"Seeing and Reading" exhibit by artist Gerard Brown opens at Finlandia Gallery

HANCOCK -- "Seeing and Reading," an exhibition of artwork by Philadelphia artist Gerard Brown is on display through Nov. 27 at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

Artist Gerard Brown. (Photo © 2009 Sam Fritch and courtesy Finlandia University)

An opening reception for the artist will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at the gallery. An artist talk will begin at 7:15 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Brown will be exhibiting a series of gouache paintings titled "The Whiteness of the Whale," which reference Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, Moby Dick. Brown makes paintings that sit at the intersection of seeing and reading. His paintings invite viewers to examine the idea that pictures can be read.

The Whiteness of the Whale (#19. "westward...a most imperial"), 2009, gouache on paper, 30 x 22 inches. (Photo © 2009 Sam Fritch and courtesy Finlandia University)

The notion of the image as a form of text was central to much of the art making and theory of the late 20th century. By employing various writing systems (Braille and others) as building blocks of pictures, Brown invites the viewer to be a reader and the reader to be a viewer in hopes that something might be gained in the space between these parts of our selves.

"A photograph of a person or a city is one form of description, and a poem about that person or place is another," he observes, "but what happens when these two perfectly adequate forms of description are turned on one another?"

Csaszar continues, "While there are numerous ideas and intellectual responses to Brown’s work, it is on the level of direct and immediate pleasures and impressions that Brown’s surfaces are ultimately read. They can then be re-read as various suspensions and interruptions of meanings in order to make their sense more visible."

Brown received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University of Fine Arts. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia. His work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the east coast and Chicago.

Brown has also been actively involved in art criticism and arts writing and has worked for clients including the Pew Fellowships in the Arts, the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Philadelphia Department of Recreation Mural Arts Program.

Brown has been providing individual critiques to Finlandia students on campus this week through Oct. 30.

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.; Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.

Hancock Council hears access, parking concerns for Arts Center project

By Michele Bourdieu

HANCOCK -- Two leaders of the design team for the Copper Country Community Arts Center's proposed green building renovation addressed the Hancock City Council at their Oct. 21 Council meeting concerning parking and / or a permanent easement for accessing the rear of the building at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock.

At the Oct. 21 Hancock City Council meeting, Cynthia Coté, Copper Country Community Arts Center director, addresses the Council concerning access for the potential green building renovation of the Center. Council members pictured are, from left, John Slivon, Ted Belej, Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson and Mayor William Laitila. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

Cynthia Coté, Arts Center director, asked Council members to consider the Center's need for parking and vehicle access in the city-owned area directly behind the Arts Center -- a parking lot of eight spaces now used by tenants in four apartments above the Northwoods Sporting Goods store, the Arts Center's neighbor on the east, and by employees of the state Human Services Department office, their neighbor on the west.

City Council member Richard Freeman, owner of the Northwoods Sporting Goods store and the apartments, leases four of the spaces from the City.

"I'm not in favor of deeding over the lot to the Arts Center for that project. I guess that giving anything away that the City owns right now is not in the best interest of the City," Freeman said. "Parking is at a premium. When winter comes, the eight spots in there get real tight."

Builder Dave Bach, one of the Arts Center design team's leaders, told City Council members the team needs to know what the options are before completing the design and beginning the construction.

"We don't plan on building on that property," Bach said. "What we need that piece of property for is access to the existing (Arts Center) property."

Bach noted the potential new green building design could include demolishing the back of the present building and adding both a new entrance and possibly some parking spaces at the entrance level that could be located under the second floor or exposed. The remodeling design is expected to include windows for passive solar energy conservation on the south side of the building that faces the city's parking area.

"We want to try to maintain that southern exposure, too," Bach added.

Builder Dave Bach (center, foreground) addresses the Hancock City Council concerning the potential green building design of the Community Arts Center and the need for access to the back of the building through a parking area owned by the City. Council members pictured are, from left, Richard Freeman, Lisa McKenzie and Thomas Gemignani.

He noted if the city wants to hold on to its parking lot property the Arts Center would still need a permanent easement -- a space for vehicle and ground access big enough for a UPS truck. The space could also help make the building handicap-accessible, provide for school buses bring children for activities, facilitate moving materials, etc., he explained.

"You would need at least a couple of (parking) spaces for access," City Manager Glenn Anderson said. "Whatever you do, you have to have a public hearing."

Council member Ted Belej suggested the possibility of trading two of the Arts Center's new parking spaces at the back of the building for two of the City's spaces that the Center could use for access.

"That's a good thought," Bach said.

Freeman said he could see a problem with an easement if someone parked on it.

Louisa Wills, county director of the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS, formerly the Family Independence Agency), said she understood everyone's position and wanted to be a good neighbor but she agreed with Freeman that parking is at a premium.

"Our staff is growing," she said. "We cannot afford to give up spaces."

The Hancock office of DHS covers Houghton, Keweenaw and Baraga counties and employs a staff of more than 30 people. Some of these employees park behind the DHS building, but this is still insufficient, Wills noted.

Council member Lisa McKenzie said she couldn't see the Council doing anything official about the parking situation until the design of the building is done.

Bach said the design of the building will not be nearly complete until after the "charrette" -- a series of three meetings of the design team, Arts Center staff and Arts Center members. These meetings will be held Nov. 18 at the Arts Center in Hancock, Nov. 19 at the U.P. Engineers and Architects office in Houghton and Nov. 21 at the Marsin Center. Anyone interested in being on the design team needs to attend all three meetings and should contact Cynthia Coté.*

Jan Bruin-Slot asked whether the grant money for the Arts Center project was private or public funding.

Jan Bruin-Slot, a seasonal resident living in East Hancock, addresses the Council concerning the use of private or public funding for the Arts Center's potential green building project. Also pictured, at left, is Louisa Wills, county director of the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS), serving Houghton, Keweenaw and Baraga counties. She addressed the Council concerning four parking spaces DHS leases from the City.

Bruin-Slot and his wife Becky said they did not like the idea that their property taxes might support the Arts Center project. They are seasonal residents from Petoskey who have a second home in East Hancock.

"If there's going to be a giving of land held by the community, there's a taking from the community; and I would be opposed to that as a taxpayer," Jan Bruin-Slot said.

"I'm a staunch capitalist," Becky Bruin-Slot added, "and it's not that I do not give charitably, but I want to choose my charitable giving. I expect whatever I do to be funded by me, myself and I."

City Manager Anderson confirmed the present (planning) grant is from the private Kresge Foundation (their Green Building Initiative Grant), and Coté said further funding would be raised through a capital campaign.

Anderson said later that Houghton County is one of the very few counties in Michigan that has a downtown office for the Department of Human Services.

"Parking for their employees has been critical to keeping the office located in downtown Hancock," he noted.

He also said the City could possibly lease daytime parking spaces to the Arts Center in nearby city-owned lots. Freeman's four spaces, used by his tenants, are overnight spaces; thus he does not want to give them up.

"The Council wasn't giving (the Arts Center) anything (at the meeting)," Anderson explained, "but we basically said we'd work with all three parties to try to resolve it."

Anderson said he agreed that having the Arts Center become a green building, possibly LEED-certified, would be a good model for other businesses.**

"The Arts Center has been a key part of our downtown since it came to Hancock," Anderson noted. "It's become one of our anchor establishments, so we're pleased that they are considering investing more in their building. It would be the first LEED-certified building in the City if it comes to fruition."

Art Center to hold third presentation on green building Oct. 28

The Community Arts Center recently held two public presentations with visiting speakers on the subject of green building and sustainability.***

A third meeting will be held at 7 p.m. this Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Community Training Room 323 of the Jutila Center in Hancock. Heather McElwee, assistant director, and Chris Clarke, facilities director, of the Pittsburgh Glass Center will give a presentation on "A LEED Art Building Case Study."

MDOT traffic study for U.S. 41 in Hancock

In other business, the Hancock City Council heard a report from MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) on their recent computer modeling traffic study. MDOT concluded Hancock could handle the current and future traffic in the City should Hancock Street be made two-way for the U.S. 41 traffic. One result would be less traffic on Quincy Street downtown, perhaps making it more walkable.

Whether or not such a potential change in traffic would affect the Arts Center's green building plans was not discussed. The cost of such a traffic project -- $500,000 -- would be funded by MDOT, Anderson said.

Editor's Notes:

*Contact Cynthia Coté at (906) 482-2333 or visit www.coppercountryarts.com for more information.

** LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

*** See our Oct. 12 article on the first of these meetings: "Arts Center Green Building presentation /forum sparks community discussion."

Finnish American Heritage Center to offer Finnish language classes

HANCOCK -- As part of its community outreach program, Finlandia University’s Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) is pleased to announce that a pair of Finnish language courses will begin in early November.

Kaisa Randolph will be teaching a continuation of her Finnish class from last spring; the course is also open to new students who have some knowledge of Finnish. That class begins at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the FAHC.

For people with no prior Finnish language skills, or for those looking to re-learn the basics of the language, Hannu Leppanen will teach a beginning Finnish language course at the FAHC. This class gets under way at 5:30 p.m on Nov. 10 at the Finnish American Heritage Center. Each class meets for about one hour per week. There will be several sessions this fall, with a break for the holidays; and then classes will resume in January and continue through April. There is a $100 charge for either class. Advance registration is appreciated.

For more information about Finnish language classes, or any other community programming at the FAHC, call (906) 487-7549.

Portage Library to present fall programs Oct. 26, Nov. 2

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will be hosting two fun fall events.

Michigan Tech head gardener Lynn Watson will present, "Art in the Falling of Leaves," at 6:30 p.m., tonight, Monday, Oct. 26.

She will describe how leaves grow, why they change from shades of green to the rich colors of autumn; and she will explain why they fall and the benefits to nature that fallen leaves bring. Watson will also explain how people have used leaves historically and their place in artistic expressions. She will present examples of leaf projects, and participants will take home recipe cards of how to make them.

The Michigan award-winning documentary Where do the Children Play? will be shown at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2. The film addresses the decline of unstructured play by children -- especially in nature -- and its potential consequences.

A community discussion will follow the screening.

This program is sponsored by Michigan Tech's Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education; the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education; Get Outdoors Michigan!; the Western UP Summit Planning Committee; and the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative.

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

Crystal Shawanda, Ojibwe country singer, to perform Oct. 24 at Rozsa

HOUGHTON -- Crystal Shawanda, a full-blooded Ojibwe, has taken the Country Music world by storm! The Rozsa Center is proud to present the 2009 Canadian Country Music Association’s "Female Artist of the Year" at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, in what is sure to be one of the hottest concerts of this show season!

Crystal Shawanda, Native American country singer, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Rozsa Center. (Photo and text courtesy Rozsa Center)

Born in Ontario, Canada, Crystal grew up on a Native American reservation called Wikwemikong on Canada's Manitoulin Island. She wrote her first song at age 9 and cites Loretta Lynn as her childhood hero.

"I'm Native American," Crystal says. "We're automatically country -- joined to the land and the real stories of everyday people. A long time ago, we traditionally used music as our daily prayer and as our way of giving thanks. To Native Americans, music is our everything. It's our storytelling, our history and our dance. We use it to remember and to forget. It's how we celebrate life and mourn death."

Crystal's father was a truck driver whose route regularly led him from Michigan to Nashville. Accompanying him on many of the trips, she was 11 when she made her first visit to Nashville and watched singers and musicians through the window at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.

"I was scared I would be told I wasn't good enough," Crystal notes. "By 12, I had written enough songs to do my own little demo album which I sold back home to pay for more trips to Nashville. Country music had become my full time way of relating to my world. If I couldn't write and sing, I couldn't talk and feel."

At 13, Crystal made her first appearance at Tootsie's and received encouragement from a drummer who had worked in Loretta Lynn's band. She kept returning to Nashville, singing regularly at Tootsie's, and finally moved to Nashville to concentrate on her music. Dawn of a New Day, released in 2008 on RCA, debuted at #2 on the Canadian Country Album chart and at #16 on Billboard’s Top Country Album chart.

Shawanda has been touring in Canada and the United States with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley as a special guest on the Paisley Party 2009 tour. She had previously toured with various artists across Canada and the northern United States in 2008. As of January 2009, three singles have charted: "You Can Let Go," "What Do I Have to Do" and "My Roots Are Showing." The first reached #5 in Canada and #21 in the U.S., while "What Do I Have to Do" also reached #5 in Canada, but wasn't released in the United States. "My Roots Are Showing" peaked at #12 in Canada, as well as #57 on the U.S. charts. The title track and "Try" were then released as the fourth and fifth singles from the album in Canada only. In mid-2009, Shawanda was moved to Sony Music Canada.

On Sept. 13, 2009, the Canadian Country Music Association awarded Crystal Shawanda the prestigious "Female Artist of the Year" award.

Crystal Shawanda's visit is sponsored by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan Tech American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Multicultural Affairs, Michigan Tech Student Life and the James and Margaret Black Endowment.

Ticket prices for the general public are $25 and $20; Michigan Tech student prices are $20 and $15 (MTU student ID required). To purchase tickets contact the Rozsa Box Office at 487-3200, The Central Ticket Office (SDC) at 487-2073, Tech Express (MUB) at 487-3308 or go online at tickets.mtu.edu. No refunds, exchanges, or late seating, please.

Secretary of State candidate Jocelyn Benson to visit Houghton Oct. 25

Jocelyn Benson, Democratic candidate for Michigan Secretary of State, addresses Houghton County Democrats on June 3, 2009, during a visit announcing her candidacy. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

HOUGHTON – The U.P. spoke up during the last election. It appears Lansing has taken notice. Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic front runner for Michigan Secretary of State, returns to Houghton for a visit from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, in the Super 8 Motel's conference room. The gathering is open to the general public.

Benson, who threw her hat into the ring Oct. 10, is a leading election law expert in the State of Michigan. She is a nationally recognized educator and voter advocate who has promised to focus on promoting access to the voting process while protecting its integrity.

"I am first and foremost dedicated to ensuring that our elections are fair, accurate, accessible, secure, and that the public can trust the results of the election," Benson said.

A $5 minimum donation per person is required to attend the potluck style meet and greet.

Editor's Note: Read more about Jocelyn Benson in our June 12, 2009, article on her visit last June.

Native American Speakers' Forum Oct. 23 and Powwow Oct. 24 to be at Michigan Tech

By Marcia Goodrich, Michigan Tech senior writer

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech will showcase Native American culture at its 14th Annual Speakers' Forum Friday, Oct. 23, followed by the Spirit of the Harvest Powwow on Saturday, Oct. 24.

In addition, the 2009 Canadian Country Music Association Female Artist of the Year, Crystal Shawanda, will give a concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Rozsa Center.

Speakers' Forum, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23

The Speakers' Forum begins at 10 a.m. in the Rozsa Center with a talk by Jessica Koski, a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC). She completed a BS in Social Sciences in May and is now earning a master's in environmental management at Yale University. Koski will discuss how she navigated college as a Native student.

Jessica Koski, Michigan Tech graduate, addresses a large crowd at Eagle Rock near Big Bay, Mich., during the Protect the Earth event on Aug. 2, 2009. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)*

Lowery Begay, a dazzling championship hoop dancer, will perform from 11 a.m. to noon. Begay grew up on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico and Arizona and spent much of his time with his grandparents learning Navajo ways, which are now both his calling and his career.

Lowery has traveled all over the world and is a flutist, artist and fancy dancer, and is currently ranked fourth in the world as a hoop dancer.

Lowery Begay, renowned Navajo hoop dancer, performs during Michigan Tech's 2007 Spirit of the Harvest Speakers' Forum in the Rozsa Center. He returns to perform again at both the Speakers' Forum Oct. 23 and the Spirit of the Harvest Powwow Oct. 24. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Crystal Shawanda, a Canadian country music singer and member of the First Nations Ojibwe band, will give a talk beginning at 1 p.m. Born in Ontario and raised on a reservation on Manitoulin Island, Shawanda has taken the country music world by storm. Her hit single, "You Can Let Go Now," made it into the top 20 on the Billboard Country Music chart.

Shawanda will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Rozsa Center. (See separate article.)

Spirit of the Harvest Powwow, noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24

The Spirit of the Harvest Powwow begins at noon with a grand entry into the Multipurpose Room at Michigan Tech's Student Development Complex.

Featured performers will be Lawrence Williams, head male dancer; Linda Cohen, head female dancer; Robert Voakes, head youth male; Jade Chauder, head youth female; Robert Rajacic, arena director; Four Thunders, host drum; Loon Travelers, invited drums; Donald Chosa, head veteran; the KBIC Honor Guard; and master of ceremonies Stanley Spruce.

Championship dancer Lowery Begay will give a hoop dance and flute exhibition at 1:30 p.m. Begay contributed art used on the powwow posters, and T-shirts with his artwork will be for sale at the powwow.

The pink shawl presentation will be held at 4:30 p.m.

Native food, art and crafts will be available.

The Spirit of the Harvest Powwow and Speakers' Forum are free and open to the public and hosted by Michigan Tech and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Sponsors include Michigan College/University Partnership, Multicultural Affairs, Student Life, and Institutional Diversity.

For more information, contact Lori Muhlig at 906-487-2920 or at muhlig@mtu.edu.

Editor's Notes: Text of this article courtesy Marcia Goodrich of Tech Today. Reprinted with permission.
* Read more about Jessica Koski in our Aug. 8, 2009, article on the Walk to Eagle Rock.

Finlandia to present "Women of Niskavuori" Oct. 22-25

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University fall play, Women of Niskavuori (or Niskavuoren Naiset), directed by Melvin Kangas, will be performed Oct. 22 to 25 at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening performances (Oct. 22, 23 and 24) begin at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee, Oct. 25, begins at 2:30 p.m.

The play was written in 1936 by Hella Wuolijoki. It is a well-known Finnish play and since the year 2000 has been staged over 40 times in Finland.

Hella Wuolijoki, author of Women of Niskavuori (or Niskavuoren Naiset), Finlandia's fall play, directed by Melvin Kangas. It will be presented Oct. 22-25 in the Finnish American Heritage Center. (Photo courtesy Oren Tikkanen)

The play’s story is one of power, complicated love relations and conflict between the traditional and the modern. Set against the background of the Niskavuori family estate, the play is the first of several plays that follow the events of the Niskavuori family.

Pasi Lautala says, "thanks to Melvin Kangas and crew, [this play] will be performed for the first time in English (at least that we know of)."

It is a brand-new translation and production of the 1936 Finnish play, according to Oren Tikkanen.

"Hella Wuolijoki, 1886-1954, was one of the most colorful personalities in 20th-century Finland," Tikkanen says. "She was a powerful and wealthy woman who headed up successful lumber and petroleum businesses on the one hand and wrote left-wing plays on the other."

Tikkanen points out other contradictions in Wuolijoki's life, which is the subject of a new biographical film, Hella W, currently in production in Finland, with a release date of 2011.

"She was Estonian by birth, but was a passionate Finn," Tikkanen notes. "Her hard-headed capitalism brought her riches, but she turned her swank apartment and country estate into meeting-places for revolutionaries. She was tried for treason because of contact with a Soviet spy -- reportedly to start peace talks -- and was condemned to death, but her sentence was commuted, and by 1946 she was elected to Parliament. Later, she was named as the director of Finnish Broadcasting; and, although she was committed to the working class, she banned Hiski Salomaa's workingman's song, 'Lännen Lokari,' from the radio."

Tickets are $5 per person (free for Finlandia students with I.D.) and may be purchased at the door prior to the performances. For additional information, please contact Melvin Kangas at 906-487-7250.

Community Arts Center to host OctoberFest dance Oct. 24

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock will present their fifth annual OctoberFest from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the South Range Community Hall. Music will be by the Polka Kings and the Swing Cats.

Come out for OctoberFest dinner and dancing! Brats, hotdogs, harvest soup and brew from the Keweenaw Brewing Company will be available for purchase. There will also be a silent art auction, bake sale, a 50/50 raffle and lots of dancing! Make a night of it and bring all of your family and friends. Admission is only $5. Call the Community Arts Center at 482-2333 for more information.

Diwali Night to offer Indian cuisine, entertainment Oct. 23

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech's Indian Students Association (ISA) will celebrate Diwali Night, the Festival of Lights, with a dinner of Indian cuisine from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, in the MUB Commons and Ballrooom, followed by a Cultural Spectacle from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. The performance will include skits, drama, music and dance.

For both dinner and performance, tickets are $18 General Admission, $15 for Students and free for children under 8. Performance only tickets are $8 General Admission. Call 906-487-3200 or go to www.tickets.mtu.edu to purchase tickets. Tickets may also be purchased on campus at the Rozsa Center, Tech Express, the Memorial Union Commons, the Memorial Union Corner Store and the SDC.

Diwali is the biggest festival in India, celebrated with great rejoicing as it marks the victory of good over evil.

For more information, go to the ISA website: http://isa.students.mtu.edu.

Tech Theatre Company presents "The Bald Soprano" and "The Lesson" Oct. 22-24

HOUGHTON -- Two groundbreaking one-act plays by Eugene Ionesco, "The Bald Soprano" and "The Lesson," will be performed this week by the Tech Theatre Company in the McArdle Theatre. The performances will be at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 22 through 24. The Tech Theatre Company is composed of faculty, staff and students of the visual and performing arts department, and for this performance will be directed by assistant professor Patricia Helsel.

Tickets are available at the door only and are $10 for the general public and $5 for student. As part of the Experience Tech program, admission is free for Michigan Tech students.

Helsel says her students find the two Ionesco plays as utterly gripping and edgy as she did in her own college days, and they have enthusiastically enjoyed designing and preparing this production. The designers are advanced students in Tech's bachelor's degree programs in technical theatre and audio production, while the cast includes student actors trained in Tech's acting classes and prior productions.

"My students' enthusiasm proved to me the timelessness of Ionesco and was my inspiration to mount this production," Helsel says. "I've also been profoundly moved by the ability of the plays to evoke such a complex emotional response from the audience."

"The Bald Soprano," a hilarious look at communication in daily life, and "The Lesson," a tragicomic view of communication between a teacher and a student -- or any authority figure and any innocent person -- were pioneering plays in the "theatre of the absurd." The plays "tantalize with colorful and musical language in a circular plot full of contradictions, ironies and comical constructs," Helsel says, even as their meaning is easy to grasp. Pictures of the production can be seen on the web at www.vpa.mtu.edu.

Preschool Family Fun Day to be Saturday, Oct. 24

HOUGHTON -- A Preschool Family Fun Day of games, entertainment and family photos will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Houghton High School Multi-Purpose Room.

The event will also include a concession stand with a variety of food and refreshments.

The Entrance Fee is $5 Per Child, $10 for 2 or more. The Family Fun Day is sponsored by Friends of the Tree House, a Keweenaw Family Resource Center (KFRC) Indoor Playground. For more information call KFRC at 906-482-9363 or visit www.kfrckids.org.

Updated: Local health care reform advocates to tell Congress "It's Time to Deliver" Oct. 20

HOUGHTON -- On Tuesday Oct. 20, Michigan doctors, nurses, seniors, students, community activists and union members will gather at various events, house parties, hospitals and other places of work to call their Representatives and Senators as part of an unprecedented national day of action. Thousands of events are taking place across the country Tuesday to make sure Congress knows it must deliver health care reform that makes quality care affordable for America’s families and businesses.

Among the events scheduled in Michigan, two are in the local area of the Upper Peninsula.

Copper Country residents can attend a talk on Health Care Reform between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the home of Barbara and Suzanne McLean, 41599 Halfmoon Beach Road in Chassell. Barbara traveled to Finland to study their health care system, and Suzanne had surgery in Scotland.* They will also be calling legislators.

In the Marquette area, a "Time to Deliver" call party will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 305 W. Magnetic St, Marquette.

If you have questions about the events, call Valerie Pryzwara of MichUHCAN (Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network) at 734-812-0664.

Update: You can call the Capitol switchboard toll-free and ask to be connected to your Senators and Representative to leave them a message on health care reform: 1-800-828-0498; or you can contact Congressman Bart Stupak's office directly at (202) 225 4735, Sen. Carl Levin at (202) 224-6221 and Sen. Debbie Stabenow at (202) 224-4822.

*Editor's Note: Barbara McLean participated in a panel discussion and spoke about Finland's health care system at the Health Care Forum, "Finding Solutions to the Health Care Crisis," held last summer at the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (KUUF) in Houghton. See our July 7 article about the Forum.

Marquette County Road Commission to meet on Kennecott's road proposal Oct. 19

MARQUETTE -- The Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Monday, Oct. 19, in the Ishpeming Township Hall (note location change). The MCRC will either vote to accept Kennecott Minerals Company's Proposed South Road plan for their proposed Eagle Project sulfide mine or defer the decision until a later meeting.

At a public hearing held Sept 28, a group of 20 citizens voiced their concerns about the proposed route and urged the commission to postpone their decision until Kennecott 1) amends their mining permit and 2) obtains all of the necessary permits to do their mining business.*

This massive road project is expected to do the following:

• degrade and destroy the wilderness highlands of Michigamme Township
• displace wildlife
• open thousands of acres to intensive logging, sulfide mining and other development
• threaten the ecological health of sensitive wetlands, streams and rivers.

Citizens opposed to the road project can take action by attending the meeting Monday night or, if unable to attend, can call MCRC, Jim Iwaniki, today, Monday, and voice their concerns: 906-475-4491 Ext. 200.

*See a map of the road and draft minutes of the Sept. 28 meeting on SavetheWildUP.org

Michigan Ballot Initiative moves forward

Michigan Save Our Water Committee has officially announced the submission of a ballot initiative petition that calls for tougher laws to protect the Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers and the rest of the environment from contamination caused by some types of mining.

Read an overview explaining the Ballot Initiative on miwater.org.

See the Oct. 18, 2009, article, "Mining initiative foes, backers set for long battle," in the Marquette Mining Journal.

Visit SavetheWildUP.org for more updates on the sulfide mining issue.

KLT to sponsor Wetland Ecology outing Oct. 24 at Marsin Center

HANCOCK -- The Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT) will sponsor an outing on Wetland Ecology and Restoration from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Marsin Preserve and Nature Retreat Center, near Oskar.

Join Michigan Tech wetland ecologist Rod Chimner to explore the mysteries of northern white cedar swamps in KLT's Marsin Preserve. Also learn about the planned shoreline wetland restoration project at KLT's Marsin Nature Retreat Center. Wear rubber boots as the cedar swamp will be wet. Meet at the Marsin Preserve trailhead. For more information about Marsin Preserve and directions, go to: http://www.keweenawlandtrust.org/special-marsin.php and click on Directions.

To reserve a place or to obtain information about the outing, e-mail: elillesk@mtu.edu.

For more information about KLT, visit their Web site at www.keweenawlandtrust.org

Calumet United Methodist Church to hold breakfast bazaar Oct. 24

CALUMET -- A breakfast bazaar featuring a variety of luscious breakfast casseroles will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Calumet United Methodist Church.

The casserole menu includes tasty favorites such as broccoli and cheese, southwestern and warm apple.

Tickets are $6. The breakfast also includes fruit, juices, breads, coffee and other beverages. In addition, the United Methodist Women are holding a bake sale; crafts and white elephants will also be available for purchase.

Everyone is welcome. The church is located on the corner of Church Street and U.S. 41 in Calumet.

Taking Education Abroad group to hold fundraisers for Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute

HOUGHTON -- Taking Education Abroad, also known as T.E.A., a student group organized at Michigan Tech University last year to raise money for Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute, for building schools in remote areas of Central Asia, is planning several fund-raising events for this semester.*

The first one will be a Bake Sale to be held from 9 a.m. to about noon on Saturday morning, Oct. 17, during Michigan Tech's D80 Conference in the Memorial Union Ballroom.**

The second will be a Trick or Treat event on Halloween. Student members will be handing out candy and copies of Mortenson's book, Three Cups of TEA, to children in the local community. Students and faculty members from Michigan Tech and Finlandia have been asked to donate used copies of the book. The group welcomes donations from anyone in the community. The book collection is being extended through November so that anyone who goes home at Thanksgiving may still bring the book back and donate it.***

Third, group members will donate their time from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, for Bagging Groceries at Econo-Foods.

Finally, Taking Education Abroad members will hold a Christmas Present Raffle, with ticket sales from Dec. 1-10. The prize will be announced closer to the time of the Raffle.

* In 2008 Greg Mortenson spoke to students and faculty from both Michigan Tech and Finlandia, who had read his book on building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Inspired by the book and Greg's visit, students formed the group, Taking Education Abroad, or T.E.A. Please note that it has no connection with any other groups identified by the letters T.E.A. See our Keweenaw Now Feb. 5, 2009, article on the group and their work.

** Michigan Tech's D80 Conference is a celebration of efforts to to solve issues that confront the world's poorest 80%. Visit their Web site for more information.

*** If you have a copy of Three Cups of Tea to donate to the Taking Education Abroad group for re-distribution, please contact Jessica Banda at jebanda@mtu.edu or Keweenaw Now at andersm@pasty.com.

For more on Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute and their work, visit their Web site.

Photos by Adam Johnson of Brockit Inc. on exhibit at Fifth and Elm, Calumet

CALUMET -- A new exhibit of photographs by Adam Johnson of Brockit Inc. is now on display at the Fifth and Elm Coffee Shop in Calumet.

Photos by Adam Johnson of Brockit Inc. are now on exhibit in the Fifth and Elm Coffee House in Calumet. (Photo and text courtesy Fifth and Elm)

Adam Johnson is unique in his photography as he combines a fine art background with a formal education in engineering and science. The result is distinctive, emotional photographs captured using high technology tools with an artistic eye.

Since forming Brockit Inc. in 2001 and launching brockit.com, his commercial, fine art and portrait work has been visible on the covers and in the pages of magazines, travel guides and books and on websites, billboards and microbrewery walls.*

Self taught, Adam enjoys a diverse client list that keeps him and his Northern Michigan studio and staff busy from coast to coast, providing digital captures, free of manipulation, to the photography agencies and marketing companies for which he freelances. The diversity has taught him to capture images regardless of environment or constraint.

Adam’s charismatic and professional personality provides comfort and confidence, allowing him to capture the natural feelings, expressions and moments of his subjects. This is what motivates Adam as a photographer: being there for that single perfect moment and capturing the emotion in an artistic, timeless shot.

Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Adam and his wife, Robyn, have been using the Keweenaw Peninsula as their home base since 1993. Six-year old daughter, Kora Melia, is a favorite photographic subject for the freelance photographer.

Brockit’s blog and gallery are viewable at: brockit.com.

*Editor's Note: And on Keweenaw Now. Thanks, Adam!

Stupak issues statement on problem of underinsurance, medical debt

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak, (D-MI), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, today held a hearing focusing on the problems of underinsurance and medical debt. The hearing, entitled "Insured But Not Covered: The Problem of Underinsurance," is the third hearing the subcommittee has held on health insurance industry practices since January. Stupak delivered the following statement:

"A few months ago, our Subcommittee held hearings on the health insurance industry practice of terminating coverage after a policy holder becomes sick and files a claim. In our investigation, we learned that if your insurance company believes that your illness may be costly, it will go back and re-examine your application for health insurance to find any excuse to cancel your coverage! As health insurance industry executives brazenly told us, this practice, called rescission, will continue until there is national health care coverage for all Americans.

"Today, we continue our investigation of the private health insurance market focusing on the underinsured. An 'underinsured' person is one who has health insurance coverage but the policy does not adequately cover health care costs or high medical expenses. Underinsured individuals traditionally have high out-of-pocket expenses because of high deductibles and co-pays.

"In some instances, people are underinsured because they can only afford to purchase a policy. In other instances, policy holders believe that they have adequate coverage only to find out that there are limits buried within the policy such as annual caps on the amount the insurance will cover or limits on the number of times the policy holder can receive certain services or treatments.

"Regardless of how you define this financially fragile group, the sad consequences of being underinsured can be devastating, leading to financial ruin, bankruptcy and making medical decisions based on costs rather than care.

"As the cost of health insurance skyrockets, more and more Americans are finding that they can only afford bare bones policies, leaving them one illness, one accident away from bankruptcy. According to an American Journal of Medicine, in 2007, 62 percent of all bankruptcies filed in the United States were related to medical costs and 78 percent of these filers had insurance. Many of these now bankrupt individuals were well educated, owned homes and had middle class occupations. Unfortunately, they were underinsured and their health insurance did not cover their medical costs, forcing them to declare bankruptcy due to mountains of medical bill debt.

"Still, health insurers continue their 'unconscionable' increase in premiums. Between 2000 and 2007, the annual family health insurance premium in Michigan rose 78 percent while wages rose just 4.6 percent. I am currently receiving emails and letters from constituents reporting 22 to 40 percent premium increases in their individual health insurance policies. The average family health insurance policy now costs $13,125, which is 34 percent of the median household income in my congressional district!

"The Commonwealth Fund recently reported that '[a]s a result, more families are experiencing medical bills problems or cost-related delays in getting needed care. In 2007, nearly two-thirds of US adults…116 million people, struggled to pay medical bills, went without needed care because of cost, were uninsured for a time, or were underinsured.'

"Our first panel of witnesses will put a face on the frightening statistics found in the Commonwealth Fund report.

"Catherine Howard was diagnosed with breast cancer at the early age of 29 and survived to tell her story. Being young and healthy with a limited income, Catherine chose a low premium, high co-pay health insurance that left her in financial shambles after her breast cancer. At the time of her illness, she was earning just $20,000 a year but her outstanding medical bills were $40,000 and Catherine was unable to work through her surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. To her credit, Catherine did not declare bankruptcy and is paying $1,800 each month on her outstanding medical debt.

"David Null will speak for his family and his daughter, Tatum, who at the age of seven was diagnosed with liver failure. David bought health insurance for his family to cover emergency situations, not a policy to cover 'head colds.' Still, when Tatum was on life support and needed a lifesaving $560,000 kidney transplant, David learned his 'emergency policy' would only cover between $30,000 and $40,000 and the hospital was demanding a $200,000 deposit before they would proceed with the transplant. Being underinsured left Tatum fighting for her life and David without hope or a prayer. Children's hospital officials helped the Nulls to qualify for the government run, government sponsored, Medicaid health care and the entire hospital bill was retroactively covered. The catch is, the Nulls could not earn more than $1,614 a month or they would lose their Medicaid coverage, which paid for Tatum's medication to prevent organ rejection which can cost thousands of dollars each month.

"Nathan Wilkes will tell us about his employer-provided health insurance with a million dollar limit for each family member. Unfortunately, a million dollars did not go very far when his son was diagnosed severe hemophilia. Even though the Wilkes have paid up to $25,000 in a single year for out-of-pocket costs, Mr. Wilkes is unable to get a policy that will adequately cover his son’s medical expenses. Now, on his third insurance policy, Mr. Wilkes does not know how they will be able to afford his son's life-saving medical treatments.

"Each of these individuals and families did everything right, worked hard, purchased health insurance, paid their premiums but are still left in financial ruin.

"We will also hear from Sara Collins of the Commonwealth Fund. She will discuss their study on how the number of underinsured has dramatically increased over the past few years and how two thirds, 116 million of all U.S. adults, struggle to pay medical bills, like the Nulls, the Wilkes and Ms. Howard.

"Stan Brock is the Director of the Remote Area Medical Foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has spent his life coordinating with physicians, dentists, nurses and other health professionals to provide free health care services to uninsured and underinsured Americans. Mr. Brock will provide his insight and experience on how more and more Americans are showing up at his foundation seeking basic health care because their insurance policies will no longer cover their health care needs.

"Each of us knows a family member, relative, or friend who did not go to a doctor when sick; skipped a dose of medication or failed to fill a prescription; intentionally missed a medical test or a follow up appointment; or did not see a specialists when needed because they could not afford the service, the medication or the test."

Stupak says he hopes every American will now take time to look at their policy in order to answer the following questions:

1. What medical conditions does the policy cover or not cover?
2. What is your co-pay?
3. What is your potential out of pocket cost?
4. Do you have a lifetime cap of dollars or services your insurance company will cover?

"The U.S. House will soon vote on H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009," Stupak adds. "H.R. 3200 does not allow insurance companies to rescind your policies when you are sick, it does not have a lifetime cap and it will cover all Americans. Only with the passage of meaningful health care reform, then and only then, will two thirds of all adults not have to worry about how to obtain medical care for their families while remaining financially secure."

Family Adventures hike to be held at Preserve near Copper Harbor Oct. 17

HOUGHTON -- The next Family Adventures event will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, near Copper Harbor.

Bring your family and join host family, Brian and Rima Carlson, on a hike at The Nature Conservancy’s Mary MacDonald Preserve near Copper Harbor. Children will make nature journals using recycled materials and found objects.

The Western UP Center for Science and Environmental Outreach will bring a first aid kit, binoculars, a variety of ID books, magnifying glasses, pencils and supplies for the nature journals.

Make sure to come prepared! Bring a water bottle and wear good, waterproof walking shoes. Dress warmly and bring hat/gloves, an extra layer of warm clothing and rain gear just in case.

Please contact Rachel Carpenter at rmcarpen@mtu.edu or Michelle Miller at michellem@mtu.edu if you have any questions or are interested in being a host family for a future hike.