Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter receives grant

HANCOCK -- The Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home for Abused Women has been chosen to receive one of 150 grants awarded by a leading national anti-domestic violence organization, the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation (MKACF). The $20,000 grant will be used to maintain the crisis line and direct services to program participants.

Supporters of the Shelter and recipients of its services recently called attention to the work of the Shelter in helping survivors of domestic violence with a Candlelight Ceremony in Hancock on Oct. 6.

Supporters of the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter hold a candlelight march in Hancock Oct. 6 after their ceremony honoring survivors of domestic violence. The event also included speakers, poetry and music. Carrying the Shelter Home banner are Anne Haywood, left, of Hancock, and Ann Brady, Shelter Home Board member. Left of Brady, with other marchers, is Emily Newhouse, Shelter Home executive director. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

Shelters are feeling the impact of a weak economy. According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, shelter donations are down; but the need for services is increasing. To help make sure needs are met, the foundation started by the late Mary Kay Ash is donating a total of $3 million in grants to shelters in all 50 states.

"This grant gives us much-needed cash and hope at Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter," said Emily Newhouse, executive director. "The problem of domestic violence isn’t going away and neither is the need for funding. Programs to help those experiencing domestic violence require a lot of resources. It is a tremendous challenge to provide services on a 24 hour basis. Grants specifically for everyday operating expenses are rare, and this funding demonstrates the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation understands this need for funding of day-to-day operations. We’re grateful that the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation is stepping up to the plate in helping us help families in Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties."

Hand-decorated tee-shirts are displayed on a clothesline in the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock during the Oct. 6 Candlelight Ceremony honoring survivors of domestic violence. The shirts are part of the Clothesline Project -- a program started in 1990 on Cape Cod, Mass., as a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating a shirt. They then hang the shirt on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), domestic violence affects one in every four women in the United States. Nationally:
· The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year, 4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health services;
· Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults;
· 84 percent of spousal abuse victims are female.

The statistics in Michigan are just as startling. According to the NCADV:
· 48,310 domestic violence offenses were reported to the Michigan Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Program in 2003.
· About 4 of every 10 females seen in selected emergency departments for injuries related to assault were there because of intimate partner violence.
· It is estimated that there were 22,328 domestic violence cases handled in Michigan’s prosecuting attorney offices in 2000.

Rhythm 203 performs folk songs during the Oct. 6 Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home Candlelight Ceremony for survivors fo domestic violence. Musicians and singers are, from left, Sue Ellen Kingsley, Phyllis Fredendall and Norm Kendall. (Video © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

"The Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter has helped so many women and their families in Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon Counties. We know they will use these funds to benefit even more domestic violence survivors and their children," said Jennifer Cook, MKACF board member. "Mary Kay Ash wanted her foundation to help enrich women’s lives. All the tragic stories and statistics we hear about domestic violence encourage us to do our part. We know Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter will use these funds to stop domestic violence and provide help and hope to domestic violence survivors and their children in Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties in Michigan."

About the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation

The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation was created in 1996, and its mission is two-fold: to fund research of cancers affecting women and help prevent domestic violence while raising awareness of the issue. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has awarded nearly $18 million to shelters and programs addressing domestic violence and $10.8 million to cancer researchers and
related causes throughout the United States. To learn more about the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, log on to www.mkacf.org or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).

Editor's Note: Programs at the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home are supported by the Copper Country United Way. Donations may also be sent to Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home for Abused Women, P. O. Box 8, Calumet, MI 49913.

Finlandia's Nordic Film Series begins Oct. 9

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center begins its fall Nordic Film Series today, October 9, with five new documentaries from noted filmmaker and frequent area visitor Erkki Määttänen. Showings are at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The featured short films are about Finnish and Finnish-American musicians and artists, with the exception of Todistajat (Witnesses), a documentary about a group of Finns whose parents (some of whom had returned to Karelia, Finland, from North America) disappeared in the Soviet Union during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s.

Other films to be shown October 9 include, Suomalaisia kaikuja or Finnish Echoes in the Midwest about a number familiar Finnish American musicians and the places they perform in Michigan and Minnesota; Jim Johnson about the Finnish-American poet from Duluth; and Peruna-Jussin rytmiluut or Johnnie Perona’s Rhythm Bones about the 85-year-old rhythm bones musician of Calumet.

Other films are Gerry about Duluth kantele maker Gerry Henkel and Les Ross, Suupelin soittaja (Les Ross, Mouth Organ Player) about a Negaunee musician who plays harmonica in traditional Finnish-American lumberjack style.

Finally, Lännen-Jukka etsimässä or Looking for Lännen-Jukka explores the music of J. Karjalainen, one of Finland’s most popular singer-songwriters and a well-known devotee of American bluegrass.

Last year Karjalainen released the CD, Lännen Jukka, Amerikansuomalaisia lauluja (Jukka of the West, Finnish-American songs), a collection of American blues songs with Finnish lyrics and a tribute to his musical mentor, Hiski Salomaa, an early Finnish American songwriter who at one time lived in South Range. The album was widely considered one of the best Finnish recordings of 2006.

The films include a number of western Upper Peninsula faces and places, including Jingo Wiitala-Vachon, and the Happala Brothers (George and Albert) from Bruce Crossing, Runeberg Hall in Dollar Bay , The Mosquito Inn and Toivola Lunch of Toivola, and the Co-op Hall in Bruce Crossing.

Film director Erkki Määttänen has been making documentaries for the Finnish Broadcasting company for 30 years. He has made 80 short and feature-length documentaries all over the world. Määttänen’s films have been shown at film festivals in USA, Canada, Europe and Russia. He has filmed a number of documentaries in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

The Nordic Film Series occurs on the second Thursday of each month. The films, which show at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., offer the area’s only opportunity to see contemporary Finnish, Sami and Norwegian films. November’s movie is the Finnish film, Colorado Avenue.

For additional information, please contact the Finnish American Heritage Center at 906-487-7505.

Obama fires back in Indianapolis: "I ask you to believe ..."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Following his Oct. 7 presidential candidate debate with Republican Senator John McCain in Nashville, Tenn., Democratic Senator Barack Obama fired up a crowd estimated at 21,000 on Wednesday, Oct. 8, in a rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

Videos on the Indianapolis Star Web site, IndyStar.com, capture some key moments of his high-energy speech and reactions of the enthusiastic crowd. Click here to see the Star's videos and today's article, "Obama: 'Better days ahead,'" by Mary Beth Schneider, Star reporter.

Los comentarios de Gustavo: El "Tori" de Hancock

Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of "Comentarios y fotos" by Gustavo Bourdieu, Keweenaw Now photographer, for our readers who speak, read or study Spanish. In this week's comentario, Gustavo celebrates Hancock's "Tori," the Finnish word for "market" or, in Spanish, "mercado."

Queridos amigos y amigas,

Como apicultor, tengo una pequeña huerta en el campo para el abastecimiento de verduras frescas durante el verano, y puedo guardar algo para el invierno que está cerca.

Siempre hay un excedente y aprovecho en venderlo en el Tori Market de Hancock. Esta es una gran idea de tener nuestro pequeño mercado, donde se reunen agricultores y artesanos locales para vender sus productos todos los miércoles y sábados.

Lamentablemente, debido al clima, ayer fue la última apertura de la temporada.

Siempre que he viajado en distintas ciudades, aprovecho de visitar los mercados. Estos reflejan la realidad de los pueblos y países. Visitar el mercado es conocer en profundidad cada pueblo.

Los vendedores / compañeros del "Tori" de Hancock se reunen para esta foto el sábado 4 de octubre, el último día de la temporada. (Photo © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu. Click on photo for larger version.)

El ambiente que se vive en él es de gran camaradería y amistad, donde toda la gente se saluda y sonríe, donde van los clientes a comprar verduras frescas -- la mayoría orgánica -- y artesanías locales de una belleza increíble.

Recomiendo a todos los lectores de nuestra comunidad visitar el Tori market; así consumirán productos locales y frescos. Ahora tendremos que esperar al próximo año.

Les adjunto una foto de ayer de los vendedores y colegas míos en el Tori.

Hasta la próxima,
Gustavo Bourdieu

Candlelight Ceremony to honor survivors of domestic violence Oct. 6

CALUMET -- October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A Candlelight Ceremony for Survivors of Domestic Violence will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, at Finlandia University's Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock.

The public is welcome to show support in mourning victims, celebrating survivors and reaffirming the struggle for a non-violent future. The ceremony will include music, speakers and poetry. Bring a candle or flashlight and join the walk after the ceremony.

This event is sponsored by the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter. Call 337-5632 for more information.

Volunteers are needed to work at the Shelter in Calumet to help residents and their children. After receiving training, volunteers help by being empathetic listeners and support persons. Volunteers are also needed to work with the children for childcare during support groups. This is a two-hour commitment once a week. The Shelter is also looking for a volunteer for cleaning house and sorting donations. For information concerning volunteering or training call 337-5632.

Programs at the Shelter are supported by the Copper Country United Way. Donations may also be sent to Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home for Abused Women, P. O. Box 8, Calumet, MI 49913.

Recycle household, electronic items at Health Department Oct. 4

HANCOCK -- The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) will collect unwanted household items from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department (540 Depot St., a block south of eastbound US 41) in Hancock.

Among the items accepted are computers and accessories, microwave ovens, stereos, TVs and monitors, DVD players, VCRs, cordless phones and electronic ballasts (all $0.10/lb.); fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs ($0.50 each); alkaline batteries ($0.85/lb.); rechargeable batteries and cell phones with batteries (free). (This opportunity does not apply to Michigan Tech-owned electronics, which are recycled through the University's e-waste program.)

For more details, see www.wupdhd.org/rsvp/e-waste.html or call Barb Maronen at the health department (482-7382).

Spread the Word: The transition to digital TV in February 2009 may result in people prematurely discarding analog televisions in the mistaken belief that they will no longer work. Only analog TVs that receive signals via rooftop or "rabbit ears" antennas will require converter boxes. A government-sponsored $40 coupon program will help pay for up to two boxes per household: See www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-388-2009. Cable and satellite TV subscribers can continue to use their existing TVs, even if they aren't digital-ready models. For more information visit www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html.

Isle Royale Wolf, Moose photography on display in Calumet Oct. 3 - 31

Isle Royale wolf. (Photo © 2008 Rolf Peterson. Reprinted with permission.)

CALUMET -- Two Michigan Tech wolf-moose researchers and the filmmaker who immortalized their research are mounting an exhibition of some of the best of years of still photography shot at Isle Royale National Park. The show opens at the Omphale Gallery in Calumet with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3.

Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich, professors in Michigan Tech University's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, and producer George Desort will host the reception at the gallery at 431 Fifth St., Calumet. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided at the opening. Their exhibit, called "Isle Royale Wolf and Moose Study Collection," will remain on display through Oct. 31.

Walking on the ice of Washington Harbor, Isle Royale, are, from left, Don E. Glaser, winter study pilot, Rolf Peterson, wolf biologist and John Vucetich, wolf biologist. (Photo © 2008 George Desort. Reprinted with permission.)

Desort, an independent Upper Peninsula filmmaker, premiered his full-length documentary about the wolves and moose of Isle Royale, titled Fortunate Wilderness, at a 50th anniversary celebration of the wolf-moose predator-prey study held on Isle Royale July 25-27, 2008. If you missed that premiere, the film will be shown on Oct. 25 at the Rosza Center on the MTU campus.

Close up of antler on Isle Royale moose. (Photo © 2008 John Vucetich. Reprinted with permission.)

See a preview of some of the Isle Royale photos and read about the 50-year Isle Royale Wolf-Moose study on the Wolf-Moose Study Web site.

KLT to hold open house at Marsin Nature Retreat Center Oct. 3

HANCOCK -- The public is invited to a Marsin Nature Retreat Center open house from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3. The Marsin Center, owned and operated by the Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT), is a resource available to community groups for a variety of outdoor and indoor activities and events.

The Marsin Nature Retreat Center, located on the Portage Waterway near Oskar, 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. Her vision was to establish a nature center for those with limited access to the serenity of the outdoors, including the elderly and disadvantaged. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo courtesy Keweenaw Land Trust)

The goals for the Marsin Center are to promote community and partnership while fostering a stronger connection to the natural world. The 16-acre property includes waterfront on the Portage Waterway, a main building suitable for large gatherings and a campus suitable for a variety of educational and recreational activities.

Marsin program volunteers and KLT staff will be on hand to provide guided tours, share plans for the Marsin Center and answer questions. Everyone is welcome to learn about ongoing activities, the facilities and the partnership with Finlandia University’s Design Program assisting with site and facilities improvements.

The Marsin Center is located about 8 miles from Houghton: Take the Canal Road one mile past Oskar, turn right on Red Brick Road and follow signs to the Center. Refreshments will be provided. For more information about the Marsin Nature Retreat Center or the Keweenaw Land Trust, visit www.KeweenawLandTrust.org or call 482-0820.

Finlandia to present musical comedy set in 1930s Finland Oct. 2-5

HANCOCK – Four performances of the play, Herra Puntila and His Man Matti, will be presented Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 2-5, at the Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

Pictured here is a scene from Herra Puntila and His Man Matti, a musical comedy written in 1941 by German playwright Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Finnish-Estonian playwright Hella Wuolijoki. Director Melvin Kangas, Finlandia University music and drama instructor, composed music for the play, which runs Oct. 2-5 at Finlandia's Finnish American Heritage Center. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University.)

Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-4. The Sunday, Oct. 5, performance begins at 2:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door prior to each performance. Tickets are $5.00 per person; Finlandia student are admitted free with their university ID. The play is performed in English.

Herra Puntila and His Man Matti (Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti) was written in 1941 by German playwright Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Finnish-Estonian playwright Hella Wuolijoki.

Directed by Finlandia music and drama instructor Melvin Kangas, the musical comedy tells the story of landowner Puntila and his "Jekyll and Hyde" relationships with his daughter, his servant Matti and the workers on his farm. The play was adapted from a Finnish folk tale and is set in Finland in the 1930s.

The play is one of Brecht’s modern social criticism plays. Its message suggests that genuine equality, not the whims of individual philanthropy, bridges the gap between rich and poor.

However, play director Melvin Kangas said the message is not why he chose to produce the play.

"I like to select plays where I can have a creative hand, especially with the music," Kangas explained. "This play gave me that opportunity."

Each of the play’s ten scenes is introduced by a song with music composed by Kangas.

"Brecht wrote the words for the songs, but not the music," Kangas said. "So each production of the play is different."

And to enhance the Finnish ambiance of the play, Kangas has added performances of traditional Finnish dances between each scene. Dancers include Bob and Hester Butler and Phyllis Fredendall and Hannu Leppanen.

The play’s cast and crew numbers more than 25 and includes community members and Finlandia students, staff and faculty.

When Puntila (played by Oren Tikkanen) is sober, he is a mean-spirited, self-centered capitalist who fires workers with communist sympathies, puts profit before people and wants to marry his daughter, Eva (Kendra Benson), to a lame-brained diplomat (Jordan Siegler).

When he is drunk, Puntila is friendly and humane, hiring anyone who needs a job and determined to marry Eva to his chauffeur, Matti (Pasi Lautila), whom he treats as an equal. Oscillating between these two poles, he plays havoc with his workers, his daughter’s marriage and the loyalty of his sardonic chauffeur and valet, Matti.

German playwright, poet, and Marxist Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) wrote his first plays in the 1920s. With the composer Kurt Weill he wrote the satirical musical The Threepenny Opera, which was produced as a film in 1931. With the rise of the Nazis in Germany he went into exile, first in Scandinavia (1933-1941), then in the U.S., where he wrote the play Mother Courage and Her Children (1941) and several other popular plays. Harassed in the U.S. for his politics, in 1949 he returned to East Germany, where he established the Berliner Ensemble theatre troupe and staged his own plays.

For additional information, please contact Melvin Kangas at 906-487-7250.

Oct. 6 voter registration deadline approaches: Registration forms available on line

LANSING -- Michigan residents who have not yet registered to vote can fill out an online form and mail it in to meet the registration deadline of Oct. 6, 2008, for the November 4 presidential election.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm offers on her Web site a new online feature that will print off a pre-filled voter registration form to mail in. You can fill out and print a voter registration form at http://www.jennifergranholm.com/register.

To register, you must be at least 18-years-old on or before Election Day and be a U.S. citizen. You must be a resident of Michigan and the city or township in which you wish to register. You can register in person at any Secretary of State or Department of Human Services office, or by mail.

You can find out if you're registered and where you should vote by signing in at https://services2.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/.

Stupak: Bailout abandons Northern Michigan values

By U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee)*

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- In mid-September, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson insisted there would be no bailout for American International Group (AIG), which was heavily invested in the subprime mortgage market. Thirty six hours late, the Federal Reserve provided $85 billion to save AIG in the largest government bailout of a private corporation in U.S. history. Just days earlier, the failure of Lehman Brothers became the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, sending global markets into turmoil.

By the end of that same week, the Treasury Secretary came to Congress with a $700 billion bailout proposal for Wall Street, insisting it be implemented immediately to avoid a severe financial crisis.

It was against this backdrop that Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke requested unprecedented authority and power, asking elected officials to hand over the keys to the U.S. Treasury. As greed ran amuck, there was now panic on Wall Street.

It came as quite a shock that the same men who have for the past year continued to insist our economy is sound were now asking Congress for government intervention unprecedented since the Great Depression. I did not trust their gloom and doom forecast and wanted time to review the proposal.

Over the past 10 days, Democrats and Republicans have worked with the Bush Administration to craft H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. During this time, I have heard from thousands of my constituents across northern Michigan. My staff and I have reached out to banks, credit unions, small businesses and economists. Most sense the urgency of addressing the financial crisis, but had many more questions than answers.

While the debate raged over what Congress should do, a consensus on four main principles emerged: there must be transparency on the purchase of troubled assets; no golden parachutes should be provided for executives; Congress must provide oversight; and the taxpayers must be protected. H.R. 3997 falls short in all of these areas.

Although $700 billion is the number being attached to this bailout, even the Treasury Secretary acknowledges it was arbitrarily chosen to calm the financial markets. No one can tell us the total cost of the bailout or even if the infusion of $700 billion will solve the problem.

My review of H.R. 3997 shows the limitations on Wall Street executive pay only apply if a financial entity receives $300 million in government help. The bailout raises the national debt to $11.3 trillion and leaves taxpayers no way to recoup the interest we will have to pay on the $700 billion bailout. Perhaps most importantly, no one can tell us where or how the United States will come up with $700 billion.

I am concerned $700 billion is just the beginning and additional billions of dollars will almost certainly be necessary. The bailout is likely to go on for years, and over that time I fully expect corruption and criminal activity will be found on Wall Street.

I cannot ask American families -- who work hard, play by the rules and struggle to meet their own financial obligations -- to bailout Wall Street executives for their reckless, lavish lifestyles.

For that reason, I voted “no” on H.R. 3997. This bailout does not represent our northern Michigan values, but instead rewards excessive financial shenanigans without any accountability.

The $700 billion bailout failed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 205-228 on September 29. I expect to be called back to Washington in the coming days to consider an alternative package. I will examine that alternative proposal closely to see that it addresses the concerns I have raised. Congress will do what is necessary to stabilize our economy and restore confidence in the financial markets, but will ensure that protecting the taxpayers is priority number one.

* U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) represents Michigan’s 1st Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Visit his Web site for more information about his work for this large district, which includes all of the Upper Peninsula and much of Northern Michigan below the Mackinac Bridge as well. This column was written on Sept. 29, 2008.

Keweenaw County launches Web site

EAGLE RIVER -- Keweenaw County now has a new Web site at http://www.keweenawcountyonline.org. The site includes minutes of all the various commission meetings as well as permits and other forms residents can download and complete at their convenience.

In an email to Keweenaw County residents, Janet Shea, chairman of the Keweenaw County Economic Development Committee, announced the site went online today, Sept. 30, 2008.

"The site will make county government activities more transparent," she noted. "Once you have had an opportunity to look through the site, any comments or suggestions you may have for improvements would be very appreciated."

Readers can email comments to the site's Webmaster at inquiries@keweenawcountyonline.org.

"Sometime in the future," Shea added, this site will also be a portal for community information for residents plus travel and tourism information for visitors."

Rep. Mike Lahti meets with Obama supporters

By Michele Bourdieu

HOUGHTON -- State Representative Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) met with supporters of Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate, on Saturday, Sept. 27, to discuss volunteer efforts to get out the vote for Obama's Campaign for Change during these last few weeks before the Nov. 4 election.

Mike Lahti, State Representative for Michigan's 110th District, meets with supporters of Barack Obama's Campaign for Change on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu.)

Lahti offered suggestions and fielded questions from the group on the best ways to reach undecided voters and to inform the public about the coming Oct. 6, 2008, deadline for voter registration.

"I like going door-to-door. It's a nice chance to get to meet folks," Lahti said. "It can be fun."

Volunteers who attended the session, held at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton, reported having good experiences knocking on doors and talking to Copper Country residents.

Mike Levin, field organizer for Obama's Campaign for Change, said he has had some great talks with local residents in his door-to-door canvassing.

"People are so nice up here," he said.

Community artist and volunteer Mary Wright of Hancock confirmed the importance of door-to-door visits.

"Research shows that the most effective way of changing undecided voters is face-to-face, person-to-person contact," she said.

Wright commended the young volunteers from Houghton High School for their efforts on behalf of Obama's Campaign for Change.

Nathan Held, a junior at Houghton High and one of those volunteers, was enthusiastic about working for the Campaign.

"It's the largest presidential campaign ever in Michigan," Held said. "I've been interested in politics since 2000. I lived in Louisiana at that time."

Held's family moved to Houghton in 2006. Before that he became an ardent supporter of Al Gore.

"I'm reading his book right now -- The Assault on Reason," he noted. "I definitely agree with him on global warming."

Stacy Welling, campaign manager for U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) addressed the group and encouraged them to support Stupak's campaign for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Stupak represents Congressional District 1, which includes almost half of Michigan's land mass and 1,613 miles of shoreline.*

State Representative Mike Lahti, second from left, spoke with young Obama supporters at a meeting Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton. Pictured with Lahti, from left, are Mike Levin, field organizer for Obama's Campaign for Change; Nathan Held, Houghton High School volunteer for Obama; and Stacy Welling, campaign manager for U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee), who is running for re-election. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu.)

"Congressman Stupak has worked extremely hard for the U.P. and Northern Michigan, and I'm honored to work with him," Welling said.

Lahti also spoke in support of Stupak, noting that the U.S. Congressman faces the most opposition he has had so far in his eight terms (since 1992) representing all of the Upper Peninsula and the northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, one of the largest Congressional districts in the nation.

"He's very well prepared and hard-working," Lahti said. "He works hard for the district. He's a good representative for this area."

Welling encouraged those attending the meeting to put out yard signs for the candidates.

"It's so important to do that," she said.

Mike Levin noted a new batch of signs recently arrived in the Houghton County Democrats' new office at 509 Shelden Ave, Houghton. He said the office is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Lahti also spoke about the recent Michigan legislative session. While he noted less rancor among representatives this year, he added Michigan is still in rough shape economically. Training people for jobs needs to happen right in the local community, he added.

In addition to jobs, nursing homes for the aged and health care are big issues in Michigan, Lahti noted.

"We're waiting to see a new person in the White House so we can get some help with that," he said.

Lahti said he would be spending the next few weeks, while the Michigan legislature is on break, working on his own campaign for re-election.**

Mary Hunt, who co-ordinates volunteers at the Calumet office for the Houghton County Democrats, at 305 Sixth St., mentioned the need to inform the public not only about the Oct. 6 registration deadline but also where they should go to vote. This information is available on the Internet.

You can find out if you're registered and where you should vote by signing in at https://services2.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/.

Information on how to register is also on the Michigan.gov site:
http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633_11619-123989--,00.html#5

Learn more about Senator Barack Obama's Campaign for Change by visiting his Web site.

* See Congressman Bart Stupak's Campaign Web site to learn more about issues facing the U.P. and Northern Michigan.
** See Mike Lahti's Campaign Web site, his official Michigan House Democrats site and his new blog to learn more about his campaign and local issues he supports.

New series: "Comentarios y fotos" by Gustavo

Editor's Note: Keweenaw Now presents a new series of "comentarios y fotos" by Keweenaw Now photographer Gustavo Bourdieu. The comments are published in his original Spanish for the enjoyment of our readers who are studying Spanish or who are speakers or readers of the language. We welcome your comments -- in English or en español.

Clouds near Route 203. Photo taken Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu)

By Gustavo Bourdieu

HANCOCK -- Buenos días, lectores. Así empiezo una mañana, escribiendo en español, para entretenimiento y deleite de los que están aprendiendo el idioma.

Trataré de poner en mis notas algo nuevo cada día para que los lectores tengan oportunidad de practicar e investigar las nuevas palabras. Por intermedio de la editora contestaré las preguntas que tengan ustedes. Gracias por compartir el lenguaje.

Gustavo Bourdieu

Esta es una foto tomada ayer en la mañana en las cercanías de la ruta 203.

Rep. Mike Lahti to meet with Obama supporters Sept. 27

HANCOCK -- Obama supporters are invited to a meeting with Mike Lahti, State Representative of the 110th District, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton. Rep. Lahti will take questions and explain how to join The Michigan Campaign for Change in Houghton. Please respond to MLevin@michiganforchange.com if you can attend, or just show up.

Blood drive at Finlandia Sept. 29 seeks donors

HANCOCK -- A Blood Drive will be held from Noon to 3:45 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29, at Finlandia Hall, Finlandia University.

Anyone wishing to donate blood is welcome to join Finlandia faculty, staff and students to contribute. To obtain more information or to make an appointment contact ismanderfield@fu.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome! Donors will need a picture I.D. to register.

Refreshments will be available. Please join us and give the gift of Life!!

Parade of Nations Sept. 20: "Weaving Cultural Harmony"

Heading from Hancock toward the Portage Lift Bridge, Chinese students dance with their dragon during the 2007 Parade of Nations. Click on photos for larger versions.

Press release from Michigan Tech University. Photos of 2007 Parade of Nations © 2007 Keweenaw Now.

HOUGHTON -- Students and community members representing more than 70 countries will participate in the 19th Annual Parade of Nations -- a festival of music, food and ethnic pride -- on Saturday, Sept. 20.

"Weaving Cultural Harmony" is the theme of the 2008 event. Lineup will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Hancock Middle School. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. and run to the Dee Stadium in Houghton, where the multicultural festival will begin at noon.

The 2007 Parade heads for the bridge. Pictured here are participants and flags representing Ecuador, Guatemala and Finland.

"It's a celebration of differences that brings the community together," said MTU Native American Outreach Coordinator Lori Muhlig, who is co-organizing the event.

Cultural differences are blended in celebration during the traditional parade, where country representatives line up in more-or-less alphabetical order. Pictured here during the 2007 event are flags and marchers from Iran, Ethiopia, Israel and Italy.

This year's program includes the traditional parade, ethnic fare and clothing, plus a Native-American performing group, Fast Horses. This Minnesota-based Lakota family has performed music and dance worldwide since 1998. The group also will present in area schools on Friday, Sept. 19, and after the parade at Dee Stadium.

The famous marching band from Cass Tech High School in Detroit performs on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2007 Parade of Nations. This year Fast Horses, a Minnesota-based Lakota family, will perform Native American music and dance.

Near Dee Stadium on Houghton's waterfront there will be a diverse offering of handcrafts and tasty treats from all over the globe. This year, an activity tent along with free pony rides will be available for children.

One of the pleasures of watching the Parade is the colorful display of traditional dress, like the lovely outfits worn here by participants from Nepal during the 2007 Parade.

The parade will feature community members and students from Michigan Tech and Finlandia universities -- all gathering to represent diverse heritages. The parade will include floats competing for prizes, local high school and middle school marching bands and the Michigan Tech Pep Band.

Japanese students from Finlandia University pause on the bridge for a photo by their teacher during the 2007 Parade.

"Parade of Nations emphasizes cultural uniqueness," said Muhlig. "At the same time, it teaches us what we, as human beings, have in common."

Michigan Tech Nigerian students walk and ride. Their traditional garb represents different regions of Nigeria.

Muhlig said on average, about 5,000 people attend the parade and festival annually.

During the Sept. 17 Hancock City Council meeting, Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Laitila encouraged Council members and the public to attend this year's parade since the opportunity to march from Hancock to Houghton will not be part of the 2009 parade. Anticipated construction in Houghton next year will restrict the 2009 celebration to the MTU campus, they explained.

More photos of the 2007 Parade:

MTU faculty and students from Pakistan represent their country in the 2007 Parade of Nations.

Members of the Indian Students Association perform in traditional dress during the celebration in Dee Stadium following the 2007 Parade.

African students perform a high-energy dance during the 2007 Dee Stadium performances.

Watch for these guys from Argentina this Saturday. They may be leading the parade again ... maybe after Albania and Angola! Hey, isn't that guy in the middle supposed to be taking photos for Keweenaw Now??

For more information about the parade, contact Lori Muhlig at 487-3692 or Madeline Mercado Voelker, Hispanic/Latino outreach coordinator, at 487-2920.

For information about Fast Horses, visit their Web site.

For MTU photos of the 2007 parade visit http://www.doe.mtu.edu/international/international_festival.html.

Updated: MTU students raise funds for Haitian hurricane victims: How you can help!

HOUGHTON -- Haiti, a small and impoverished country of the Caribbean, the poorest of the western hemisphere, has been recently hit by several hurricanes, which have added a huge burden to the daily struggle of the Haitian people.

Homes have been destroyed, crops devastated and animals carried away by the flood waters. Access to the flooded areas remains difficult, and a complete account of the losses and destruction is yet to be made. As of last week, official accounts referred to a total number of 255 dead, 39 missing and 135 injured; 51,359 families are affected; and 7,358 houses have been destroyed. Still, many fear that the final account could be much higher as the dead bodies are uncovered from the receding waters.*

In Gonaives, one of the hardest hit cities, people had to climb up on their rooftops to escape the floodwaters. Many parts of the city are still covered with water and mud. There is no drinking water, electricity or food supply. Three days after the last storm, people were still walking through muddy water with dirty faces and clothes. This is a humanitarian disaster that Haiti will not be able to face alone. We need international assistance from our friends and partners.

At Michigan Tech University, students are doing their part to help. The NOSOTROS student group and the Haitian students at MTU have been raising funds for the flood victims in Haiti. They will be accepting donations from noon to 2 p.m. through Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the Memorial Union Building (MUB) on campus. The money collected will be sent to the Red Cross in Haiti. Online donations can also be made using the Wells Fargo account named: NOSOTROS Haitian Flood Victims Fund. The account number is: 726 728 7881. Please email the managers of this account, Jessie Vital, jvital@mtu.edu, or Ezequiel Medici, efmedici@mtu.edu, for details on how to deposit a donation through Wells Fargo.

If you can, please stop by the MUB table to gather more information, get a more complete picture of the devastation and see how you can volunteer or get involved.**

* See the Sept. 8 article "In rain-soaked Haiti, no identifying the dead" on msnbc.com.
** Click here for photos of the situation in Haiti.

Many other charity organizations are accepting donations, including the following:

Hope for Haiti:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=9170
Haitian Health Foundation:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10956
Hands Together:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5098

All three of these organizations get four of four stars from Charity Navigator, and Independent Charity Evaluator.

Editor's Note: This article courtesy Jessie Vital and Fredline Ilorme of Haiti, MTU graduate students in forestry, and Ezequiel Medici, MTU graduate student from Argentina, public relations officer and former president of NOSOTROS. For more information, please contact: javital@mtu.edu, filorme@mtu.edu or efmedici@mtu.edu.

Stamp Sand Art Experience at Calumet Dam Sept. 13

CALUMET -- The Stamp Sand Art Experience -- with music and art -- is happening from noon to 6 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 13, at Calumet Dam.

A lonely sign marks the entrance to the Calumet Township park at Calumet Dam. Signs will be posted around town directing visitors to the Stamp Sand Art Experience from the highway. (Photo courtesy Dan Schneider).

Different from many art fairs and festivals where artists set up booths to sell their work, the Stamp Sand Art Experience is a venue for artists to gather and make art in the same time and place.

North and a little east of Calumet, at the dead end of Waterworks Street (not to be confused with Calumet Waterworks Road or Tamarack Waterworks Road, which are both west of Calumet), the Art Experience is set in the middle of a mostly-open field with sporadic stands of birch and pine trees. This used to be an expanse of stamp sand and, after that, an automotive salvage yard, so there's some history under the ground.

Flyers around town promoting the Stamp Sand Art Experience, which is in its second year, aptly describe Calumet Dam as a "bizarrely beautiful landscape." Calumet Dam, which some people call Calumet Lake, is a little out of most people's daily rounds; but signs will guide visitors in from U.S. Highway 41 and M-203 once they reach Calumet.

Melithequin's Bling plays at the 2007 Stamp Sand Art Experience. The band is part of the musical lineup for this year's festival, as well. (Photo courtesy Dan Schneider).

Music is part of the festival, with Melithequin's Bling, Pasi Lautala and Randy Wakeham and with Clay Hilman performing along with Rogar and the Horribles. The bands' backdrop is a derelict hot air balloon envelope suspended from the tops of birch trees. The hot air balloon billows in the wind considerably.

Carmelita's will be on site selling food. The Stamp Sand Art Experience is free and open to anyone. Artists are especially encouraged to bring their paints, clay, fiber, wood, etc., and spend the afternoon making art.

Democrats to open campaign office in Houghton Sept. 13

HOUGHTON -- Members of the Houghton County Democratic Party (HCDP) will open a campaign office at noon on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The Houghton office, at 509 Shelden Ave., will complement the party’s Calumet office, already open at 305 Sixth St.

During the Calumet Heritage Celebration Aug. 16, 2008, Houghton County Democrats Mary Hunt, center, and Carol Kurz chat with Keweenaw County Commissioner Frank Stubenrauch, Democrat, who is running for re-election in November. Hunt is the coordinator for the Calumet office of the Houghton County Democrats. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

"With two months left before the election, we are excited to get our Houghton office open," said Brian Hoduski, HCDP co-chair. "Now, in partnership with the Obama Campaign for Change, the HCDP has an office dedicated to serving central Houghton County and to helping to elect our local, state and national tickets."

The Houghton office will be staffed by Obama Campaign for Change staffer Mike Levin and by HCDP volunteers. Party Secretary Barb Turuc-Mills will coordinate the Houghton office. Mary Hunt is the Calumet office coordinator.

Beverly Berg and Ron Ranta, both of Atlantic Mine, volunteer at the Democrats' information booth during the Houghton County Fair Aug. 23, 2008. At right is Houghton County Commissioner Anton Pintar, who is running for re-election in November. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

With U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, the campaign office will also provide re-election support for U.S. Senator Carl Levin and U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak, for State Representative Mike Lahti, for Houghton County Drain Commissioner John Pekkala, Clerk Mary Schoos and County Commissioners Scot Ala, Anton Pintar and Paul Luoma.

Visit the HCDP Web site at www.houghtoncountydems.org.

For more information contact Co-Chair Brian Hoduski at 906-482-7913.

Exhibit by Cynthia Coté at Reflection Gallery through Sept. 30

HANCOCK -- "Dwelling," an exhibit of work by artist Cynthia Coté, is featured at Finlandia University ’s Reflection Gallery through Sept. 30, 2008. An opening reception for the artist will take place rom 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, at the gallery. The reception is open to the public. Coté will speak about her work at 1 p.m.

The exhibit includes works created by Coté over the past 10 years: Dom, Lost Relatives, Where the Relatives Live, Card Catalogs, Sails (kinetic books), and Constructions. Coté says the goal of the exhibit is to show a progression: where the concept of "dwelling," in both its meanings (noun and verb), has taken her as an artist.

"I often ponder just when it was that I became an artist," Coté writes in her artist’s statement. "I’ve always been a maker. I think some of the early constructions that I made as a kid out of cardboard, glue, and fabric were really good. I have always been inspired to make things that honor a sense of place."

Coté adds that the work she creates today gives her familiar feelings and pleasure in much the same way that it did when she was a child.

"I am still using the same kinds of materials: cardboard, paper, glue, fabric, string, and found objects," she explains. "The only difference is now I get to hang it on the wall and talk about it. Bear with me as I ruminate over where life as an artist/maker has taken me."

Coté has been a studio artist since 1988. She is the executive director of the Copper Country Community Arts Center, Hancock, and has instructed art classes widely in the Upper Peninsula. Her teaching experience includes Finlandia University, the Michigan Tech University Summer Youth Program and time as a visiting artist at Jeffers High School and South Range Elementary. She has been active in community projects such as the Main Street Calumet Design Committee and the Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival.

The director of the Reflection Gallery this semester is Finlandia illustration senior Sarah Anderson (Houghton); the assistant director is illustration sophomore Rachel Reideinga (Wetmore). The gallery is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is located on the 2nd level of Finlandia’s Portage Campus, 200 Michigan St., Hancock.

For additional information, please contact Yueh-mei Cheng, associate professor of studio arts, at 906-487-7375 or yueh-mei.cheng@finlandia.edu.

Editor's Note: This text, the photo of Cynthia Coté and the photo of one of her works, "Card Catalog Detail in Progress," are courtesy of Finlandia University.

Updated: Walkers complete trek from Eagle Rock to Mackinac Bridge

MARQUETTE -- On Labor Day, Margaret Comfort of Bourbonnais, Illinois, completed her two-week, 175-mile walking journey from Kennecott’s proposed nickel mine site on Eagle Rock near Big Bay to St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge.

The trek was highlighted by rallies and visits to several UP communities in order to bring awareness to the issue of metallic sulfide and uranium exploration and mining. Comfort, along with a vehicle support team and several volunteer walkers, was generously supported by concerned citizens, businesses and tourists along the way. Donations of food, firewood and funds overwhelmed the walkers.

"The love and concern from people opening their hearts and helping out was amazing," Comfort said. "Folks honking and waving energized us to keep moving towards our goal -- the Mackinac Bridge Walk. If I had more time, I would walk all the way to the Capitol in Lansing, camp out on the front lawn and ask our legislators some tough questions: What is the ultimate goal of this destructive new mining process? Why is the state even considering allowing this to happen? Who is to benefit from this risky resource extraction?"

Banners reading "Protecting our Water, Step by Step, from Eagle Rock to the Mackinac Bridge" were prominent on support vehicles and T-shirts worn by the walkers.

"We were always within walking distance of a wetland, stream, inland lake or a Great Lake," Comfort noted. "That is why we were out there…to help protect our most precious gift of water and the Great Lakes."

Kristi Mills, director of Save the Wild UP, one of the sponsors of the Walk, participated in the Walk herself and attested to Comfort's dedication.

"Margaret Comfort is a wonderful lady with a huge heart, and she gave it all to this walk," Mills said. "At the Bridge, crowds of people kept our group from getting near the Governor even during the wee hours of the morning, but the walk/experience/contacts/outreach that we all enjoyed was well worth the trip. Margaret's emotional commitment to this movement brought out yet another love story of the UP. There are so many of them out there."

Mills added the group brainstormed around a campfire one night about the idea of forming a UP Fan Club that people from all over the world could join.

"There would be different levels of membership with very little commitment involved except loving the UP," Mills noted. "We'll see."

Joining Save the Wild UP as sponsors of the walk were the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Keepers of the Water and Northwoods Wilderness Recovery. The groups provided information and materials to communities along the way. For more information on the Walk and the sulfide mining issue, visit www.savethewildup.org.

Keweenaw Kaleidoscope bead project, Great Northern Beadwork exhibit to open Sept. 5 at Community Arts Center

HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Kaleidoscope, a group beadwork project including 13 bead artists with connections to the area, is on display at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. A public reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Arts Center to recognize the artists and sponsors.

Keweenaw Kaleidoscope -- "Color Tour" by Chris vanDomelen of Hancock. (Photo courtesy Community Arts Center.)

Each artist created and donated a 3.5 X 3.5-inch beadwork piece to be sold at auction to benefit the Community Arts Center. Peg McNinch of Silver Rae Studio and Pamlynn Hansen managed the project, and Christine van Domelen of Framed By Kathy framed each piece. The 2006 project received national attention in an article written by Diane Fitzgerald for Beadwork magazine (Feb./Mar. 2008). Silent bids will be accepted through Sept. 26.

Great Northern Beadwork, a national competition held biennially since 2000, will open the same night in the Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery. The closing reception and awards ceremony with judge Diane Fitzgerald will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, there will be a Wine and Cheese Gala event in the Community Arts Center’s ballroom where the Keweenaw Kaleidoscope pieces will be sold at live auction. Admission will be $10. Those not able to attend can assign a proxy bidder. Call Cynthia at 906-482-2333 to arrange.

The beadwork 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.

During the 2006 Northern Bead Symposium at the Community Arts Center, Phyllis Fredendall (center, foreground) faculty member of Finlandia University's International School of Art and Design, joins other participants learning from artists demonstrating beadwork techniques. (Photo courtesy Community Arts Center.)

The Fifth Biennial Northern Bead Symposium will be held from Sept. 26-28. The Symposium includes workshops, bead shopping, presentations and demos of various bead techniques. Call 906-482-2333 for more information.

Michigan 4-H China Art Exchange in Youth Gallery

During September the Youth Gallery of the Community Arts Center is featuring artwork from the Michigan 4-H China Art Exchange. Houghton County, one of 22 Michigan counties that participated, had ten youth selected to send their picture, story or artwork to China. The reception for this 4-H China Art Exchange Exhibit will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, preceded by awards and certificates for the young artists at 5:45 p.m.

Café Accordion, Pasi Cats to play for Lavatannsit Dance, BBQ Aug. 31 in Covington

HOUGHTON -- The Café Accordion Orchestra -- a dance band for people who still love to waltz, rumba, tango, Cha Cha, swing and more -- will make their first U.P. appearance on Sunday, Aug. 31, during the Lavatannsit Dance and BBQ to be held from noon to 7 p.m. at the Covington outdoor dance Pavilion. They will perform for dancing along with the local band, Pasi Cats.

Poster for Café Accordion provided by the Pasi Cats. Click on poster for larger version.

The Café Accordion Orchestra is "an old school combo," according to the Pasi Cats' accordionist Pasi Lautala.

"Led by the quietly dazzling Dan Newton on accordion, this quintet knows the value of understatement, warmth, subtlety and easy genuine swing," Lautala says. "Café Accordion cats make happy stopovers in Paris, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Tin Pan Alley and the land of Louis Jordan. While they inject their music with good humor and expressive abandon, their high level of musicianship and passion for performance makes them an entertaining concert act as well as a great dance band. They'll make your toes tap, your eyes twinkle and your heart long for a shipboard romance..."

Here is the schedule for the Lavatannsit event, sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Ethnic Music Aliance:

12 noon - 1 p.m. Start the fun with a tango lesson by Ralph Tuttila
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Local band Pasi Cats
3 p.m. -5 p.m. Café Accordion
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Potluck BBQ
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Café Accordion again!

The Covington Pavilion is located on M28 between Watton and Covington. Admission is $10 with an additional charge for the BBQ. For info contact Randy Seppala at 906-355-2459.

Editor's Note: Read more about the Pasi Cats on their Web site.

Festival Joie de Vivre to honor French Canadian heritage in Chassell Aug. 29-31

CHASSELL -- The Festival Joie de Vivre, celebrating French Canadian heritage, is underway in Chassell. If you missed tonight's events, sponsored by Keweenaw National Historical Park, be sure to catch the exhibits, documentaries and great music this weekend, Friday through Sunday, Aug. 29-31, in Chassell.

Beginning Friday, Aug. 29, exhibits showcasing the French-Canadian cultural presence in the Keweenaw will be on display in the Chassell Heritage Center. French Canadians were the first European-descent ethnic group to settle in the Chassell area. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Five documentaries on various aspects French-Canadian and Franco-American culture will be shown at the Chassell Heritage Center during the festival.

Réveil: Waking Up French, by Ben Levine, is an 81-minute documentary that will be shown at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, and at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. Réveil explores the struggle for cultural survival in the very heart of American monoculture and reveals the importance of history and heritage understanding. It demonstrates how languages can be re-acquired for personal and community renewal.

Franco-Americans: We Remember, an hour-long film by Barbara Coles and Kevin Tierney (New Hampshire Public Television), will be shown at noon on Friday and at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Hosted by Tom Bergeron, this documentary explores the culture of the French Canadians who settled in New England.

Medicine Fiddle, by filmmaker Michael Luokinen of Northern Michigan University, will be shown at 1:30 p.m. Friday and at noon on Saturday. This award-winning, 81-minute film explores the fiddle traditions of Native and Métis families in the northern U.S. and Canada, featuring fiddle players from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Ontario and Manitoba. It examines the influence of European music and dance on Native Americans beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries.

J'ai Été au Bal: I Went to the Dance, by Les Blank, Chris Strachwitz and Maureen Gosling will be shown at 10:30 a.m. on Friday and at 3 p.m. on Saturday. This 84-minute documentary on the Cajun and Zydeco music of Louisiana was inspired by Ann Savoy's book, Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People.

On Friday afternoon, August 29, take a Guided Tour on a Trolley Bus and visit the places in Chassell and the surrounding countryside where the French Canadians settled. One hour tours will run from the Chassell Heritage Center, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the point of departure.

Friday night De Temps Antan, musicians from Québec, will be honored at a reception at 8 p.m. at the VFW, followed by an hour of music by this lively group, current or former members of the popular Québecois group La Bottine Souriante -- André Brunet on fiddle, Éric Beaudry on guitar and Pierre-Luc Dupuis on harmonica.

Workshops on French Canadian music, genealogy and dance will be held on Saturday. The music group De Temps Antan will teach selections from the repertoire of Québecois music on their respective instruments. Music will be taught by ear, so participants are encouraged to bring battery-operated recorders. In the Fiddle workshop, learn selections from the repertoire of Québecois fiddle tunes. Techniques include bowing ornamentation to bring flexibility and fluidity in tunes. The Guitar workshop includes techniques on accompanying French-Canadian dance music; Guitar and Fiddle workshops include instruction in foot percussion.

On Saturday afternoon, Chassell's Centennial Park will be the scene of "Adventure Day" with French Canadian sports, food and games -- from lumberjack demonstrations to rowing, sled dog training and "Traditions Alive" children's games.

Saturday night De Temps Antan will play Québecois music at the Festival Joie de Vivre Soirée, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Centennial Park Pavilion. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for students. This event of music, dancing and food will be the Festival's primary fundraising activity for the Chassell Heritage Center's Handicapped Access Project.

On Sunday Morning the public is welcome to gather at the Grotto at 8:45 am in downtown Chassell and join a procession to 9 a.m. Mass at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, originally a French parish. Music will include traditional hymns and chant in Latin and French and well-known favorites in English.

For more details visit the Einerlei Web site and the online brochure.

Local family to present "Crossing the Andes" slide show on biking in Ecuador

HOUGHTON – A Stanton Township family will present their "Crossing the Andes" slide show and talk at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton.

Wendy Sharp will discuss her family’s recent 18-day bike tour trip through Ecuador. The family of five traveled on one single bicycle and two tandems over rugged mountain terrain as high as 14,000 feet above sea level. They also climbed to the summit of a volcano, rafted a wild jungle river and visited rural indigenous markets. The entire Sharp family will be on hand to describe their adventures and impressions of Ecuadoran culture.

The public is invited to the free presentation.

Updated: Author Greg Mortenson to speak about building schools in Pakistan, Afghanistan Aug. 27

HOUGHTON -- Greg Mortenson, hero and co-author with David Oliver Relin of the New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time, will give three presentations at Michigan Tech University on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Mortenson, an American mountain climber, turned his failure to climb the second highest peak in the world, K2, in the Karkoram mountains of Pakistan, into a humanitarian success. Lost in the mountains, he stumbled into a remote village where impoverished people nursed him back to health. Their only request in return was that he build them a school. Through incredible obstacles, harrowing adventures and cultural challenges, he has been building schools -- especially for girls -- ever since.

Greg Mortenson (standing, far right) is pictured here with a village leader and students in a girls' school he built. Click on photo for larger version. (Image courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute)

Students from both MTU and Finlandia University have been reading and discussing this award-winning book as part of MTU's summer Reading as Inquiry program for first-year students.

Ted Alder, an MTU student orientation leader, will be assisting in one of the small-group student discussions on the book to be held Wednesday morning before Mortenson's presentation.

"I definitely love the concepts that (Mortenson) brings up," Alder said. "I think what he's doing is great. Now, since the whole presidential race is based on this idea of change, he sets good examples for making change (such as) educating girls in countries where it's forbidden or not encouraged."

Building a school near the top of the world. Click on photo for larger version. (Image courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute)

Mortenson will first speak to Finlandia students in a public session open to all from 11 a.m. to Noon in Dow 641 on the MTU campus. Buses will bring Finlandia students to Michigan Tech for the talk.

From 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mortenson will hold a Question/Answer session for MTU faculty, graduate students and staff in Dow 641.

Finally, he will give a public presentation to MTU students and interested persons from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. It will be followed by a Book Signing from 8 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby.

Update: All three of Mortenson's presentations are free and open to the public. His evening talk will also be broadcast on TV monitors in the Horner Lobby of the Rozsa Center, should there be an overflow crowd and standing room only.

Visit Greg Mortenson's Web site to read about his work.

Editor's Notes: Students at MTU last week -- in a few hours -- raised nearly $3000 for Mortenson's schools to meet a matching challenge that doubled their contribution. Read the article on the MTU Web site.

Image of book cover is also courtesy Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute.

Stupak comments on Obama's choice of Biden as running mate

MENOMINEE -- U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) released the following statement regarding Senator Barack Obama's announcement that Senator Joe Biden will be the Democratic vice presidential candidate:

"Senator Obama has made a great choice in selecting Senator Biden as his running mate. Joe Biden's long and distinguished career in the U.S. Senate and vast expertise on foreign policy and many other issues will be a valuable asset to an Obama administration.

"I have worked closely with Senator Biden on a number of law enforcement and labor issues over the years. Through this work and his spirited campaign during the presidential primaries, it is clear Joe Biden shares Barack Obama's commitment to the change our country needs.

"I look forward to hearing from Senator Biden next week at the Democratic Convention and to formally nominating him as a candidate for Vice President of the United States."

Stupak to serve as Michigan super-delegate at Convention

Stupak will travel to Denver on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to attend the Democratic National Convention. By virtue of being a member of Congress, Stupak serves as a Michigan super-delegate to the convention. He will be in Denver Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the night Barack Obama will formally accept the Democratic nomination for President of the United States before a crowd of more than 70,000 and a national television audience.

Now campaigning for re-election to a ninth term representing Michigan’s 1st Congressional District in U.S. House of Representatives, Stupak said he is as committed as ever to standing up for northern Michigan and working for the change necessary to move the country forward.

"My campaign staff and volunteers have been working hard for months to organize an aggressive grassroots campaign," Stupak said. "I will work hard for each and every vote here in the 1st Congressional District. I consider it an honor to serve Northern Michigan in Washington and will continue to work hard for you with leadership you can trust!"

Stupak will travel back to Michigan on Friday, Aug. 29, to participate in Labor Day parades over the weekend and attend the Dickinson County Fair.

For more information on Congressman Stupak, visit his Web site or his new Campaign site.