15th Annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival to feature accordionist, jazz/folk ensemble Sept. 22-27

HANCOCK --  Finlandia University will present the 15th annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival from Sunday, Sept. 22, to Friday, Sept. 27, 2013, in metropolitan Chicago and the western Upper Peninsula.

This year’s festival features classical/contemporary accordionist Ari Lehtonen, a doctoral student at the Sibelius Academy. Ari’s performance program includes the keyboard music of J.S. Bach, works by contemporary Finnish composers, and compositions by Argentine nuevo tango composer Ástor Piazzolla (1921-1992).

Ari Lehtonen, accordionist, will perform classical and contemporary music at this year's Sibelius Academy Music Festival. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

Lehtonen has performed as a soloist with the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Finnish RSO, and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. He has held recitals in Finland, Russia, Spain, Serbia, and Venezuela. In 2007, in Spain, he was awarded first prize in the prestigious Arrasate Hiria accordion competition. He has premiered works by contemporary Finnish composers Tiina Myllärinen and Mikko Nisula.

"I come from a family of non-musicians, but where music was always appreciated, supported, and many kinds of it listened to," Lehtonen says. "My grandfather played the accordion in a dance band and he was my very first inspiration to start playing. When I was a kid, it was of course very nice to play together with him."

The focus of Lehtonen’s doctoral studies is Bach’s keyboard music.

"As an institution, Sibelius Academy is of course full of history and prestige, and it was one of the first university level schools where classical accordion could be studied," Lehtonen notes. "The school has some of the best teachers in the world, so it is really a privilege to be able to study there."

The festival also features the ensemble "August Saarinen and Vuolas Virta," a jazz/folk quintet that pays tribute to the "king of Finnish tango" Olavi Virta (1915-1972). The musicians are Joonas Mikkilä, Juho Vanamo, Matias Mäntyranta, Miiko Renfors, and Joonas Tuhkanen.

The ensemble "August Saarinen and Vuolas Virta" will perform jazz and folk music at the Sibelius Academy Music Festival.

Juho Vanamo, aka August Saarinen, was born in Turku, Finland, in 1988. He started playing piano at age eight.

"My older brother was my inspiration to take up singing, and my parents gently forced me to take up piano lessons when I was younger," Vanamo says. "Nowadays, I feel really grateful for that. It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to do what you do best, and make a living out of it, too."

Vanamo graduated from Turku Conservatory in 2009, majoring in classical piano with a minor in classical singing. In 2010, he began studying music education at the Sibelius Academy, where he met most of his fellow players in August Saarinen and Vuolas Virta.

The members of the folk/jazz quintet, August Saarinen and Vuolus Virta, all agree that the Sibelius Academy is a "status symbol" for a good musician in Finland. "When you introduce yourself as a Sibelius student, it’s 'guaranteed' that you really can play," they collectively note.

The festival’s series of concerts and events begins Sunday, Sept. 22, with an afternoon performance of both acts at the Estonian House of Chicago, Riverwoods, Ill.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 1:15 p.m., the students at Negaunee (Michigan) High School will enjoy a special Sibelius Festival performance in the high school’s auditorium. The concert is open to the public; tickets are $5.

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24, a free Meet the Musicians event will be presented at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock. The musicians will discuss their lives as musicians and present informal performances.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m., accordionist Ari Lehtonen will present a concert at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hancock. A freewill offering at the concert will benefit Finlandia University music programs.

Also on Thursday, Sept. 26, the first-ever Sibelius Festival folk dance starts at 7 p.m. at the Finnish American Heritage Center. The dance features live music by the festival musicians. Tickets are $10; Finlandia students attend free.

The final concert is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, at the Calumet Theatre. Both the accordionist and the jazz/folk quintet will present performances. Tickets are $15; $5 for students; Finlandia students attend free.

Concert and event tickets are available at North Wind Books, Hancock; online at http://finlandia-university.ticketleap.com; and at the door prior to the performances.

For more information, call 906-487-7250 or visit www.finlandia.edu/sibelius.

WUPPDR to hold Annual Meeting Sept. 30 in Ironwood

HOUGHTON -- The Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR) will hold its 45th Annual Meeting at Tacconelli's, 215 S. Suffolk St., Ironwood, on Monday, Sept. 30. 

WUPPDR's regular business meeting will take place at 4:30 pm (CST). A buffet dinner ($15 charge) will begin at 5:30 p.m. (CST) and will include presentations by two keynote speakers: J.R. Richardson, Chair of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC), will present on recent business to come before the Commission; and Don Helsel, President of MI-TRALE, will present on the Western Upper Peninsula's ATV trail network. The program will conclude with a presentation of WUPPDR's Oreste "Chip" Chiantello Public Service Award to an individual demonstrating a long-time commitment serving the public.

A slate of local, regional, State and Federal officials, also including private sector individuals, will attend; and the general public is welcome. Persons planning to attend must RSVP by Monday, Sept. 23, 2013. An invitation to do so is available at the www.wuppdr.org homepage. For a printed invitation or more information, contact WUPPDR at (800) 562-7614 ext. 311.

Carnegie Museum to hold Third Annual Night at the Museum Sept. 21

HOUGHTON -- The Carnegie Museum will hold its Third Annual Night at the Museum from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. TOMORROW, Saturday, Sept. 21.

Take a Red Jacket Trolley ride and trace the ruins of Houghton's Isle Royale Mine. Enjoy gourmet sweets and savories, local beer, wine and a silent auction at the museum.

Tickets are $25. Choose your trolley tour time -- 4 p.m., 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. -- when you purchase your tickets. Tickets are available at Carnegie Museum, Houghton City Center, or at the Door. (Tickets sold at the door are not guaranteed a trolley tour.)

All proceeds from Night at the Museum benefit museum restoration, exhibits, and programs.

While you're there, check out three current exhibits:

"Last Days of Italian Hall: Photographs of Calumet's Italian Hall 1981-1988" by local photographer Eric Munch

Photographer Eric Munch speaks at the Aug. 13, 2013, opening of his exhibit, "Last Days of Italian Hall," at the Carnegie Museum. The exhibit is a series of 21 photographs Munch took of Italian Hall before, during, and after its 1984 demolition. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)
  
Family Ties: Memorials to Those Lost in the 1913 Italian Hall Tragedy, by the Houghton Keweenaw County Genealogical Society

Forty-nine families lost loved ones in the Dec. 24, 1913, Italian Hall Tragedy. The Houghton Keweenaw County Genealogical Society wondered what became of those families and decided to trace the history, before and after the tragedy, of each family. Here are some samples of their memorials:

Memorial for Katarina Gregorich of Centennial Heights, who was 10 years old when she perished in the Italian Hall disaster.

Photos of the Heikkinen family, who lost three sons in the Italian Hall tragedy on Dec. 24, 1913. The youngest of the three, Edwin, was born on Dec. 24 and was about to celebrate his seventh birthday.

An excerpt from the story of the Heikkinen family.

Historic photo, "The Italian Hall in Mourning, the Next Day After Disaster," by J.W. Nara, part of the Michigan Tech Archives and Copper Country Historical collections.

Finnish American Buildings and Landscapes in Michigan's Copper Country. Photographs by Ryan Holt, with Historical Narrative by Arnold R. Alanen.

Sauna of the Erkkila family at Big Traverse Bay fishing settlement. This sauna, with a fish smokehouse on the right and a net reel in the background, was part of the fishing enterprise established by Ernest Erkkila in the 1920s and continued by his sons Reino and Edwin into the 1980s.

The Maronen Log School, now in Alston, made of unusually large, hand-hewn logs. From the Laird Township Historical Society Museum, which is currently not open to the public. 

These are just a few examples from the Carnegie Museum's current exhibits. See all at the Carnegie's Night at the Museum tomorrow, Sept. 21!

Painesdale Mine and Shaft, Inc., to hold ceremony commemorating 1913-1914 Copper Range Miners Strike Sept. 21

PAINESDALE -- Painesdale Mine and Shaft, Inc., will commemorate the 1913-1914 Copper Range Miners Strike with a Memorial Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, in the Albert Paine Memorial United Methodist Church, 54385 Iroquois Street, Painesdale.

The event is free and open to the public.

Several violent incidents occurred in the Painesdale area during the 1913-14 Strike, including the Seeberville murders, the Dally-Jane murders and clashes between the Citizens Alliance and the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) union.

This is a photo of the Putrich Boarding House, site of the Seeberville murders that occurred on Aug. 14, 2013. A group of Waddell strikebreakers, hired by the Copper Range mining company, had followed two striking Croatian mine workers to the house and ended up shooting at the unarmed residents. Steve Putrich (brother of Joseph Putrich, the Croatian landlord) and 18-year-old Alois Tijan (also referred to as Louis) were killed; several residents of the boarding house were wounded. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

Another violent incident in this area -- the Dally-Jane murders -- happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 7, 1913, at the Dally Boarding House in Painesdale, whose residents were Cornish. Shots fired into the house killed brothers Arthur and Harry Jane and Thomas Dally (non-union miners) and seriously wounded Mary Nicholson.

The Dally Boarding House in Painesdale, site of the Dally-Jane murders on Dec. 7, 1913. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

The tentative schedule of events for the Commemoration Ceremony is as follows:
Albert Paine Memorial United Methodist Church:
Doors Open - 10:30 a. m.
Ceremony Begins - 11 a. m.
Invocation - Minister Mary Laub
Presentation of the Colors - VFW Ranger Post #6165
Pledge of Allegiance - All
Star Spangled Banner - All
Introductory Remarks
Speaker - Scott Dianda, State Representative 110th District
Speaker - Gary Kaunonen, Author and Historian
Public Testimonials
Benediction - Minister Mary Laub
Taps
Tribute to Our Heritage
Refreshments and cake in the basement

Free tours of Champion No. 4 Shafthouse, Captain’s Office, and Hoist Building  available one-half hour after the Ceremony

Maps of Historical Painesdale available.

"Singing Weaver" Nadine Sanders to present concert, weaving workshop at Calumet Art Center

CALUMET -- The Calumet Art Center will present Nadine Sanders, the singing weaver, in a concert titled "Spinning Straw into Gold: Woven Harmonies" at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Art Center's Performance Hall. Tickets are $7.

Nadine Sanders, the singing weaver, will present a concert Sept. 21 and a weaving workshop Sept. 20, 21 and 22 at the Calumet Art Center. (Photo courtesy Calumet Art Center)

Midwestern artist Nadine Sanders enjoys blending her love of Celtic music with her joy of weaving. She sings about all aspects of her rural roots. A talented performer and teacher, Sanders has presented workshops and concerts across the U.S. and Scotland.

In addition to Saturday's concert, Sanders will offer a "Weaving that Sings" workshop from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20, 21 and 22. This workshop will be open to the public. All levels of weavers are welcome. You will learn the inlay technique for wall-hanging, fabric or rug weaving -- as well as how to add design. Nadine will need to know what type of warp the student wants to work with: wall-hanging, rug, or fabric sample.

The class fee is $210. Materials fee is $25.

To obtain more information and to sign up for this workshop contact the Calumet Art Center at (906) 934-2228 or (906) 281-3494 or email info@calumetartcenter.com.

This fall the Calumet Art Center is offering a variety of classes including fiber, clay, voice, violin, piano and more. Click here to learn about the classes or visit http://calumetartcenter.com/. The Calumet Art Center is located at 57055 Fifth Street.

Reception for Kickstarter fundraiser to support dance drama about 1913 Copper Miners' Strike is Sept. 21

On Aug. 17, 2013, members of the cast of For They Are Women's Children, an original dance drama depicting scenes from the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike, participate in the Copper Country Heritage Parade in Calumet. Pictured here in the role of "Big Annie" carrying the flag is Anna Daavettila, a senior at Houghton High School, who will be the lead dancer in the performance, which will be presented Oct. 25 and 27 in the Calumet Theatre. Carrying the banner announcing the show are Cynthia and Joseph Daavettila, Anna's parents, followed by young dancers in the cast. In addition to Director and Choreographer Donna Armistead's Superior School of Dance students, young dancers from Bonnie Hafeman's Girl Scout troop and the Kivajat Dancers will participate in the performance. The Keweenaw Heritage Center at St. Anne's is in the background of the photo. (Photo © and courtesy Joanne Thomas)

HANCOCK -- The Copper Island Beach Club in Hancock will host a Kickstarter reception in support of the fundraiser for the original dance drama For They Are Women's Children from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. Meet the producers, cast and crew and learn about this project. A cash bar and hors d'oeuvres will be provided.

For They Are Women’s Children, a contemporary dance-drama featuring original choreography by Donna Armistead and an original musical score by composer Robin Oye, will receive its world premiere at the Calumet Theater Oct. 25, 2013.  Featuring musicians and dancers from the local community, it depicts episodes in the daily lives of miners and their families during the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike, culminating in the Italian Hall tragedy on Christmas Eve when seventy-three people -- including fifty-nine children -- lost their lives.

The ballet’s aim is to personalize the struggles of working people in prewar Calumet and its environs through the medium of original music and dance. Theatregoers will have the opportunity to see and hear the premiere of a unique theatrical work evoking the will and determination characteristic of Copper Country residents who persevered despite ethnic strife, enmity and bitterness in the face of hardship and tragedy.

Director Donna Armistead is an independent choreographer and stage director who makes her home in Jacobsville, Mich. Formerly a soloist/principal dancer with several regional ballet companies, she was for eleven years artistic director of the Superior School of Dance, Houghton/Hancock, where she is still a member of the faculty. Her choreographic work has been featured locally in productions of the Michigan Tech Theatre, Pine Mountain Music Festival and Calumet Players as well as her former company, Lake Superior Dance Theatre.

A resident of Keweenaw County, Robin Oye is a flutist, composer and music educator whose work has been featured in stage productions at Finlandia University and Michigan Tech's McArdle Theatre. He will conduct a four-piece orchestra for the current production.

The cast will feature some of Armistead’s students in principal roles, supported by local youth and adult community members. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27. For ticket information call the Calumet Theatre box office at (906) 337-2610.

Although the Calumet Theatre is kindly providing some in-kind technical support, they were unable to obtain a performance grant for the project. Therefore, all funds raised by this project will support musician stipends, simple sets and costuming, and rental of rehearsal space.

The Kickstarter fundraiser has a goal of $4000 to be raised between now and Oct. 16, 2013. To see a video clip about the project and learn how you can pledge support online, click here.

Michigan Tech's Khana Khazana to offer South Korean cuisine Sept. 20

HOUGHTON -- South Korean delicacies cooked by Young Bin Na are on the Khana Khazana menu this Friday at Michigan Tech. They include mixed noodles with vegetables, Korean fried chicken coated with a sweet and spicy sauce and Korean cucumber, a spicy kimchi made with cucumber instead of cabbage.

The food will be served in the Memorial Union Food Court on campus from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20. A full meal costs $6.95 and includes a fountain drink. Individual items are $2.50 each. Vegetarian alternatives are available.

Khana Khazana is a weekly international lunch cooked and served by international students. It is a collaborative effort of international students and Michigan Tech Dining Services.

Local citizens to join National Day of Action against Keystone XL tar sands pipeline with Sept. 21 protest in Marquette

More than 40,000 people march on Feb. 17, 2013, in Washington D.C. during "Forward on Climate," the largest climate protest in history. On Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, the protest will be nationwide -- a National Day of Action to demand that President Obama  deny the permit for Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. (File photos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)*

MARQUETTE -- Upper Peninsula residents will have an opportunity to participate in the Sept. 21, 2013, National Day of Action -- part of the national campaign to demand that President Obama deny the permit for Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

Concerned citizens will gather at noon on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 307 S. Front Street, Marquette (in front of U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek's office), to "Draw the Line to Protect the Great Lakes" in opposition to the pipeline.

The National Call to Action, called "Draw the Line," features scores of creative events, with large rallies planned in areas already affected by climate change and places at risk from climate chaos if strong action, such as limiting tar sands development, is not taken. A full list of events and photos, as well as a short video about the movement against Keystone and the reason for the Call to Action, are available at http://350.org/DrawTheLine.

Bill McKibben, climate activist and founder of 350.org, addresses the crowd at the July 14, 2013, rally in Bridge View Park near St. Ignace, Mich., and the Mackinac Bridge. The rally was organized by the Traverse City chapter of 350.org to call attention to Enbridge's aging pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac.**

Heidi Gould, a Marquette city resident, states she was compelled to respond when she read in the Mining Journal, "[Congressman] Benishek said he doesn't see why the U.P. can't have the Keystone pipeline come down from Canada, which he says would provide many area jobs and might lower gas prices, as well."*** She was informed by another activist about the 350.org invitation to host a Day of Action to "Draw the Line" to show opposition to the proposed pipeline.

In his Aug. 19, 2013, presentation at a town hall meeting in Hancock, Michigan First District U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek speaks about the need for job creation. After his talk, Keweenaw Now attempted to ask him about his views on climate change (since he has been heard to deny it), but he said he didn't have time to answer since he had to leave immediately for another meeting in Negaunee. A few minutes later he was being interviewed by a T.V. reporter.***

"The timing was intriguing! Not only do we need to let the President know that we don’t want the pipeline but our congressional representative needs to understand the vitality of the Great Lakes and we need to do everything we can to protect them," Gould says.

While President Obama considers Keystone XL’s fate, opposition to the pipeline and the tar sands oil it would carry has continued to grow. Over 1,500 people have already been arrested to stop Keystone XL, and on February 17 over 40,000 people came to Washington to tell the President that Keystone XL is not in the national interest. Credo Mobile, Other 98 Percent and Rainforest Action Network have collected pledges from over 75,000 people who are willing to risk arrest to stop the pipeline. A diverse coalition of environmentalists, inner-city residents living near refineries, and rural landowners have come together to oppose the pipeline’s southern leg in Texas as well.

During the Nov. 6, 2011, protest against the Keystone XL Pipeline in Washington, D. C., protesters march with a long mock pipeline around the White House, chanting "Soil not oil" and "Yes, we will -- stop the Pipeline." (Video by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)****

Pipeline opponents were heartened by President Obama’s comments about Keystone XL at his June 25 Georgetown climate speech, when he said he would oppose the pipeline if it would "significantly" increase greenhouse gas emission.

Independent analysts, environmentalists, and the tar sands industry all agree that Keystone XL will increase emissions. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has estimated increasing production from their 3.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2012 to 6.7 million bpd by 2030.*****

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), over the project’s 50-year timeline, Keystone XL would add between 935 million and 1.2 billion metric tons of carbon pollution to our atmosphere, significantly increasing carbon pollution. ******

For more information about the Sept. 21 protest in Marquette email Heidi Gould at heidigould2003@yahoo.com or call (906)226-0102.

Notes:

* Click here to read the Feb. 25, 2013, article, "Keystone Pipeline protest: over 40,000 people in freezing cold," by Shirley Galbraith, with photos by Allan Baker. Click here for the videos.

** See our July 22, 2013, article, "Videos, photos: 'Oil and Water Don't Mix' rally draws hundreds concerned about Great Lakes .

*** See the Aug. 20, 2013, Mining Journal article, "Benishek town hall focuses on jobs, health insurance," about his town hall meeting in Negaunee on Aug. 19, which followed the meeting in Hancock. To both audiences he expressed his opposition to federal government regulation and especially the EPA.

**** See our Nov. 11, 2011, article, "Houghton couple report on DC protest against Keystone XL Pipeline, Tar Sands oil."

***** See Reuters: "UPDATE 2-Canadian oil output to more than double by 2030 -study."

****** See NRDC's July 2013 "White Paper: Climate Impacts from the Proposed Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline."

Levin floor statement on agreement to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons

[Editor's Note: U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, gave this speech on the floor of the Senate today, Sept. 17, 2013]

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- Mr. President, I want to say a brief word about yesterday’s tragic and senseless violence at the Washington Navy Yard. The men and women who help protect our nation, those in uniform and the thousands of civilians who serve the Department of Defense, make enormous sacrifices for us. Facing a workplace gunman should not have to be one of them. Those who have died or been wounded and their families and loved ones are in our thoughts and our hearts today.

I come to the floor this morning to discuss another act of senseless violence, and our nation’s response. In the early morning hours of August 21, the Syrian military began firing artillery rockets into the suburbs east of Damascus, hitting neighborhoods held by the opposition forces that have been fighting to end the brutal dictatorship of Bashar al Assad. We know from the accounts of independent observers such as Human Rights Watch, and the work of our intelligence services and those of our allies, that many of these rockets were armed with warheads carrying sarin, a deadly nerve gas. We know that these rockets were launched from areas under the control of Assad’s regime, using munitions known to be part of Assad’s arsenal, and into areas held by opposition forces. We know from the report of UN weapons inspectors released yesterday that the weapons used -- both the rockets and the chemical itself -- were of professional manufacture, including weapons known to be in Syria’s government arsenal. There is no other source of this deadly gas except the Syrian government. Nothing else makes any sense whatsoever.

President Obama declared that the United States would act in response to this threat to global security. He determined it was necessary to use American military force to degrade Assad’s chemical capability and deter future use of such weapons by Assad or others. He did so because a failure to act would weaken the international prohibition on chemical weapons use. He did so because the failure to act could lead to greater proliferation of these weapons of mass destruction, including the potential that they could fall into the hands of terrorists and be used against our people. He did so because if the use of chemical weapons becomes routine, our troops could pay a huge price in future conflicts. On September 4, a bipartisan majority of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the president’s request for an authorization of the limited use of military force.

Faced with this credible threat of the use of force and in response to a diplomatic probe by Secretary Kerry, Russia -- which had for more than two years blocked every diplomatic initiative to hold Assad accountable for the violent repression of his people -- announced that Assad’s chemical arsenal should be eliminated.

The agreement that followed requires Syria to give up its chemical arsenal on a historically rapid timetable. ...

Click here to read the rest of Sen. Levin's speech.

Workshop on Mini Grants Program for art projects to be Sept. 18 in Ontonagon

ONTONAGON -- An informational workshop on the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) Mini Grants Program will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Ontonagon Theater of Performing Arts in Ontonagon. The workshop is free and open to the public.

The Copper Country Community Arts Council (CCCAC) is the region thirteen administrator for the Regional Re-granting program of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The CCCAC facilitates funding opportunities for arts projects in the six counties of the Western Upper Peninsula: Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, Ontonagon, Gogebic and Iron.

Mini grants provide up to $4,000 for locally developed, high quality arts projects, which provide special opportunities to address local arts needs and increase public access to the arts. Mini grants support a broad range of artistic expression from all cultures through projects which preserve, produce or present traditional and contemporary arts.

Mini-grant dollars, matched 1:1 in cash/in-kind can be used for many types of arts activities such as exhibits, readings, performances, workshops, broadcasts, artist residencies, consultancies, commissions, restorations, festivals, pow wows, conferences, seminars, video and film productions and screenings, publications, and arts activities for students.

A new grant program for Professional and Organizational Development makes funding available for training courses, consultants, conference fees and related travel. Organizations or individual artists may apply for up to $1500. A 25 percent cash/in-kind match is required.

The deadline for application is 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2013. All applications must be submitted online using the e-grant system (mcaca.egrant.net). Funding is for projects taking place January 1 through September 30, 2014. Application guidelines are available on line at http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Arts/Grant-Programs/. For more information or technical assistance contact Cynthia Coté, regranting coordinator, at (906) 482-2333 or e-mail cynthia@coppercountryarts.com.

Portage Library to host two healthy eating events

HOUGHTON -- Portage Lake District Library will be hosting two events related to healthy eating this week: the Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange on Monday, Sept. 16, and the Summer's Bounty Social on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange to meet Sept. 16 at Portage Library

A meeting of the Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Portage Lake District Library.

Participants are invited to bring their favorite gluten-free dish or snack in any category for sampling, and they are encouraged to share their recipes. Copies of the recipes will be made at the library. Please list all ingredients used in making foods and identify the brand names of the gluten-free ingredients. Bringing food is not a requirement for attendance. The main focus of the meeting will be to join the conversation about eating a healthy gluten-free diet.

The Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange is organized by and for those who are interested in or required to follow a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free eating requires the avoidance of all wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Most people find it challenging at first, but are excited to find recipes and foods that are fun and easy to make and tasty to eat. The Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange is an opportunity to share those great recipes and learn from others. Everyone who is interested in learning more about gluten-free eating is encouraged to attend.

This program is free and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Friends of Portage Library to host Summer's Bounty Social Sept. 17

The Friends of the Portage Lake District Library invite everyone to bring their appetites and favorite summer dishes to share for an evening of good eating among good friends.

The Summer’s Bounty Social will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the library. For this potluck event, people are asked to bring their favorite dish made from locally available fruits or vegetables. Foods can be fresh or frozen, sweet or savory, and hot or cold. If participants want to share their recipe, copies for all can be made at the library.

Community garden members and local producers who want to participate may set up a display with information about their project or business.

Please contact Chris at the library for more details.

Door prizes featuring local food products will be given away throughout the evening. Guests will enjoy an arrangement of summertime music, and table service and beverages will be provided by the Friends of the Library.

Everyone is invited to this free event. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

KUUF to host "Eating Green" potluck and forum on growing and eating local food Sept. 15

HOUGHTON -- The Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will host a potluck and forum, "Eating Green," from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. TOMORROW, Sunday, Sept. 15, at BHK Center Conference Room (1 block off M-26 -- turn at Hilltop Restaurant) in west Houghton. The presenters will be Barb Hardy, Western UP Food Hub, and Mark Pittillo, Portage Health Nutritional Services Director.

This forum will focus on the topic of growing and eating local foods and why we should care about our food sources. Learn about the goals of the Western UP Food Hub from Barb Hardy. Mark Piettillo will describe Portage Health's project with the Hancock schools and provide some ideas for how you can prepare your food once you've grown or bought "local."

The forum will be followed by a potluck meal of locally grown foods. (Please bring a card with the name of your dish and a list of locally grown ingredients in the dish.)

For hundreds of years gardens have been an American tradition. They provided people with sustenance and a more reliable means of survival than hunting or fishing. They often engaged all of the family members -- from working the soil in the spring to planting, weeding, and -- ultimately -- the fall harvest. The meals shared with others from the fruits of their labors helped to foster a sense of community. As we became more urbanized, and frozen and canned produce became plentiful, gardens were left behind, until "victory gardens" sprang up in response to the shortages of WW II. Gardens again provided a sense of community and a way to provide for families. Today, with concerns of food contamination by pesticides -- and the large environmental footprint of foods that travel sometimes thousands of miles across the country or around the world before arriving at our tables -- gardens have again become a popular activity. Gardens can be found not only in rural areas, but in many urban areas where community gardens, backyard gardens, window gardens, and rooftop gardens have increased in popularity.

Along with the desire to know where our food comes from, there is a growing awareness that diets which primarily depend upon plants are healthier and use less energy. Americans can save fossil fuels and make more plant protein available for human consumption by simply reducing the number of meals they eat containing meat.

With all of this in mind, the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship would like to encourage "growing our own" and sharing meals together. In that spirit, we have invited these two guest speakers and will host a congregational potluck made from local foods from individual and community gardens.

This event is open to all.

Herbalists Without Borders to host organizing potluck event, Trauma Training Sept. 17 at Marsin Center

Herbalists Without Borders, Houghton and Keweenaw Chapter, will hold a potluck organizing event and a Trauma Training event on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, at the Marsin Nature Retreat Center near Oskar, Mich. (Herbalists Without Borders post card courtesy HWB Organizer Jess Juntunen.) 

HOUGHTON -- Herbalists Without Borders (HWB), Houghton and Keweenaw Area Chapter, will host a Meet and Greet Organizing Potluck Kickoff Event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, at the Marsin Nature Retreat Center near Oskar Bay, Red Brick Road, outside Houghton on the Canal Road. The event will include a Free Informal Talk with the Director of HWB, Gigi Stafne.

Herbalists Without Borders is an organization that promotes an agenda of health care social justice internationally, with numerous special focus projects including Violence Against Women models and a Veterans PTSD project. Please attend if you want to learn more, help or participate. There is no fee or registration required for the free presentation and potluck. Bring a dish to pass -- and please label ingredients. Contact HWB Organizer Jess Juntunen at jjuntune@mtu.edu for more information.

Herbalists Without Borders will also offer a Trauma Training event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Marsin Nature Retreat Center. The Trainer is Gigi Stafne, MH, ND, director of Herbalists Without Borders. Tuition: $75 (Sliding scale fee available for economic hardship; contact jjuntune@mtu.edu.)

Gigi Stafne, director of Herbalists Without Borders. (Photo courtesy Jess Juntunen of HWB)

Prior to her 20 years of experience in natural medicine, Stafne worked in domestic violence, sexual abuse and crisis intervention.

"The time is NOW, for alternative medicine and creative sustainable solutions to escalating levels of trauma and violence, locally and globally," Stafne says. "You can make a difference in one person's life...even an entire community's well being."

To register for the Trauma Training event email local chapter organizer Jess Juntunen, jjuntune@mtu.edu, or call her at 906-231-0755. More information about HWB can be found at http://herbalistswithoutborders.weebly.com/.

DNR Western U.P. Advisory Council to meet Sept. 16 in Spalding

MARQUETTE -- The Department of Natural Resources’ Western Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Council (CAC) will meet in Menominee County on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Normenco Sportsman’s Club, located on Normenco Road in Spalding.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m. CDT (5:30 p.m. EDT), DNR staff will present division reports on current DNR projects and business and answer questions from council members and the public. The council meeting will immediately follow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT (6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EDT).

Agenda items include:

•  2013 deer season forecast
• Update on wolf hunting season
• Upper Peninsula Deer Advisory Team report
• Update on status of hunting and fishing license fee restructuring
• Public comment (for public comment instructions, see www.michigan.gov/upcac)

The Eastern Upper Peninsula and Western Upper Peninsula CACs are designed to advise the DNR on regional programs and policies; identify areas in which the department can be more effective and responsive; and offer insight and guidance from members’ own experiences and constituencies.

The council members represent a wide variety of natural resource and recreation stakeholders and interest groups. Agenda items are set by the council members, and council recommendations are forwarded to the DNR for consideration.

CAC meetings are open to the public. If you would like to be considered as a future CAC member, please fill out the nomination form found on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/upcac. For more information, contact DNR Upper Peninsula Regional Coordinator Stacy Welling Haughey at 906-228-6561.

2013 Parade of Nations: the World comes to the Keweenaw

By Jenn Donovan, Michigan Tech Director of Public Relations
With Keweenaw Now's photos and videos from the 2012 Parade of Nations

Participants from many countries walk from Hancock to Houghton across the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2012 Parade of Nations. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON, HANCOCK -- Looking for an out of the ordinary Saturday in the beautiful Keweenaw? This Saturday, Sept. 14, is the annual Parade of Nations and Multicultural Festival -- a celebration of diversity in the Keweenaw.

At left in colorful attire are Nancy and Dianne Sprague, parade marshals during the 2012 Parade of Nations. This year the Parade Marshal will be Houghton City Manager Scott MacInnes.

"With all that is happening in the world today, I love that our community can set aside a day to celebrate peace and reflect on what difference and variation really means to us in Houghton and our sister city, Hancock," said Thy Yang, director of international programs and services at Michigan Technological University.

The Parade -- featuring floats and flags representing more than 60 nations -- starts at 11 a.m. on Quincy Street in downtown Hancock, crosses the Portage Lift Bridge and moves east on Shelden Avenue through downtown Houghton, ending at the Dee Stadium.

The Michigan Tech Huskies Pep Band leads the 2012 Parade of Nations down Quincy Street in Hancock. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Calumet High School Spanish Club members, with their teacher, Cindy Miller, fourth from left, pause for a photo on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2012 parade.

At the Dee, beginning at noon and continuing until about 3 p.m., a multicultural festival features ethnic food booths, crafts and hours of entertainment, including international music and dancing.

Performances on stage at the Dee this year will include a Kung Fu demonstration by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, the Copper Country Cloggers, the Kivajat Finnish Dancers, dance and music by the Indian Students Association, the Michigan Tech Dance Team, singer Karen Colbert and singer/songwriter Jan Arnold.

Following the 2012 Parade of Nations, a large, diverse crowd enjoys the opportunity to taste a variety of international foods during the multicultural festival in Dee Stadium.

Entrance to the festival is free. Food booths will sell cuisine from 16 countries, including Moroccan and -- for the first time -- Turkish food.

Anna Leppanen, left, with a friend and Anna's daughter, Maisa, join Meghan Pachmayer, right, in serving Finnish treats from their food booth during the 2012 Parade of Nations multicultural festival.

Bring your appetite! Try tasty international food from dozens of food booths offering delicious ethnic specialties, desserts and more. The entertainment is endless. Enjoy bands, singing, dances, and, for the children, free pony rides, face painting and supervised arts and crafts.

Kicking off the entertainment at the 2012 multicultural festival, the Copper Country Cloggers perform a lively Western-style dance.

Members of the Indian Students Association combine traditional dress and modern dance rhythms in one of their dances performed during the 2012 festival.

This year's Parade of Nations theme is "Global Variation in One Location." The parade and multicultural festival are free and open to the public. Parade of Nations is organized and supported by Michigan Tech, Finlandia University, the cities of Houghton and Hancock, and businesses and organizations throughout the Keweenaw.

More photos from the 2012 Parade of Nations ...

Participants from many countries, with their flags and banners, prepare to line up in Hancock just before the Parade begins. The order of countries in the parade is alphabetical.

An Iranian family heads across the Portage Lift Bridge with their flag, followed by participants carrying the flag of Israel.

Finlandia University students with the Finnish flag cross the Portage Lift Bridge.

At the judges' table, Jenn Donovan, Michigan Tech director of public relations, center, and Glenn Anderson, Hancock city manager, enjoy their view of the 2012 Parade.

Student cooks are proud of their national dishes!

Face painting is a favorite activity for kids during the multicultural festival.

The Kivajat children's dance group perform a lively Finnish sword dance, leaping over sticks.

Children's art, on display in Dee Stadium, reflects consciousness of ethnic ancestry. Children's art will again be on display in the Dee this year.

Portage Library to host Wellness Healing Touch Workshop Sept. 12; computer help on Fridays; eBook training Sept. 14, 18

HOUGHTON -- Portage Library will host its monthly Wellness series program, computer help for beginners and ebook training in the library this week.

Portage Library to host Wellness Healing Touch Workshop Sept. 12

The Portage Lake District Library will host its monthly program in the Natural Health and Wellness series from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12.

Cathy Lucchesi-Gedda will present "An Introduction to Healing Touch Workshop." Healing Touch is an energy therapy in which practitioners consciously use their hands to clear, restore, energize, and balance the energy field in order to support and facilitate healing.

The goal of this class is to inspire participants to tap into their own natural gifts for healing. Participants will learn concepts and techniques that promote health and facilitate healing for themselves and loved ones. Healing Touch is for any individual who wants to enhance their health and wellness and explore energy medicine as an educated consumer.

The Natural Health and Wellness series is held on the second Thursday of each month. All library programs are free, and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

MTU students offer "Online at the Library" for beginners

Students from the Computer Science Department at Michigan Tech are providing free tutoring at the Portage Lake District Library for beginning computer users. These computer help sessions with individual tutors are held every Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. throughout the academic year except on days when Tech is not in session or the library is closed.

Computer help sessions began on Sept. 6 and will continue through April 25, 2014.  "Online at the Library" will not be held on the following dates: November 29, December 20, December 27, January 3, January 10 and March 14.

"Online at the Library: Help for Beginning Computer Users" will show participants how to use the internet to keep in touch with people, share pictures and letters, find information, solve computer problems, and much more. Tutors will help each participant with their own particular needs. People may attend as many of the sessions as they wish, and those who have laptops may bring them.

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

Portage Library to offer eBook training Sept. 14, 18

The Portage Lake District Library will offer two training sessions that will teach participants how to use their eReader or tablet. They will also learn how to download books from the library’s downloadable books collection.

The classes will be taught by Dave Karnosky from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14,  and from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Time will be allotted for questions and a practice session after the presentations. Participants are invited to bring their eReader and learn a new way to enjoy books.

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

Letter: Support petition drive for referendum on PA 21 and wolf hunt

Photo of wolf courtesy wolfwatcher.org. Reprinted with permission.

Please support the petition drive to help repeal Public Act 21.

It’s not just about the wolves. Passage of PA 21 means that Michigan voters can no longer appeal the naming of any animal as a game species, a right we’d held since 1908. How did we get to this point?

In December 2012, the Michigan legislature enacted PA 520 designating the wolf as a game animal and authorized the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to establish a wolf hunt. More than 255,000 signatures were collected from citizens opposed to the hunt and were submitted in March of this year, earning PA 520 a place on the November 2014 ballot. This also meant there could be no wolf hunt before the votes were in.

Senator Tom Casperson introduced SB 288 in April, crafting a bill that would allow the Natural Resources Commission, in addition to the legislature, to add animals to the list of game species. As a politically appointed, regulatory body, NRC’s decisions cannot be subjected to a referendum. Governor Snyder signed SB 288, now known as PA 21, into law on May 8, enabling the NRC to reinstate the hunt, which they have done.

The citizens of Michigan have a constitutional right to challenge any recently passed legislation, with the exception of instances where the attached appropriations are vital to the functioning of our state government. The escalating use of appropriations to subvert the ability of citizens to utilize this important system of checks and balances, with notable examples being the Emergency Financial Manager and Right-to-Work laws, is a huge concern.

With the introduction of SB288/PA 21, Casperson found yet another way to undermine democracy. He said he did it to protect Michigan citizens from special interest groups like the Humane Society and to ensure that the people of the Upper Peninsula are heard. He neglected to mention that groups like Safari International lobbied for a wolf hunt, and that he has effectively silenced the voices of the more than 255,000 Michigan residents who signed the petition to subject PA 520 to referendum.

Our choices now are to lie down and take it, or dust ourselves off and fight for our right to vote on wildlife management issues. Repealing PA 21 and PA 520 will restore that right.  What we cannot do is repeal the current wolf hunt so speedily established by the NRC.  There will be wolves killed in Michigan this fall. Whether or not you think wolves should be "harvested," this is an outrage. And with their new found authority, we can expect the NRC to add the sandhill crane and possibly lynx to the list of game species to be hunted.

During First Friday events in Calumet on Sept. 6, 2013, Diane Miller, left, collects signatures on the petition for a referendum on PA 21 -- the second petition drive to allow Michigan voters to decide whether a wolf should be a game species. Signing the petition on Fifth Street in Calumet are, from left, Nancy Sprague, Bill Sewell and Oren Tikkanen. See below to learn how you can sign the petition. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The repeal of PA 520 will be on the November 2014 ballot and the petition drive to repeal PA 21 is underway. To learn more about the current campaign, go to http://keepwolvesprotected.com/. If you wish to help by gathering signatures, click on  Gather Signatures so you can obtain petition sheets. It is not necessary to write a letter of endorsement. If you are in the Marquette area and wish to sign the petition, please email me at brinkleycourt@yahoo.com. You just need to be a Michigan voter to sign it.

Catherine Parker
Marquette, Michigan

Editor's Notes:

Several people in the local area are collecting signatures for the petition on PA 21. You may contact Diane Miller in the Houghton / Hancock area by calling her at 906-370-1069 and she will arrange to help you sign the petition. She will also be at the Parade of Nations on Sept. 14 collecting signatures from Michigan voters.

UPDATE: In addition, Keep Michigan Wolves Protected will have a table during the Parade of Nations events at the Dee Stadium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, for Michigan voters who wish to sign the petition there.

Chris Alquist, who works in the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton, also has petition sheets you  may request to sign in the library.

In the Marquette area, Jackie Winkowski of Gwinn, Great Lakes advisor for Wolfwatcher, is also collecting signatures. You may email her at jwsnowyplains@yahoo.com.

Other petition gathering events are listed on the Keep Michigan Wolves Protected Web site. Click here to find an event near you.

UPDATE: Anyone interested in signing a petition personally can request a petition form via U.S. mail by emailing katie@keepwolvesprotected.com, or call KMWP at 517-993-5201.

UPDATE: Charlotte Loonsfoot of KBIC is now collecting petition signatures in Baraga. You can call her at 906-235-4220 and she will arrange for you to sign it.

Jackie Winkowski has written a letter to the editor on this issue, published in the September 2013 Marquette Monthly. She gives more details on the reasons for the petition drive. Click here and scroll down to read her letter under City Notes.

See also our Aug. 25, 2013, article, "Wolf advocates kick off second petition drive, seek referendum on Michigan wolf hunt law."

Visit wolfwatcher.org for more information and articles on wolf protection.

Michigan Tech's Women's Programming Committee hosting Clothesline Project to raise awareness about sexual violence

HOUGHTON -- The Women's Programming Committee at Michigan Tech is hosting a Clothesline Project as part of Michigan Tech's 2013 Responsible Relationship Awareness Days.

From Sept. 9 through Sept. 20, campus and community members will be able to decorate t-shirts with anti-sexual violence/anti-sexual assault messages. The decorated shirts will be hung up on clotheslines around campus during Responsible Relationship Awareness Days (Sept. 23 to 27) in order to raise awareness about the dangers of sexual violence/assault on college campuses.

This event is sponsored by the Women's Programming Committee, Women's Leadership Council, Campus Victim Advocate Response Team, People Against Violence Endeavor, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Institutional Equity, Title IX Committee, Athletics and Recreation Department, Student Affairs, Dial Help, Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home, Nexteer Automotive, Norfolk Southern, United States Steel, and
Homestead Graphics.

Click here for detailed information about the project.

Save the Wild U.P.: Kick-off celebration of U.P.’s Trap Hills huge success

By Save the Wild U.P.
Posted Aug. 27, 2013, on savethewildup.org
Reprinted with permission

Hikers enjoy a scenic view during the Aug. 18, 2013, Trap Hills celebration sponsored by the Trap Hills Conservation Alliance and Save the Wild U.P. at the Bergland Township Park. (Photo © and courtesy Nancy Haun)

BERGLAND, Mich. -- On Sunday, August 18, the Trap Hills Conservation Alliance (THCA) and Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) hosted an inaugural day of events celebrating the Trap Hills, a rarely-visited scenic area featuring stunning views, at the Bergland Township Park.

Participants traveled from places as near as Wakefield and as far as Big Bay, Houghton, and Duluth for the event. Nearly 30 hikers, ages five and up, enjoyed guided hikes on the  North Country Trail and the Cascade Falls Trails north of Bergland. Wisconsin folksinger Skip Jones played tunes inspired by nature and labor history as hikers enjoyed a free picnic lunch from local businesses.

Hikers enjoy the great weather and learn about the botany and geology of the Trap Hills.

Nona Trealoff of SoulsShine in Hudson, Wis., led a blessings ceremony on the shore of Lake Gogebic prior to the hike.

Said Margaret Comfort, president of SWUP, "The Trap Hills are indeed a blessing to behold! We are proud to host this free day of events in conjunction with the Trap Hills Conservation Alliance, as we seek to educate the public and introduce them to the splendor of this truly magical place."

Hikers pause to enjoy another spectacular view during the Aug. 18 celebration of the Trap Hills. (Photos courtesy Save the Wild U.P. unless otherwise indicated.)

Two hikes, led by botanist Steve Garske and geologist and retired Ottawa National Forest wilderness ranger Doug Welker, featured 40-mile views from the edge of a spectacular rock bluff, a trip to Cascade Falls, and a vista that included a 350-foot sheer cliff, the highest in Michigan.

As Welker noted, the Trap Hills are perhaps the most spectacular and fascinating of Michigan's largely-undiscovered secrets. With high rock bluffs, seemingly endless views, remote and relatively pristine areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, 50 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT), numerous other trails including the Pioneer Multi-use Motorized Trail, and a long historic and prehistoric copper mining history (interpreted at Old Victoria and in area museums), it's hard to find such a concentration of special places and recreational opportunities anywhere.

A hiker's view of the Trap Hills from a very high point in Michigan. (Photo © and courtesy Nancy Haun)

"That's why some of us are working to get the Trap Hills designated as a federal National Recreation Area (NRA), to protect special areas, increase and promote recreational opportunities, and bring more recreation-related dollars into the local economy," Welker said. "Done right, it could be a win-win opportunity for the variety of diverse groups who would have a stake in both developing and protecting this area."

Steve Garske, local botanist and board member of Save the Wild U.P., said, "A Trap Hills National Recreation Area would help protect the beautiful western U.P. and contribute to a sustainable economy for the region as well."

SWUP Executive Director Alexandra Thebert agreed. "Many people who live just a few minutes away have never known about the Trap Hills. We’re dedicated to protecting the Trap Hills for future generations -- and glad this will include even more hikes, cook-outs, and educational events!"

Alexandra Thebert, Save the Wild U.P. executive director, chats with Steve Garske, botanist, SWUP board member and co-leader -- with geologist Doug Welker -- of two hikes in the Trap Hills during the Aug. 18 celebration.

Assistant Surveyor and SWUP Advisory Board Member Richard Sloat added, "I’ve lived in the Western U.P most of my life. I have visited the Porkies but I had no idea an area of such beauty and geologic diversity as the Trap Hills area existed. Why? Nobody told me."

To obtain information on the North Country Trail or to get involved in crafting a National Recreation Area proposal contact Doug Welker at dwelker@up.net.

Click here for a primer on the Trap Hills.

Save the Wild U.P. is a grassroots organization focused on preserving the U.P.’s unique cultural and environmental resources. Visit SavetheWildUP.org to learn more and to get involved.

South Range Polka Fest is TODAY, Sept. 8

At the Keweenaw Heritage Center at St. Anne's on First Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, from right, Teri and Jim Enrietti and Don Masnado play polkas, waltzes and other dance tunes to raise funds for repairs to the lightning-damaged steeple of St. Anne's. Today, Sunday, Sept. 8, they will be one of the polka bands to play for dancing at the the South Range Polka Fest. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

SOUTH RANGE -- The annual South Range Polka Fest is happening from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. TODAY, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, at the South Range Community Hall (great dance floor above the fire hall). $7 admission.

Here is the schedule:
2 p.m. - 6 p.m. -- Jim and Teri Enrietti with Don Masnado
6 p.m. - 10 p.m. -- Scott Zoehn

Everyone is welcome for a great day of dancing!