Rally to protect public lands, treaty rights to be Sept. 28 in Marquette

From Cynthia Pryor and Stand for the Land:

MARQUETTE -- A Rally to protect public lands and Native American treaty rights will be held at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28, on the Marquette County Courthouse steps in Marquette.

The Rally is to support Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) member Charlotte Loonsfoot, who will be appearing in court Tuesday morning for a plea bargain concerning her May 27, 2010, arrest on Eagle Rock, an Anishinaabeg (Ojibwa) sacred site, for trespassing on state land and treaty-protected ceded territory. Eagle Rock is now being used (and allegedly leased from the State of Michigan) by Rio Tinto - Kennecott for their Eagle Project nickel and copper sulfide mine.

Loonsfoot had been camping at Eagle Rock and was praying when arrested. Kennecott, working with local law enforcement, removed the camp structures and community garden and fenced off public access to Eagle Rock.

The State of Michigan lease, which is considered legal based on permits that are still being questioned, is not going to be allowed in Loonsfoot's legal defense, according to Loonsfoot's attorneys. Thus, she has countered a plea bargain of "no contest" with one month of probation.

Read more about the Rally on Stand for the Land.

Latin Music Party Oct. 2 at Up Hill 41 now smoke-free

Latin Music Party poster courtesy Julio Rivera.

HOUGHTON -- The Latin students from Michigan Tech University will sponsor a Latin Music Party from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Up Hill 41 in Hancock. Admission is open to those 18 years old and over with valid ID (21 to drink). Cover charge is $3.*

Every semester the Latin students from Michigan Tech organize a Latin Music Party at the Up Hill. The event hosts a DJ that plays a variety of Latin rhythms -- including salsa, merengue, bachata and others to keep the crowd dancing ALL night!

The students cordially invite the local community to come and enjoy great dancing in a SMOKE-FREE environment. For those interested in learning to dance salsa, there will be FREE lessons on the following dates:

• Saturday, Sept. 25, starting at 7 p.m. (Community Room at Daniell Heights)
• Sunday, Sept. 26, starting at 3:30 p.m. (SDC dance room)
• Wednesday, Sept. 29, starting at 8 p.m. (Community Room at Daniell Heights)
  

Lessons will start with the very basic steps. No partner needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact julio.l.rivera@gmail.com.

* NOTE: Please bring your passport as an ID if you don't have a driver's license.

Mini Grants for Art and Culture available in Western UP

HANCOCK -- 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 by cash or in kind services, 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.

Any nonprofit organization or government body -- including service organizations, public schools, cities, townships, etc., from the six counties may apply. A panel comprised of knowledgeable individuals from each of the six counties evaluates all funding proposals. A review criterion includes artistic merit, sound planning and management, as well as community service. Geographic distribution, underserved populations, cultural diversity, and a variety of arts disciplines are considered when determining awards.

There is one round of funding for fiscal year 2011. The deadline is Nov. 1, 2010, for projects taking place Feb. 1 through Sept. 30, 2011. Applications are available on line at www.coppercountryarts.com or at the Community Arts Center, 126 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI 49930. Contact Cynthia Coté, Re-granting Coordinator at (906) 482-2333 or e-mail cynthia@coppercountryarts.com for more information or technical assistance.

Hughes Farm offers natural produce for local community

At the Hughes Farm near Calumet, neat rows of vegetables and a large greenhouse for extending the season are evidence of the farm's successful production of authentic local food despite the short Keweenaw growing season. The Hughes market, located at the farm, will remain open through the third week of October this year. (July 2009 photos by Keweenaw Now)*

By Tom Graham**

CALUMET -- Just outside Calumet and about two and half miles off US 41 down Golf Course Road, you’ll find one of the sweetest-smelling plots of land around. It comes courtesy of Gary and Pat Hughes and their 40 acres of fruits and vegetables.

However, life on this farm hasn’t always smelt so sweet. Gary, Pat and family have worked hard for years to create their farm.

Gary and his wife Pat are downstate Michigan natives and met while attending college. They developed a special fondness for this area after spending a summer near L’Anse. When Pat found work with the C-L-K school district, they moved up for good.

Gary and Pat Hughes at home on their farm near Calumet.

What the Hugheses now call their business started out in 1979 as little more than an old farm house and 40 acres of land. Pat and Gary, with help from their three children and others along the way, cleared and shaped the land into the farm that it is today.

"I’ve always had an interest in getting my hands dirty and growing things," Gary explained as his motivation for developing the family business.

The Hugheses' remodeled farmhouse as it is today, with the attached greenhouse that has served as the starting spot for many of their vegetables. (Photo © 2010 Tom Graham for Keweenaw Now)

One of the first changes was an addition to the house that included a greenhouse. This allows for planting as early as March or April. The Hugheses also constructed two ponds to allow for consistent and relatively easy watering of crops.

This is one of the ponds constructed especially for watering crops on the Hughes Farm.

In the early 1980s the Hughes Farm gained a reputation for having first-class, all natural strawberries. The decision to grow organic produce was simple according to Gary: "Why use chemicals if you don’t have to?"

The trade-off comes with the added time and labor it takes to combat weeds and wildlife. To help with the additional work load, the Hugheses typically hire two seasonal employees.

The farm once was certified organic, but in recent years the additional cost and paperwork with the certification process have become overbearing. Consequently, even though the Hugheses still maintain their organic practices, their crops technically fall under the "authentic" category as defined by the Marquette Food Co-op.

In the mid-1980s the Hugheses expanded from berries to vegetables and added fruit trees by the end of the decade. By the early 1990s they had added four free-standing hoop greenhouses, mainly to accommodate pepper and tomato plants.

Inside one of his greenhouses, Gary Hughes, second from left, talks about his plants and answers questions posed by participants in the July 2009 Reading the Landscape Sustainable Farming tour of the Hughes Farm.*

The plants inside the greenhouses grow considerably quicker and larger than any grown outside and uncovered. By mid-July the tomato plants are a good three feet tall with tomatoes the size of pears that fill the air with an indescribably earthy scent. Technological advances in the plastic used to cover the greenhouses have helped increase plant production while reducing the frequency of maintenance.

Lisken Van Pelt Dus of Pittsfield, Mass., admires tomato plants inside one of the greenhouses on the Hughes Farm. Lisken, along with her mother, Patricia Van Pelt of Hancock, participated in the July 2009 Reading the Landscape tour of the farm.

With the exception of a few chickens there are no animals on this farm to provide a key ingredient to a good harvest -- proper soil nutrients. The primary source of nutrients for the vegetables and strawberries on the Hughes Farm comes from winter cover crops. A combination of rye and hairy vetch is planted in plots that are open after harvesting. The mix is left to grow in late fall and early spring before being worked into the soil using machinery prior to spring planting. Once worked under, the decaying plant material provides the fertilizer, particularly nitrogen, that the vegetables need to grow over the course of the season.

Inside one of his greenhouses Gary Hughes explains to Reading the Landscape participants how he uses rye and hairy vetch to enrich the soil and how he plays music for his plants! (July 2009 videoclip by Keweenaw Now)

With nearly 40 types of fruits and vegetables, the Hugheses aren’t going to be put out from the loss of one or two crops. By diversifying the crops, they stand less risk if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate -- sort of a "don’t put all your eggs in one basket" approach. This year’s spring, which was unusually dry and particularly early, was no exception to the weather anomalies of the Upper Peninsula.

Artist Margo McCafferty Rudd demonstrates sketching vegetables to participants in the July 2009 Reading the Landscape Sustainable Farming tour of the Hughes Farm. The Reading the Landscape field trips combine art and natural history of the local area.

Weather isn’t the only enemy to combat. The crops grown in outdoor plots are left vulnerable to wildlife. Some of these plots are protected from wildlife by fencing or specially coated ribbon designed to deter animals like deer.

The specially coated ribbon, visible here in the foreground, deters animals from invading outdoor plots on the Hughes Farm.

The Hugheses market the majority of their produce right from the farm. The on-farm shop accounts for about 85 percent of their yearly sales, with the Keweenaw Co-op and other local grocery stores handling the rest.

Even now, in early fall, the market offers a wide variety of produce, including bumper crops of pumpkins and onions, Gary noted.

The recent frost that affected some gardens in the Keweenaw did not reach the Hughes farm because of their location high on a hill.

"We didn't get a frost," Gary said. "The air moves down the hill (so) the frost doesn't have a chance to settle."

This great view of the landscape from the Hughes Farm shows how its location, being on a hill, protects it from frost. Covers like this one in the foreground also protect plants from inclement weather and insects.

In addition to the pumpkins and onions, the Hughes market now also offers quantities of gourds, corn stalks, winter squash, cucumbers, carrots, beets, potatoes, lettuce, kale and chard, Gary said.

"We're going to be open probably through the third week in October," he predicted.

Pat explained that when operating the store, a typical morning starts with everyone picking. As the time to open approaches, she heads up and readies the shop. Once it is open, Pat spends her day weighing and cashiering and keeping the various items stocked while Gary and the employees continue to pick and tend to the crops.

Pat and Gary said their business has really taken off and been consistently busy over the last ten years.

The day-to-day grind of operating the farm shows not only in their hands, but hearts as well. Although proud of the business they’ve nurtured, when asked what their future plans included, Gary simply stated, "Retirement!"

The Hugheses are grateful for the community support they receive and work to return the favor in their spare time. Not only do they offer the community healthy all-natural produce, but they share their knowledge of the land with students from the C-L-K school district.

Pat handles most of the details, explaining to the children where the fruits and vegetables they eat come from and what they look like prior to processing. She even helps guide the students to select appropriate vegetation, hardy to the area, for the school’s student-led Heritage Garden Project. The gardening program is funded through a grant from the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative and support from other community partners. The purpose of the grant is to engage students in activities that benefit their community, school and the Lake Superior watershed -- all virtues that Pat and Gary support and participate in.***

Interested in enjoying the tastes, texture and smells of all-natural produce grown right here in the Keweenaw? Then stop by the farm and see what’s available. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through the third week of October. Raspberries and strawberries are available to be picked throughout the season when announced or by appointment. For more information, look for their signs along the road, give them a call, or check out their website at www.hughesfarm.net.

Editor's Notes: * Photos for this article, with one exception, were taken by Keweenaw Now during the July 2009 Reading the Landscape Sustainable Farming tour of the Hughes Farm and are reprinted here with Gary Hughes' permission. Reading the Landscape is a collaborative program of art and natural history field trips sponsored by several local conservation groups. Read more about it on the Gratiot Lake Conservancy Web site.

** Guest reporter Tom Graham wrote this article for David Clanaugh's recent summer journalism class at Michigan Tech University.

*** See our Aug. 14 article, "C-L-K school garden project yields rich harvest," by Madeline Baron and David Clanaugh.

History series to present discoveries on Cliff Mine Sept. 23

EAGLE RIVER -- Have you ever walked along one of the trails at the Cliff mine, stumbled upon a crumbling masonry ruin, and wondered what it was? If you are one of the many people who explore the site, chances are you have come across a feature you can’t identify. Join Sean Gohman as he describes recent archeological investigations to learn more about these features and this significant copper mine.

This program will be held at 7 p.m on Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Eagle River Community Center, located at 57935 Calumet Avenue in Eagle River, Mich. It is part of the Fourth Thursday in History program sponsored by Keweenaw National Historical Park.

The Cliff mine began in 1845. The first Keweenaw mine to pay its investors a dividend, the Cliff operated successfully until 1869, when production dropped for the first time. Different mining companies continued to work the lode on and off until 1931; the shafts were finally capped in the 1960s. Today, only remnants of this once-mighty mine mark the landscape: poor rock piles, masonry foundations, and wagon road traces provide clues to the how the men, women and children of this mine lived, worked and played. Gohman, a PhD student at Michigan Technological University, spent the summer documenting the site as part of an archeological field school and will share what he and the other students discovered.

The Fourth Thursday in History series arranges public presentations on important aspects of Copper Country and regional history, including techniques for historic preservation. Presentations are scheduled in venues throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, particularly at historic sites associated with specific topics. They are free and open to the public.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at 906-337-3168, or check the web at www.nps.gov/kewe.

Ski Club volunteers replace bridge on Churning Rapids trails

By Arlyn and Sandy Aronson*

HANCOCK -- On Saturday, Sept. 18th, a covey of volunteers gathered in Churning Rapids to replace the old Spring Creek bridge. This is part of Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club’s ongoing effort to make the trails more fun to ski, not to mention safer for skiers and the groomers to use.

The first step was removal of the old unit. Pictured here are Sean Boyden, Michigan Tech chemical engineering student, and Arlyn Aronson, who is bashfully operating the club's UTV. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos © and courtesy Arlyn and Sandy Aronson)

Next was the building of the new 8-foot wide, 16-foot long structure that will be much higher, keeping it out of high water, and of course wider so that it is safer for our skiers to use.

Sean Boyden, left, and Jay Green, Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club president, work on the new bridge.

Done! And most of the wonderful crew who worked on it can be seen here on the new bridge. Pictured, from left, are Rich Feathery; Sean Boyden; Pat Davis from Madison, Wis.; Jay Green; and Sandy Aronson. Not pictured is Betsy Hagens, also of Madison, Wis.

With the generous assistance of volunteers and the memberships, Keweenaw Nordic Ski club will continue to upgrade their equipment and trails, making them more fun to ski on, plus hike/bike/run over the summer months. Over the past five years they’ve purchased a volume of tools used by the groomers and the volunteers for the upkeep of these trails.

Gromit, the trail boss, supervises the work and the fun.

For this project, special thanks to Terry Kinzel and Sue Ellen Kingsley of Churning Rapids for their financial assistance with the Spring Creek bridge replacement.

Finlandia crew to brush trail Sept. 25

At 9 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 25, a Finlandia crew will be brushing and lopping their way upstream on the trail starting at Tomasi Road, to the green gate at Churning Rapids. This section can’t be done with the towed mower and must be done by hand. We’ll meet at the RR grade and Tomasi Road intersection and hike down to the creek from there. We’ll have six to eight folks helping. Maybe you’d like to help us feed them with some baked goods??? We’re going to supply them with a hot lunch of garden carrot soup. If you could help feed them or would like to lend a hand clearing this section, we’d be most appreciative.

This photo shows what happens when the trail boss finds someone hasn’t pulled their weight. ;-)

If you’d like to help with materials or volunteer, just get in touch with us by emailing arlyn@superiortandems.com or by calling 906-370-2911.

Please note that your membership is also very important, and you can get that at http://www.keweenawtrails.com/ Be sure to look for Keweenaw Nordic Ski club membership application. Together we’ll make the trails better yet!!

*Editor's Note: Guest authors / photographers Arlyn and Sandy Aronson are active members of the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club (KNSC), which maintains the Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids cross-country ski trails in Hancock. Arlyn is also the lead groomer. For more information about KNSC, visit their Web site.

Katie Alvord: Happy World Carfree Day, Sept. 22!

By Katie Alvord

HOUGHTON -- Happy World Carfree Day! Cruise the international news online, and you'll find evidence of some of the roughly 1,000 Carfree Day events being held today in a reported 40 countries around the globe. Click here to read more on Katie Alvord's Divorce Your Car blog.

Photo: Katie Alvord, Keweenaw Now guest author, practicing what she preaches in Houghton. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo © Mary Been)

Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club Board to meet Sept. 22

HANCOCK -- The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club (KNSC) will hold its monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the Hancock Chalet. All are welcome.

On Saturday, Sept. 18, Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club volunteers replaced the old Spring Creek bridge on the the Churning Rapids trail. Pictured here, from left, are Rich Feathery; Sean Boyden; Pat Davis from Madison, Wis.; Jay Green; and Sandy Aronson. Not pictured is Betsy Hagens, also of Madison, Wis. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Arlyn Aronson) Watch for more photos, coming soon!

The agenda includes such new business as Mike Young and the Ski Tigers, Shopko grant, bridge work, the Barneløpet and more.

Contact Jay Green, KNSC president, at jbgreen45@charter.net for directions, to add agenda items, or to ask a question.

Headwaters News: Michigan regulators unsure how to enforce changes to Rio Tinto's Eagle Mine

By Gabriel Caplett of Headwaters News

MARQUETTE -- Since earlier this month Rio Tinto has been burying electric lines underneath County Road AAA in northern Marquette County. The underground lines will connect the company’s Eagle Mine with new power lines running on County Road 550, leading to a coal-fired power station in Marquette.

According to regulators at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), connecting the electric line to the mine site would be illegal. Or, it isn’t. It really depends who you talk with. Read the rest of this Sept. 21 article on Headwaters News.

"Green Maps of the World" exhibit opens at Finlandia Gallery

HANCOCK -- "Green Maps of the World: Charting a Sustainable Future," an exhibit created by internationally respected ecological designer Wendy Brawer, is featured at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock, through Oct. 16, 2010.

Wendy Brawer (second from right) and her design team. (Photo © Carlos Martinez)

An Opening Reception will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23. The designer will speak at 7:15 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Wendy Brawer has written about, taught, and shared information and inspiration about eco-design for more than a decade. Her New York-based company, Modern World Design, consults and creates services and products that promote ecological stewardship.

The "Green Maps of the World" exhibit features green maps from around the world, and introduces the Keweenaw Green Map in an interactive display.

The Keweenaw Green Map was initiated by the Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center (SKRC), Hancock, with support from Finlandia University.

SKRC co-director Barb Hardy explains that the Keweenaw Green Map is an online map charting local businesses, projects, happenings and other sites that play a part in sustainable community development.

Green Maps are designed to be explored, customized, and enhanced by their users.

The public can view, interact and contribute to the Keweenaw Green Map at www.keweenawgreenmap.net, or at the SKRC at the Finlandia University Jutila Center campus, Hancock.

Rick Loduha, Finlandia University associate professor of Interdisciplinary Design, became acquainted with Brawer in 1993 at an Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) conference.

"We were both speaking on sustainable design, but she packed the house," Loduha recalls. "At the time, she was working on the Green Apple Map for New York City, the precursor to the now globally accepted International Green Map System. We are very excited that Wendy has made time to visit the U.P."

Brawer will be on the Finlandia University campus Sept. 22 to 24 to work with Finlandia University Interdisciplinary Design majors.

Brawer's Green Apple Map sparked a revolution in the way cities are mapped. The Green Apple Map charts the environmentally and culturally significant places in New York City.

Three years later, in 1995, Brawer launched the Green Map System (GMS), a universally shared visual language of icons and programs for both city-wide and youth mapmakers.

The GMS engages local citizens in the mapping of a community's interdependent environmental, social, and economic systems. This system of mapping has gained the creative support and involvement of a diverse network of designers, environmentalists, activists, students, engaged citizens and civil servants.

With nearly 700 locally-led Green Map projects in 55 countries, the Green Map System has become a global effort. Today, hundreds of printed and interactive online Green Maps highlight and link local nature, culture, and green living resources. For more information about the GMS, visit www.greenmap.org.

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., Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 12 noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.

Kids Consignment Sale to be Sept. 24-25

HOUGHTON -- The Keweenaw Family Resource Center (KFRC) will be holding a fundraising Kids Consignment Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24-25, at the Copper Country Mall on M-26 in Houghton. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the KFRC Tree House Indoor Playground.

The half-price sale starts at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25. Payment must be cash or check only, no credit cards. New Moms and Moms-To-Be can sign up for the First-Time Mom's Club and shop before the sale starts (no strings attached!).

Updated: Houghton Dems to hold conference call with Gary McDowell Sept. 20

HOUGHTON -- The Houghton County Democratic Party announces a conference call event with First District Congressional candidate and State Rep. Gary McDowell at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Monday, Sept. 20, at the Democrats' Headquarters, 509 Shelden Avenue, Houghton.

"It's a great opportunity to hear from Gary and from fellow Dems and volunteers across the district," says Jesse Burnett, a new Field Organizer for the coordinated campaign (Michigan's 1st District). "If you'd like to ask Gary a question and help out with calls come to the Houghton County Democratic Party office before 7 p.m. After the Q and A session we'll have a phone bank until 9 p.m. Hope to see you all there."

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jesse Burnett at joiburnett@gmail.com or 906-360-8003.

"I'll be in the office just about every day between now and election day, so stop by and say hi when you get a chance," Burnett adds.

Campaign Kickoff Saturday, Sept. 25

The Houghton County Democrats will hold a Campaign Kickoff from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Ramada Inn, with live music and refreshments. Tickets are $10 a person. To order tickets, click here.

Monday, Oct. 4, is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 2 election. For Michigan voter registration information click here.

For more information about Gary McDowell, visit his Web site or see our Sept. 10 article, "Gary McDowell, Congressional candidate, visits Houghton County Dems."

Update: Highway Cleanup Sept. 21

The Houghton County Democratic Party will clean its Adopted Highway at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 21. They will meet at their Adopt-A-Highway sign on M26 between Ripley and Dollar Bay.

Portage Library to host music, alternative medicine programs Sept. 21, 22

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will host "Big Violins for Little People" from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, for children of all ages.

Libby Meyer, director of the Copper Country Suzuki Association (CCSA), and Amanda Plummer of Keweenaw Family Music will be joined by CCSA students for an hour of music making and dancing.

Children of all ages are encouraged to participate. An instrument "petting zoo" where children can try out the stringed instruments will follow.

Alternative medicine talk Sept. 22

Rachele Bachran from the Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department will present "Time to Talk" from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the Portage Lake District Library.

Time to Talk is an educational campaign that has been launched by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health at Bethesda, Maryland.

The purpose of the campaign is to encourage patients, particularly those aged 50 and older, and their health care providers to openly discuss the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Talking not only allows fully integrated care, but it also minimizes risks of interactions with a patient’s conventional treatments.

Bachran will give participants a TELL tip sheet for patients, an ASK tip sheet for providers, patient wallet cards to keep track of all medicines including CAM therapies, and postcards listing additional online resources. She will also show a brief power point presentation and explain details about the Time to Talk campaign.

Bachran is a School and Community Health Educator with the Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department and has an M.S. degree in Health Promotion.

Everyone is welcome to attend and library presentations are free. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Sibelius Academy Festival to feature folk, classical, contemporary music Sept. 21-25

HANCOCK -- Three music genres and three nations are represented at this year’s Finlandia University Sibelius Academy Music Festival! The genres are folk, classical, and contemporary. The nations are Finland, Spain, and Estonia.

The 12th annual Sibelius Festival takes place next week, Tuesday, Sept. 21, to Saturday, Sept. 25. Student musicians from the Sibelius Music Academy of Helsinki, Finland, will present five concerts at four locations in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Here’s a look at the musicians:

From Finland comes the folk duo PAJU -- Pauliina Pajala, who plays fiddle, viola, and nyckelharpa (a traditional Swedish string instrument), and Juulia Salonen, who sings and plays accordion and puhaltimet (a Finnish wind instrument). The repertoire of these playful and spontaneous musicians includes modern and traditional Finnish and Finnish-Swedish folk tunes and their own compositions.

The Finnish folk duo PAJU -- Pauliina Pajala on fiddle and Juulia Salonen with puhaltimet (a Finnish wind instrument) -- will perform during the Finlandia University Sibelius Academy Music Festival next week, Sept. 21-25, in Hancock, Calumet and Ishpeming. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

From Spain, Duo Aguirre and León will perform popular traditional Spanish folk songs and selections from contemporary Spanish, Argentinean, Finnish, and Norwegian composers. Accordionist Arantza Aguirre and clarinetist Ana León have performed numerous concerts and music festivals in Barcelona and other cities in Spain.

Accordionist Arantza Aguirre, left, and clarinetist Ana León will perform popular traditional Spanish folk songs and selections from contemporary Spanish, Argentinean, Finnish, and Norwegian composers during the Sibelius Academy Music Festival.

From Estonia, pianist Maria Aru will perform classical piano pieces by Beethoven and Schumann, as well as compositions by 20th-century Estonian and American composers.

Estonian pianist Maria Aru will perform a solo concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock and will participate in the five-musician concerts in Calumet and Ishpeming as well.

Two of this year’s Sibelius Festival events are daytime concerts in Calumet and Ishpeming, which are free for middle and high school music students and their teachers. These concerts -- at Ishpeming’s W.C. Peterson Auditorium and the Calumet Theatre -- are intended to connect youth with other cultures and inspire them in their music-making. The informal 90-minute concerts will include comments from the musicians about themselves, their instruments, and their lives as musicians, followed by short performances. Community members are invited to attend for just $5 per person, general admission.

Here is the concert line-up:

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, folk duo PAJU, will appear at the Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy St., Hancock. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students.

The five musicians will present a free concert for middle and high school music students at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at W.C. Peterson Auditorium, 319 E. Division St., Ishpeming. The informal concert is open to the public; tickets are $5 for community members.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, classical pianist Maria Aru will perform at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1000 Quincy St., Hancock. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students.

At 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, the five musicians will present a free concert for middle and high school music students at the Calumet Theatre, 340 6th St., Calumet. The informal concert is open to the public; tickets are $5 for community members.

All five musicians will present a full length concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Calumet Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students.

Concert tickets may be purchased at North Wind Books, Hancock, on-line at http://finlandia-university.ticketleap.com, or at the door prior to each performance. Calumet Theatre performance tickets are also available at the theatre. Finlandia University students may attend the concerts free.

For additional information about the 12th annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival, please visit the Finlandia Web site, or contact festival coordinator Karen Johnson at karen.johnson@finlandia.edu or call 906-487-7348.

For the most accomplished student musicians in Finland (and for musicians around the world) the Sibelius Academy is the destination for the best and brightest. The prestigious Sibelius Academy, founded in 1882 and named for Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, is one of the largest and best regarded music academies in Europe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conglomerate Falls update:

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

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

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

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

Update: Beach Cleanup in Big Bay Sept. 25

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

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

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

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

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

McDowell, Stupak, blast Benishek's statement on drugs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

D80 Conference presenters' deadline is Sept. 17

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Videos and more photos from the 2009 Parade of Nations:

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

Turkish families and students march in the 2009 Parade.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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