first event of the Quincy anniversary series, "Understanding the Cultural Landscape at Quincy Mine / Quincy Fire Hall" on June 18, 2008, members of the Quincy Mine Hoist Association and KNHP staff led visitors on a walking tour of the Quincy No. 6 site, which includes the future site of Michigan Tech's Seaman Mineral Museum.

Scott See, Quincy Mine Hoist Association Board member, said the role of the Association was really as the landowner of this site.

"We wanted to get people out to see and appreciate the structures, ruins and natural areas," See said.

During the walking tour of some ruins of the No. 6 site at the Quincy Mine, Scott See, left foreground, and Erik Nordberg, on See's left, both Quincy Mine Hoist Association Board members, give some details of the miners' lives and how they used the Dry House, pictured in the background. Second from right, in the foreground is Steve DeLong, landscape architect for Keweenaw National Historical Park. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

Several of the visitors commented on the lilacs growing "wild" among the ruins.

According to Eric Nordberg, Quincy Mine Hoist Association Board member, planning for the future of the site includes identifying what is now there and deciding what to do with it. The hope is to plan smartly -- not change it so much that you lose the original, natural characteristics, he said.

Steve DeLong, KNHP landscape architect, pointed out some restoration efforts at stabilization that have already been done on some of the buildings.

"We're looking to the future of the landscape," DeLong said, "but also looking at how to preserve it."

Brenda Williams, historical landscape architect of Quinn Evans Architects of Madison, Wis., has been working with DeLong and other National Park Service staff and with Will Ballard, specialist in environmental assessment from Woolpert, Inc., on a cultural landscape report on the Quincy Unit of KNHP. Preceding the tour of the Quincy No. 6 site, Williams gave a talk on the report at the Quincy Fire Hall and invited the public to offer input.

She said the report is in two parts. Part 1, which is now nearly complete, consists of research and gathering an understanding of how the physical landscape has changed over time and what is here now today.

"(In Part 1) we begin to try to understand the different periods of history that are being represented by what is here today," Williams said. "We feel we're ready to begin Part 2."

In Part 2, she explained, the team working on the report will move into thinking about the future and decisions that have to be made concerning management of the landscape -- what you preserve or what you try to capture in the future in relation to what was there historically at different periods of time.

More Quincy Anniversary Events

The Quincy Anniversary series will also include events in August, September and October.

"The Quincy and Torch Lake Railroad (QTLRR) Roundhouse" will be the subject of a presentation by Chuck Pomazal, Clint Jones and Dennis Leopold from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Al Johnson will lead a "Tour of Mesnard Shaft and Hoist House, Mesnard Location, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Erik Nordberg, Michigan Tech archivist, will present "Mining in the Movies" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, in Room 138, Fisher Hall, on the MTU campus.

Finally, Larry Lankton, MTU historian and author, will present "The Legacy of the Quincy Mine" from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Anniversary Banquet on Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Portage Room, Best Western Franklin Square Inn in Houghton.

*See the Summer 2007 issue of the Quincy Mine Hoist Association Newsletter on their Web site to read about Hoagland's Material Culture course in which she led students through a process of furnishing a Quincy Mining Co. house kitchen ca. 1910-1920.

For more information on Quincy Mine or Quincy Mine Tours and rates visit www.quincymine.com or call 906-482-3101.