Updated: Help clean up Michigan beaches Sept. 18-Oct. 2

Seven-Mile Point, a Lake Superior beach purchased for public access by the North Woods Conservancy. To celebrate the Keweenaw portion of the Michigan Coastal Cleanup, a Social / Coastal Clean Up BBQ will be held here from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. Sandy Britton is the Beach Captain for the Seven-Mile Point Cleanup.* (Keweenaw Now file photo)

CALUMET -- This year the Michigan Coastal Cleanup, part of an international effort to pick up trash on beaches around the world, need not conflict with the Sept. 18 Parade of Nations in Houghton-Hancock. While the official Cleanup date this year is from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 25, Beach Captains can choose for their particular beach site any date and time within a week before or a week after Sept. 25, i.e., Sept. 18-Oct. 2, 2010.**

The North Woods Conservancy (NWC) is the coordinator for Houghton and Keweenaw Counties, and parts of Baraga and Ontonagon Counties. Contact Jane or John Griffith at 906-337-0782, or visit the Coastal Clean Up page on the NWC Web site.

You may volunteer to clean up ANY BEACH or waterway around the Keweenaw Peninsula including Lake Superior beaches and any inland lake or stream.

Visit the NWC website for a list and aerial photo of "claimed" and as-yet unclaimed beaches (or choose your own). If there is no Beach Captain listed for a site, NWC needs you! Join a group at an already-adopted beach, or become the Beach Captain for a beach that is special to you.

Beach at Bete Grise Preserve. The Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District invites volunteers to help them clean up the Bete Grise beach at the Preserve (about 5 miles from Lac La Belle, just off the Gay-Lac La Belle Road) and the public beach at Bete Grise North. Meet at the Bete Grise Preserve parking lot or at the Bete Grise North public beach at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. Sue Haralson is the Beach Captain. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The idea is simple: pick up trash at local beaches and record the amounts and types of each trash item so garbage sources can be identified and hopefully terminated -- this is how the bottle bill was passed. It’s a good reason to stretch your legs, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and see some gorgeous coastal scenery.

You can sign up by contacting the NWC or by stopping at the Ahmeek Streetcar Station (4 miles north of Calumet on US 41) between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays and between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. weekends). A master map, bags, gloves, aerial site maps, and data forms are available at the Streetcar Station.

No beach is too large or too small. You can choose one of the listed beaches, or do your own beach. Perhaps you and your neighbors would like to claim and clean a portion of private beach (maybe a whole subdivision or neighborhood)? Just let NWC know so they can add you to the list.

A Social / Coastal Clean Up BBQ (byo everything) will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Seven Mile Point.

"Stop by and share your trash talk," says John Griffith. "Working together, we can clean every inch of beach in the Keweenaw!"

Conglomerate Falls update:

NWC MUST RAISE THE $30,000 DOWN PAYMENT BY OCT. 1, 2010, for the purchase of Conglomerate Falls, a spectacular fishing and birding spot located on forty acres of big trees and a quarter mile of the Gratiot River. The North Woods Conservancy purchased the property, which includes a cabin for visitors, in August 2009 for public access ownership.

Please consider donating what you can to help raise this down payment by Oct. 1. You may win one of the following prizes:

• $100 donors are entered into a drawing for one week at the cabin (10 prizes)
• $500 donors get one week at the cabin (includes deer hunting rights)
• $1,000 donors get a week at the cabin and their name on a plaque at the cabin
  

"We just passed the $17K mark!" report the Griffiths on Sept. 16. "Thanks to all who have contributed and thanks for your help spreading the word."

Update: Beach Cleanup in Big Bay Sept. 25

MARQUETTE -- The Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve (YDWP) will host a beach cleanup in Big Bay at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the public beach in Big Bay. YDWP participates in the International Beach Cleanup every September.

To get to the beach from Marquette, drive up County Road 550 until you reach Big Bay. Continue through Big Bay, past the churches and around the curve. Take a right toward Bay Cliff Health Camp. Continue down the hill and veer left. Go straight until you see beautiful Lake Superior. You are there!

For more information visit the YDWP Web site or call 906-345-9223.

Editor's Notes: See our Jan. 27, 2010, article, "North Woods Conservancy purchases Conglomerate Falls property," with photos by Eric Munch. Click here for directions to Conglomerate Falls.

*See Sandy Britton's July 18 "Seven Mile Smiles."
Update: ** Saturday, Sept. 25, is also National Public Lands Day. If you're not near a beach, why not help clean up a city park? Click here for information.

McDowell, Stupak, blast Benishek's statement on drugs

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- As law enforcement officials continue to fight the influx of illegal drugs into northern Michigan, Dan Benishek said he does not believe federal authorities should play a role in helping to keep drugs off the streets. At a Sept. 5 Tea Party event in Mackinaw City, Benishek said the federal government should not be involved in the fight against drugs.*

"Dan Benishek’s position on drugs is not only dangerous but insulting to the men and women in law enforcement who work everyday to keep drugs away from our kids and off of our streets," said State Representative Gary McDowell, a candidate for Congress in Michigan’s First Congressional District. "As we continue to see illegal drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine in our communities, our police forces and sheriffs’ departments need more, not less, federal resources to help combat this problem."

Multi-jurisdictional task forces including UPSET (the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team), SANE (Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement), HUNT (Huron Undercover Narcotics Team), TNT (Traverse Narcotics Team), BAYANET (Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team) and STING (Strike Team Investigative Narcotics Group) fight drug-related crime in the First Congressional District using a combination of federal, state and local funds.

The Iron Mountain Daily News reported recently that the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), a drug task force partially funded with federal funds, assisted federal law enforcement officials with the U.S. Forest Service in busting and dismantling a meth lab in Delta County.

"As a former Escanaba police officer and Michigan State Police trooper, I know firsthand the impact drugs have on our communities and the need for federal resources to help fight this epidemic," U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak said. "The first bill I sponsored and passed in Congress was to crack down on bulk purchases of ephedrine, which is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine (meth) and methcathinone (cat).

"Cat was a huge problem in northern Michigan in the early 1990s because of the toxic waste associated with manufacturing the drug as well as the effects of individuals abusing the drug," Stupak continued. "Without my legislation cat labs would have continued to proliferate and our youth would have access to yet one more illegal drug. I am appalled that any candidate for Congress, much less a physician, would support such a radical position that is clearly not in the best interest of northern Michigan. We need someone like Gary McDowell in Congress to continue the fight to keep drugs off our streets not someone who will make it even easier for drugs to destroy lives, families and communities."

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie is quickly becoming a key transit point for drugs heading to Michigan and the rest of the United States.

* Click here to view the video of Benishek’s comments at the Tea Party event.

D80 Conference presenters' deadline is Sept. 17

HOUGHTON -- The Michigan Tech campus will host the annual D80 Conference, "Act Local, Act Global," from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9, in Fisher Hall.

The D80 Conference addresses service and research done by students from Michigan Tech and elsewhere in addressing the needs of the poorest 80 percent of humanity. The conference, which is open to anybody, highlights efforts of students working domestically and abroad.

Presenters are welcome; they must submit information by tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 17. For a group presentation, only one person needs to submit information. To attend the free conference, register through Thursday, Sept. 30.

To submit presentation requests and register, visit the D80 Center Web site.

Updated: Parade of Nations to feature 80 nations, cultural groups, Cass Tech Marching Band Sept. 18

The Cass Tech Marching Band performs on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2007 Parade of Nations. The popular Detroit band returns this year for the 21st annual Parade of Nations. Click on photos for larger versions. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

HOUGHTON -- This Saturday, Sept. 18, Michigan Technological University will hold its annual Parade of Nations. The event, celebrating its 21st year, features representation from more than 80 nations and cultural organizations by students, staff and faculty from both Michigan Tech and Finlandia universities, joined by community participants.

Finnish students from Finlandia and Michigan Tech universities march across the bridge from Hancock to Houghton during the 2009 Parade of Nations. (2009 photos and video clips by Keweenaw Now)

This year, the parade’s theme is "Many Nations -- One Heart." Parade participants will will march through the streets of downtown Houghton and Hancock while displaying the flag of their nation and wearing traditional dress.

African students from Michigan Tech represent several countries in the 2009 Parade of Nations.

The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at Hancock Middle School and will conclude at Dee Stadium in Houghton. Following the parade, the public can enjoy a variety of ethnic foods, music and crafts at the Multicultural Food and Music Festival, also at Dee Stadium.

A colorful banner announces "Puerto Rico, the enchanted island." (2009 photo)

The Cass Tech Marching Band will march in the parade, perform at the Multicultural Food and Music Festival, and entertain during half-time at Saturday’s Michigan Tech football game against Wayne State University, which begins at 1 p.m. at Sherman Field.

Japanese students and friends wear colorful traditional dress in the 2009 Parade. They are joined by Mariana Tonchev of Bulgaria (third from left).

Chinese students from Michigan Tech and Finlandia march together during the 2009 Parade.

Free shuttle services will be provided by the City of Houghton. Shuttles will leave the Michigan Tech's Memorial Union Building from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Videos and more photos from the 2009 Parade of Nations:

Boliviamanta, a Bolivian-American dance group, performs on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2009 Parade of Nations. The theme last year was "Dancing with Diversity."

Turkish families and students march in the 2009 Parade.

Susan LaFernier of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) accompanies the Native American float in the 2009 Parade.

Michigan Rep. Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) and Michigan Tech University Dean of Students Gloria Melton join the 2009 Parade of Nations in Hancock.

Guatemala is well represented in the 2009 Parade of Nations by members of CCGAP (Copper Country Guatemala Accompaniment Project).

Members of the Argentine "delegation" march in the 2009 Parade.

Members of Michigan Tech's Husky Tae Kwon Do group do a demonstration on the bridge during the 2009 Parade of nations.

Finnish students sell their traditional baked goods and dance during the 2009 Parade of Nations Multicultural Food and Music Festival in Dee Stadium.

Lucas and Marisa Lago serve Argentine empanadas and stew to a customer during the 2009 Parade of Nations Multicultural Food and Music Festival.

Keweenaw Now's Gustavo Bourdieu joins his compatriots Marisa and Lucas for a photo after all their homemade traditional specialties have been sold.

A Chinese dancer performs in Dee Stadium during the 2009 Parade of Nations Multicultural Food and Music Festival.

McDowell urges regulators to protect Great Lakes from Enbridge pipeline repairs under Mackinac Straits

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- As a congressional hearing in Washington today highlights the failures of Enbridge Energy Partners that led to a 1 million gallon oil spill this summer along the Kalamazoo River, State Representative Gary McDowell, a candidate for Congress in Michigan’s First District, called on federal and state regulators to take precautions to ensure northern Michigan and the Great Lakes are not jeopardized as Enbridge repairs its pipeline that runs along the bottom of the Great Lakes through the Mackinac Straits. Scheduled repairs to the pipeline running along the lake bottom could begin as early as Friday.

"Enbridge has a history of negligence not just in Michigan but across its pipeline system in the Great Lakes region, making it clear that state and federal regulators need to apply additional scrutiny as the company prepares to perform work on its pipeline through the Mackinac Straits," McDowell said.

"An oil spill from a pipeline rupture through the Mackinac Straits could be devastating for the health of the Great Lakes and the thousands of jobs that rely on them," McDowell continued. "Regulators must take every possible precaution to prevent this from happening, including requiring Enbridge to stop oil flow through the section of pipeline running through the Straits while repairs are being performed. If Enbridge officials won’t take this common-sense precaution to protect our Great Lakes on their own, then federal and state regulators must make them do so."

Enbridge plans to add support structures to its underwater pipeline running through the Straits. Work is scheduled to begin Friday and last 10 to 30 days. The pipeline is more than 50 years old and runs along the lake bottom through the Mackinac Straits, which reaches a depth of almost 300 feet.

Music, CD releases by Bernie Larsen, Pasi Cats Sept. 17

HANCOCK -- The long-waited moment of the reopening of the old St. Mary's Hall at Atlantic Mine is finally here...

Poster announcing opening of Brownstone Hall (old St. Mary's) in Atlantic Mine with music by Bernie Larsen and the PasiCats. (Poster courtesy Pasi Lautala)

This Friday, Sept. 17, Bernie Larsen and PasiCats have the honor to blast out the first tunes in the newly renovated Brownstone Hall at Atlantic Mine (used to be St. Mary's) between Houghton and South Range.

Doors will open at 7 p.m.
7:30 p.m. -- Bernie Larsen will release his new solo CD Out of Reach and
9 p.m. -- PasiCats will release their new Live CD Where's Valki? -- and they'll play as long as people dance.

Dress up (old or new) and return or make your first visit to the gorgeous Brownstone Hall.

"We'll guarantee that it'll be an experience!!!" Pasi says.

The hall is located at 46925 Huron Street in Atlantic Mine. You can get there from Houghton by taking M-26 south to Atlantic Mine. Turn right on Erickson Drive. Go past the Post Office and turn right on Huron. The hall is across from Top Dog Kennels.

If you can't make it, you can get both CDs also from Good Times Music in Houghton and the PasiCats CD from the Finnsight web site.

Khana Khazana to serve Pakistani meal to aid flood victims Sept. 17

HOUGHTON -- Khana Khazana is back on the Michigan Technological University campus this fall. The weekly series of international lunches, a collaborative effort of a group of international students and Michigan Tech Dining Services, will kick off with a Pakistani meal this Friday, Sept. 17, with half the proceeds going to benefit flood victims in Pakistan.

The menu -- cooked by Pakistani students Saad Sikander, Amna Zahid and Iltesham Syed -- will include chicken biryani, a spicy chicken dish served with rice; vegetable samosa, a pocket of vegetables in deep-fried dough; sheer khurma, a Pakistani dessert; and your choice of fountain drink.

A full meal is $6, with half donated to Pakistani flood relief. Food will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Last year, Khana Khazana did two benefit lunches for Haitian earthquake victims.*

Khana Khazana means "food treasure" in Hindi. Cooked by international students and served in the Memorial Union Food Court, Khana Khazana will feature the cuisine of a different country each week. It is a way to share the international flavor of Michigan Tech with the campus and community. The weekly lunches are open to the public.

*Editor's Note: See our Apr. 24, 2010 article on the last Khana Khazana Haitian benefit lunch.

Arts Center to hold goods, services auction Sept. 17

HANCOCK -- Art, outdoor adventures, tours, a photo shoot, gift baskets, dinners, desserts, drawing lessons and dance lessons are among the many special items that will be up for live and silent auction as a fundraiser for the Copper Country Community Arts Center happening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17.

The auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Arts Center ballroom with auctioneer Ray Sharp delivering the goods and fun for the evening. Music will be provided by Steven Loukus and John Snyder of the On the Spot Blues Band. Gourmet hors d'oeuvres will be served, and admission to the event is a suggested donation.*

Along with art and jewelry, some of the exciting items up for bid include: Create Your Own Garden of Eatin’ with Barb Hardy, PasiCats Play for Your Party, Natural History Field Trip with Dana Richter, Sailing Excursion with Debbie Karstu, Weekend at KLT Lightfoot Bay Cabin, Sushi Instruction with Christa Walck, Mary Kay Make Over with Rebecca Anderson, Bees Knees Honey Gift Basket from Algomah Acres Honey Farm, Dance Lessons with Phyllis Fredendall and Hannu Leppanen, Karelian Piirakka Baking Lessons, An Evening of Sweets and Songs with Jane and Tom Hiltunen, A Day on Silver Island with Bill and Nanno Rose, Vegetarian Dinner for Four by Valorie Troesch, Juggling Lessons with Ansley Knoch, Glam Photo Shoot with Adam Johnson of Brockit Inc. and Pamela Kotila of SYR+ISM, Keweenaw Adventure Company gift certificate, Bike Shop tune up, Kangas Café and Catering gift certificate, De La Terre gift certificate as well as a Cross Country Sports ski wax and tune-up.

Stop by the Arts Center to pick up an auction booklet or flyer for a full listing of all the wonderful art, goods, and services up for auction!

The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Call 482-2333 for more information or visit www.coppercountryarts.com.

* Suggested donation: $5.

Updated: Hancock's Tori offers fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, more ...

At Hancock's Tori Market, a large display of baked goods, jams and jellies can be seen each week at the table of Martha Sohlden of Chassell, Tori market master. In the background are Sandy Soring of Copper City, Tori co-manager, who makes baskets, and Gustavo Bourdieu of Hancock, who sells fresh vegetables and honey. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

By Yunhua Li*

HANCOCK -- The Tori Market on Quincy Street in downtown Hancock sells locally grown vegetables, plants, and flowers; locally made jams, jellies, and baked goods; locally crafted jewelry, towels, and baskets. It is held every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from June through October -- rain or shine.

Sandy Soring of Copper City, Tori co-manager, displays her hand-made baskets at the Tori. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

"The weather does affect the market sometimes (heavy rain, etc.) but there is a tent up next to the Finnish Heritage Center and people are showing up even on the less sunny days," Tori Market Co-Manager Jeanne Medlyn said.

Tori means market in Finnish. The Finnish people in the local area want to maintain the culture of having a big outdoor market. The Tori market was formerly located at Montezuma Park, but now is on Quincy Street, in front of the old Hancock Middle School.

"Parking is more convenient," Carol Williams, one of the merchants, said. "It is better here than the park."

The Tori moved to a new place because Finlandia University has a Finnish background and wanted the market to move close to them. The City of Hancock wanted them there because the City is going to tear up the road near the Montezuma Park area.

"I get to know a lot of people in the community and it is fun," said Williams with a smile. "It doesn’t cost that much, and it is inexpensive to do."

Williams earns her living by making jewelry. She has been at the Tori Market for four years. She likes to make necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with beads. Their prices vary. The lowest-priced earrings are $10, and the necklaces are always $70 or more. She spends many hours making the more expensive pieces. Her works are also in the Copper Country Community Arts Center, located in Hancock on Quincy Street. Her husband creates baked goods for sale in the Tori.

"I love working here," 81-year-old Dan Kemppainen said. "All I like to do is gardening."

Dan Kemppainen displays his vegetables in the Tori. (Photo © 2010 Yunhua Li for Keweenaw Now)

Kemppainen noted he has a garden 200 by 200 feet, where he grows tomatoes, radishes, onions, lettuces, beets and other vegetables. Kemppainen lives in Altantic Mine in the house where he was born. Now he spends winters in Arizona, but returns home every summer to be with his son and plant his garden.

Kemppainen and his wife were founders of the market in 1982. It moved several times before coming to Hancock’s Montezuma Park five years ago.

Gardeners John Lennington and his mother, Dawn Tweedle, of Lake Linden, also grow fresh farm produce and sell several kinds of vegetables and plants, displayed in small baskets.

John Lennington (center, behind table) and his mother, Dawn Tweedle, sell several kinds of fresh vegetables and plants at the Tori Market. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

The vegetables included broccoli, sweet onions, cabbage, zucchini and snap beans. Lennington gave me a snap bean and asked me to try it. It was sweet, crunchy and fresh. I bought two fresh zucchini and later cooked them with pork in a Chinese way, and the taste was wonderful.

Dorn Dyttmer of Hancock sells a variety of items in the Tori. There are CDs, frames, photos, instruments -- all kinds of things around him. He designed several convenient, practical items; for example, a paper cutting board which looks like paper but is stronger. A person can use it for three or four days. It is good for camping because it takes only a small space and is very easy to use and throw away.

From note cards to memory aids, Dorn Dyttmer's spot at the Tori offers a variety of items he has designed and crafted himself. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

He designed a wooden box which he calls a d’light box. Dyttmer displayed two styles of these boxes. The one for Christmas has a Christmas tree carved on the top. When the box is plugged in, the lights come on and one can see a colorful Christmas tree shape on the box. The other d’light box is made for Halloween. On its top is a skeleton shape, which lights up when it is turned on. Another product that he designed is the "Adult Diet / Dinner Calculator" -- a memory aid. It is for the adult who has a memory problem.

"Always something different," Jeanne Medlyn said. "Early spring did not have many vegetables; June returned early vegetables; July and August have had many more; September and October will have pumpkins and cabbages."

Medlyn sells products from the fleece of sheep instead of vegetables. She sells white with blue, and pink with brown yarn. She also had a basket of black fleece at her feet.

Sheep are dirty, so to make yarn people have to wash the wool, dye it and then spin it into yarn, Medlyn explained. She gets fleece from her friend’s sheep. Medlyn likes to use a spinning wheel to demonstrate yarn making. She makes sweaters, scarves, mittens and other things. Medlyn invites people to come work with her if they are interested in making yarn.

The Tori Market offers artists and artisans as well as farmers and gardeners a place to sell their products. Here artist Vanessa Lipson chats with a customer about her crafts. (Photo © 2010 Yunhua Li for Keweenaw Now)

For those who want to sell their products, the market is set up between 8:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. and selling begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $5 for the day, and you have to bring your own table or chair.

"If you only have a small amount to sell -- three tomatoes and five onions, for example, you just pay 10 percent of your total sale up to $5," Medlyn noted.

The new State of Michigan cottage food law has really opened the market to more people who like to sell homemade food like jam, bread, cookies, honey, etc., Medlyn explained.

Customers interested in buying the really fresh organic vegetables should get to the Tori early. There is plenty of parking, and one can park in front of the Finlandia bookstore or on the street. One convenience of the market being near Finlandia is that you can use the bookstore restroom and take your time to enjoy this outdoor market.

Gustavo Bourdieu of Hancock sells his fresh vegetables and natural honey in the Tori. His onions have been especially popular this summer! (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

One of Gustavo Bourdieu's favorite onions. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

I was there around 10:30 a.m., and the sellers had already sold half or more of their vegetables. The customers kept coming. Most of them were previous customers who prefer to have organic vegetables. The vegetables are fresh and the sellers pick them early in the morning. The prices are affordable, and the sellers are local people who are kind and cheerful. Even though some customers do not buy anything, the sellers still like to talk with them. In interviewing the gardeners, I found that they graciously talked about their experiences and shared their information. The Tori Market is a part of local culture.

For more information about the Tori, please call 482-1605 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Editor's Notes: Visit the Tori Market Web site for more photos. Visiting reporter Yunhua Li was a student in David Clanaugh's summer journalism class, for which she wrote this article. She interviewed the market sellers earlier this summer, and we apologize for the delay in posting this article. See also her July 23 article, "A Chinese look at July Fourth celebrations."

Update: Hancock's Finnish Theme Committee developed the concept of the Tori Market. According to City Manager Glenn Anderson, Hancock's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) provides funding and is planning to supply a new tent for the Tori next year. The City of Hancock provides insurance and some marketing for the Tori.

Native American author, filmmaker to speak Sept. 14 in Rozsa

HOUGHTON -- Sherman Alexie, the author of the book that was featured in this year's Reading as Inquiry project for Michigan Tech first-year students, will speak from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 14, in the Rozsa Center. The public is welcome.

Alexie's presentation is, "Without Reservations: An Urban Indian's Comic, Poetic, and Highly Irreverent Look at the World."

Alexie is a poet, novelist and filmmaker who received the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. His book titled The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is based on his own experiences and tells the story of a Native American teen who transfers from the reservation school to a wealthy, white school in a nearby town.

In the Reading as Inquiry project, first-year students read Alexie's book over the summer and discussed it during Orientation. The purpose of the program is to introduce students to college-level reading, inquiry and discussion.

Editor's Note: For more details on the Reading as Inquiry program and Alexie's book, see Keweenaw Now guest author Samantha Stauch's Aug. 22 article "Michigan Tech’s Reading as Inquiry Program creates community connections."

Another distress flag flies at Rio Tinto mine site

A distress flag flies above Eagle Rock, the entry of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's planned sulfide mine near Big Bay, Mich. The site is on leased state land. Mine opponents, including members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) question the legality of the lease and of the mine permits granted to Rio Tinto by the Michigan DNRE (Department of Natural Resources and Environment). (Photo courtesy Stand for the Land)

EAGLE ROCK -- Stand for the Land reports another distress flag has been hung at Eagle Rock, the Ojibwa sacred site, now fenced off as the entry location for Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Project sulfide mine for nickel and copper.

A short article on standfortheland.com reports, "At first we thought Rio Tinto might be flying a Chinese flag (China owns more of Rio Tinto than any other entity) but a zoom lens revealed that another distress flag was flying above Eagle Rock (one flew over the site on July 4 weekend). It’s a sign that, while Rio Tinto and the DNRE (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) continue to break the law, the public is still keeping watch."

Editor's Note: Read about the distress flag and what it represents for Native Americans in our May 27, 2010, article, "A hot day at Eagle Rock -- before arrests of campers." Visit Stand for the Land for more photos.

Gary McDowell, Congressional candidate, visits Houghton County Dems

State Representative Gary McDowell (center, standing), Democratic candidate for Michigan’s First Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, greets Houghton County Democrats at their headquarters in Houghton during a brief visit on Aug. 29, 2010. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

By Michele Bourdieu

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- State Representative Gary McDowell (D-Sault Ste. Marie) took to the airwaves this week with the first television ad in his campaign to represent Michigan’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The ad introduces McDowell to those northern Michigan residents whom he has not yet had a chance to meet in his travels across the sprawling district that covers nearly half of Michigan's landmass.

"These past few months I have had the privilege of meeting with and listening to people in every corner of this district, from Bay County to the Keweenaw, and look forward to continuing to do so over the next eight weeks," McDowell said. "This first television ad helps provide those whom I have not already served in the state legislature or had a chance to meet an opportunity to learn more before casting their vote in November."*

McDowell entered the Congressional race after First District U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) said last April he would not run for re-election. McDowell ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary and will face Republican candidate Dan Benishek in the November 2 election.

Recently McDowell -- accompanied by 110th District Michigan Rep. Mike Lahti (D-Hancock), who is running for the State Senate -- visited with local residents at the Democratic Party Headquarters in Houghton. Each one praised the other, noting they work together in Lansing and have become friends.

110th District State Rep. Mike Lahti, second from left, who is running for State Senate, joins State Rep. and Congressional candidate Gary McDowell in urging Houghton County Democrats to talk to their neighbors and reach out to undecided voters during the last few weeks before the Nov. 2 elections. Also pictured here are Jane De Martini, left, and Jacob Davis.

"I just can't tell you how important it is to get Mike in the Senate," McDowell said. "Mike is without question one of the hardest working, most honest, forthright individuals I know."

Lahti had similar praise for his colleague in the Michigan House of Representatives.

"Gary is a hardworking straight-shooter," Lahti said. "He's a man of his word. He works hard for his district."

For the last four years, Lahti added, McDowell has been chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on Community Health, which has the largest appropriations budget other than school aid.

"He really fights for the disadvantaged regarding community health funding," Lahti noted. "I sit next to him in the House and I have a lot of respect for him."

Both candidates encouraged Democrats to talk to undecided voters about the issues for the coming election.

"Since the (2008) election, it's the independents who have really moved away from us (Democrats)," McDowell said.

Both he and Lahti pointed out that, despite the criticism, the stimulus money voted by the Michigan legislature has had positive effects, including support for much-needed infrastructure, broadband, investment in the auto industry and an increase in manufacturing jobs.**

McDowell expresses commitment to Social Security

Social security is an important issue for McDowell, and he has recently talked to senior citizens all over northern Michigan about his commitment to a program that has meant survival for many families.

"We had great support (from seniors)," McDowell said. "Social Security allows them to retire in dignity."

McDowell noted his Republican opponent, Dan Benishek, would like to do away with Social Security.

"He doesn't need Social Security, and he doesn't believe anybody should," McDowell noted.

McDowell recently accused Benishek of pulling the wool over the eyes of northern Michigan seniors by hiding his plan to eliminate Social Security, an important government program here in Michigan's First Congressional District, where 26 percent of all residents receive Social Security benefits.

Gary McDowell speaks with Clarence McDonald, chairman of the Western Upper Peninsula United Auto Workers Retirees during McDowell's visit with Houghton County Democrats on Aug. 29.

"I am absolutely committed to protecting Social Security for today’s seniors and future generations, which is why I pledged to oppose any and all efforts to privatize Social Security, reduce benefits or raise the retirement age," McDowell said. "Dan Benishek can’t say the same because he has been and continues to be a strong advocate for fully eliminating Social Security, even going as far as to call the program a disaster."

McDowell on defending the Great Lakes

Asked whether he would follow Bart Stupak's policy of defending the Great Lakes, McDowell told Keweenaw Now he has supported the legislation opposing drilling in the Great Lakes. He is also opposed to diverting water from the Great Lakes for irrigation or bottled water.

"I feel very strongly that the Great Lakes water belongs here in the Great Lakes Basin," McDowell said. "It should not be diverted to other parts of the country or overseas."

As for the issue of sulfide mining near Lake Superior, McDowell agreed with Lahti's position. Both candidates believe northern Michigan needs jobs that the mining may bring -- as long as the mining is done according to Michigan's recent regulations governing non-ferrous metallic mining.

"Mining has been part of our heritage in the UP," McDowell said. "We need those middle class jobs, but it has to be done properly and safely."

McDowell added he feels the laws are strict enough and were voted unanimously by all stakeholders involved, including the environmental community.

"They (the mining companies) have to follow the laws. If they don't follow them they have to face the consequences of the law," he said.***

The Green Party candidate for Michigan’s First Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ellis Boal of Charlevoix, says he disagrees with McDowell on the sulfide mining issue.

"(McDowell) says Kennecott's metal sulfide mine at Eagle Rock ten miles from Lake Superior must have adequate safety plans. I say it should just be stopped," Boal says on the FAQ page of his blog.****

McDowell said he is in favor of green energy jobs for northern Michigan.

"These are the jobs of the future in northern Michigan ... creating fuels that are clean and sustainable, and the jobs would be created right here because the source of that fuel (wood for biomass) would be here," he said.

Asked whether he would support wind energy in Lake Superior, McDowell replied, "I have an open mind about it. I haven't made a decision on it."

A lifelong hay farmer, McDowell said he supports small farms, locally grown food and small businesses.

"We just passed legislation in Lansing helping small farmers," he noted. "If you create a job just for one family, you help sustain communities in northern Michigan," he noted.

Learn more about Gary McDowell by visiting his Web site.

* Click here to view McDowell's first campaign ad.
** See our March 17, 2010, article, "Federal stimulus money funding Hancock projects could total $15.9 million."
*** In July 2010, before the Primary election, Gary McDowell appeared to agree with Bart Stupak that the $17 million assurance bond put up by Kennecott does not provide nearly enough funding to address the damage that the Eagle sulfide mine could create. McDowell was also quoted as saying the company should pay for needed oversight. See the July 2, 2010, article by Eartha Jane Melzer in the Michigan Messenger, "McDowell: Kennecott mine must have adequate safety plans."
**** Click here to read Boal's comments on both Benishek and McDowell and the philosophical differences that inspire him to run against both.

North Wind Books, Portage Library host "U.P." author, film producer Sept. 14

HANCOCK -- Ronald "R.A." Riekki, author of U.P., the best-selling novel published in 2008 by Ghost Road Press, will visit both North Wind Books in Hancock and the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Ron Riekki, author of the best-selling novel U.P. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

With Riekki will be actor and producer Steven Wiig, who is planning to shoot a movie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula based on Riekki’s book.

Riekki will discuss and sign copies of his book from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at North Wind Books. Riekki and Wiig will present the book U.P. and their ideas for the movie at 6:30 p.m. the same day at the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton.

Set in Marquette County in 1989, the novel is a complex tale of friendship and brutality. U.P. is the story of four teens immersed in an ugly world, one whose threat of violence is always simmering beneath the surface.

"R.A. Riekki's distinctive characters and their poignant quest for freedom is a swan song to lost youth, redefining the traditional coming-of-age story," says a description of the book at amazon.com.

In the novel, four boys tell four distinct narratives that converge into a harrowing and heartbreaking whole.

Riekki and Wiig, both Negaunee, Mich., natives, attended Northern Michigan University. They are making appearances throughout the Upper Peninsula to spread the word about the book and movie in a grass roots campaign to give readings and gather support. During their U.P. travels, they are also scouting filming locations and hoping to meet locals who want to act in the movie. Their promotional tour is being documented on Facebook at facebook.com/u.p.movie.

Riekki has an M.F.A. in Theater Arts/Playwriting from Brandeis University, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from Western Michigan University. His work has been published widely, and he has been awarded several writing and journalism awards.

Steven Wiig was encouraged by actor, writer, and director Sean Penn to start acting and was cast in the films Into the Wild and Milk, where he became immersed in the world of filmmaking. Throughout his career he has worked on films, videos and documentaries and also worked full-time on the road and in the recording studio with the multi-Grammy-award-winning heavy metal band Metallica.

Steven Wiig, actor and producer, hopes to make a film based on Ronald Riekki's book U.P. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

Both the novel and U.P. merchandise will be available for purchase at each event.

North Wind Books is located in downtown Hancock at 435 Quincy St. For additional information about the book signing, please contact North Wind Books at 906-487-7217.

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

Calumet Public Library announces events, new hours

CALUMET -- The Calumet Public Library announces two events open to the public on Wednesday evenings in September and October.

On Wednesday, Sept. 15, Friends of the Calumet Public Library will hold their monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Library. The meeting is open to all. Darryl Pierce, superintendent of the Public Schools of Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw (CLK), will meet with the Friends of the Calumet Public Library to discuss changes in library services necessitated by budgetary concerns and will update us on future efforts to secure funding for the library. All are welcome to attend this important meeting.

A meeting of the Wish List committee will follow the monthly meeting.

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, Red Jacket Readers invite the public to join them at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion of the entertaining book, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson.

Even if you've never considered hiking the 2,100-mile trail stretching from Maine to Georgia, you are sure to identify with elements in this humorous sketch of Bryson's (middle-aged and out of shape) experience. This discussion will be led by Jane DeMartini, and refreshments will be served. (Bring your favorite trail mix!) Multiple copies of the book are available in the library, so start reading today! (Local booksellers have copies of this modern classic, if you'd like to purchase a copy of your own.)

Beginning Monday, Sept. 13, Calumet Public Library hours will be as follows:

• Monday -- 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Tuesday -- 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Wednesday -- 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday -- 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Friday -- 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

(In case of bad weather, when school is canceled, all library programs are canceled.)

TREES to perform Sept. 13 at Portage Lake District Library

HOUGHTON -- Lindsay Tomasic and Jesse Fitzpatrick of TREES will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13, at the Portage Lake District Library.

Lindsay Tomasic and Jesse Fitzpatrick of TREES will play acoustic music at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, at the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. They will also entertain from 4 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. at the Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival in Marquette on Saturday, Sept. 11.*

Copper Country natives, Lindsay and Jesse have been crafting original songs and creating fine acoustic music since the early 1970s. Songs performed on traditional instruments and infused with intricately woven vocal harmonies make the earthy sound of TREES just get better with time!

CDs will be available for purchase after the concert. Their new album, One Voice, is being released on Datolite Records this month. Watch for it!

*Editor's Note: The TREES duo will also perform from 4 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, on the Song Stage at the Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival, sponsored by the Beaumier Heritage Center. The festival will take place on the lawn in front of the Don H. Bottum University Center and the DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Admission is free to the public, though donations are appreciated. The festival begins tonight, Friday, Sept. 10, with the Funky Folk Dance, featuring Conga Se Menne at 7 p.m. and the PasiCats at 8:30 p.m. (note time change). Click here for the schedule.

Carnegie Museum celebrates Centennial with historic, educational displays

The Carnegie Museum in Houghton is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Portage Lift Bridge with a historic exhibit. Click on photos for larger versions. (Poster courtesy Carnegie Museum)

By Chad Girard*

HOUGHTON -- When one walks into the Carnegie Museum without an appreciation for the past, they see an aged building, peeling paint, and faded pictures on rough backdrops. Below the surface there is original structural timber older than most humans. This timber silently speaks to a century of hard work and history.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Carnegie Museum, located on the corner of Huron and Montezuma in Houghton. The building was originally constructed as a library in 1909, funded by a $15,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie and opened to the public on Feb. 18, 1910.

Elise Nelson, Carnegie Museum director, said the historic landmark has great importance to the community.

"This community has become more sensitive to historic buildings and restorations," Nelson said. "We are recognizing the importance of honoring history and reusing materials. A great deal of energy was put into this building over the years."

Recent Carnegie Museum exhibits of historic photographs and documentation celebrate not only the centennial of the museum itself but also other historic commemorations, including two important anniversaries.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Portage Lift Bridge connecting Houghton and Hancock. This exhibit is located directly across from the main entrance behind the library’s original reference desk. Included in this display is an image gallery reconstructed by Michigan Tech’s Dr. Kris Mattila of the Civil Engineering Department. Historic photographs are accompanied by a video about the building of the engineering feat that joins these two communities.

Included in the Portage Lift Bridge 50th Anniversary exhibit is this bridge model made by Jessica-Rae Marcotte, a sixth grader at Dollar Bay Tamarack City Elementary School. Jessica-Rae was a National History Day finalist in the competition held in Dearborn, Mich., Apr. 24, 2010. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"Senter of the Copper Country -- the Story of the Atlas Powder Co. of Senter, Michigan" is another centennial exhibit in the museum. To the right of the museum entrance is an in-depth look at Atlas Powder Company formerly located in Senter, Mich.

The Carnegie Museum's exhibit on Senter, Mich., includes this display about the Atlas Powder Co. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

From 1910 to 1960 the Atlas Powder Company produced dynamite for the nearby Copper Mines. While the company was in operation for 50 years, the town of Senter that it established is celebrating 100 years this year. Created by Bill Haller, author of Atlas Powder, Senter, Michigan 1910-1960, and John Backman, this exhibit details the layout and production of the factory and company town that was spread throughout 200 hundred buildings across a 1,800-acre compound near Dollar Bay, Mich.

This Feb. 1953 Daily Mining Gazette Photo from the Michigan Tech Archives is displayed in the Senter exhibit at the Carnegie Museum. It shows an Atlas Powder Co. shell truck with Andrew Gazetti driving and Ray Sved on the back of the load. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Atlas had a close connection with the local mining community, providing blasting charges used in the copper and iron industries. A related display, created by a local student, is shaped like a stick of dynamite, engaging viewers interested in the history of the explosive tool.

"Stories from the Woods," a multi-media exploration of the storytelling traditions of the Upper Peninsula, returns to the Carnegie for the month of September. Created by and on loan from the Beaumier Heritage Center at Northern University, this exhibit looks at the story traditions of the Upper Peninsula. Nineteen interpretive panels are accompanied by five audio stations featuring recordings of stories and songs collected in the U.P.

This poster announces the current "Stories from the Woods" exhibit at the Carnegie Museum through Sept. 30. (Poster courtesy Carnegie Museum)

In the museum's lower level are exhibits about local plant ecology and an area designed to engage visitors, particularly children, in active learning. During the monthly "Science Saturdays," additional activities or demonstrations are presented. The current display, which focuses on electricity and magnetism, will be open through September 30.

The interactive displays on electricity and magnetism on the lower level of the Carnegie Museum are available to families and young visitors through Sept. 30. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

One new exhibit planned for this fall, on the lower level, will be the Fourth Annual Gingerbread House in preparation for the holidays. Children and their families are invited to contribute to the play-house-size creation by bringing small items, including candy, to "glue" onto the building.

An exhibit on Victorian Spinning Optical Toys helps children learn about historic precursors of the movies. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Many of the exhibits in the museum as well as the materials in the displays have resulted from local residents’ research and hard work. Though the building does not provide direct income for the community, it is a resource in the sense of attracting people to the area and educating about the community’s history.

This display of Copper Country Native Plants is part of the Carnegie Museum's permanent collection. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Chad Girard)

The Carnegie Museum’s operating hours are from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free. Parking is available in a lot behind the building, or in the City lot across Montezuma Street.

For more information please call 482-7140, or email history@cityofhoughton.com.

*Editor's Note: Visiting reporter Chad Girard was a student in David Clanaugh's summer journalism class at Michigan Tech.

Michigamme Highlands Walk renews spirits

By Steve Garske*

The day started with introductions and information about the walk. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy S. Garske)

MARQUETTE -- It was hot and windy as about 30 people from across the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin met on the Wolf Lake Road near Humboldt in Marquette County Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010. Our goal was to see part of the gravel road that "Woodland Road LLC" (a limited-liability corporation headed by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Co.) has proposed turning into a mining haul road, and to visit some of the beautiful back country along the North Country Trail.

After Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve Executive Director Emily Whittaker updated us on the status of the "Eagle Mine," we followed the existing road north. The road runs past a smattering of houses, which soon give way to forests, wetlands and streams. Soon the pavement gave way to a two-lane gravel road and then a single-lane gravel road. After traversing several hills and valleys and crossing Voelkers Creek, we reached the Dead River.

Lunch overlooking the Dead River basin.(Photo © 2010 and courtesy Rod Sharka)

A short walk up the hill brought us to the North Country Trail. Heading east along the trail, we were soon treated to a couple of great views of the Dead River basin and beyond. As you can see, the Dead River is actually brimming with life! Everyone enjoyed the gorgeous view.

View of the Dead River basin and Michigamme Highlands from the North Country Trail. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Nancy Garske)

As we soon discovered, this part of the North Country trail traverses a wide range of habitats. At first the trail led through lush northern hardwood forest, followed by groves of white pine and hemlock, and then a grove of upland cedar. One of the more unusual plants we saw along the way was northern holly fern. This distinctive and beautiful fern occurs across Canada and in the Rockies and reaches the southern edge of its range here. Other botanical gems included compressed oatgrass, bristly sarsaparilla, and Braun’s holly fern.

Fronds of northern holly fern. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Christine Saari)

Eventually we reached a big, steep hill covered with hemlock, white pine and red oak, where we saw a patch of a western disjunct plant called tall bilberry. (Simply put, a western disjunct plant has its main range in the western US, while it also grows in the Great Lakes region, with a gap in between.) This blueberry relative often reaches a height of three feet, with berries about twice the size of common blueberries. Unfortunately, by the look of things this patch didn’t produce a single berry this year! Still, just seeing this plant that had been stranded in the UP after the last ice age reminded us of the time scale that the earth operates on, as compared to the scale that we humans usually do.

On the way back the discussion turned to various topics ranging from mushrooms to wetland plants to getting in a swim after the walk! And of course the proposed haul road.

The "Kennecott Expressway"(as some call it) would have cut through some of the most remote, wild country in Michigan. From the mine site on AAA Road, it would have run 22.3 miles south through the heart of the Michigamme Highlands to the town of Humboldt, where a rock crushing facility is being built. During the comment period for the road, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which oversees state enforcement of federal wetland laws, cited numerous objections -- including Kennecott's mis-statement of the road's true purpose; failure to seriously consider alternative routes; and the large impact the road would have on wetlands, streams and wildlife. With the strong possibility that the EPA would deny the permit, Kennecott withdrew its application on May 7, 2010, just before the deadline for a decision.

If the proposed haul road were ever built, it would have an even bigger impact on the land than the mine. In the end, the public may have a significant say in whether or not such a road is ever built. Perhaps it is time to start thinking on the timescale of Mother Earth, rather than relying on the same old short-sighted thinking that has brought the world to the troubled state it's in today.

*Editor's Note: The guest author of this article, Steve Garske, is a botanist who has studied plants in various areas of the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin.

Finlandia Gallery to hold closing reception for Carole Harris's "Improvisations" exhibit Sept. 9

Dancing in the Streets, 2010, by Carole Harris. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- "Improvisations," an exhibition of handmade quilts by Detroit artist Carole Harris, is featured at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock, through Sept. 11, 2010.

A closing reception for the artist will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at the gallery. Harris will present a lecture at 7:15 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Harris will be on the Finlandia University campus Sept. 9 to 11 to work with the university's Fiber Arts and Fashion Design majors.

Filled with saturated color and complex patterns, the dense layering of patterns and the repetition of materials that Harris employs in her non-traditional quilts and tapestries are evocative of the rhythms, energy and movement found in African and African-American music, particularly blues and jazz.

"I try to think of my work as the visualization of the music that inspires me," notes Harris.

Rhythm-a ning, 2009, by Carole Harris.

Harris's visual vocabulary comes from a mixture of traditional quilt patterns and her own imagery, impressions and experiments. Her art is composed of hundreds of richly colored fabrics which are cut, overlaid, appliquéd, pieced and quilted.

"Quilts are like paintings, full of color, texture, and design," Harris says. "I try to create energy in both a spontaneous (improvisational) and an organized way -- much as a jazz musician will take a theme and riff on it until it is unrecognizable, while always maintaining control."

Harris's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries nationally and internationally, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; the Museum of Art and Design in New York City; and in Europe and Japan.

Harris earned her B.F.A. degree in interior design at Wayne State University. She is president of Harris Design Group, LLC, an interior design firm which she founded in 1976.

Harris also has a strong commitment to community service, education and arts advocacy. She has served on the boards of Inside Out Literary Arts, African Renaissance Theatre, Pewabic Pottery, Wayne State University Board of Visitors, and the Board of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The Finlandia University Gallery is in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.