Community Arts Center to host sculpture installation by Ronda Jones

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center will host "Imaginary Friends," a sculpture installation by Ronda Jones, in the Kerredge Gallery from Sept. 8 - Oct. 1.

Artist Ronda Jones is pictured here with one of her "imaginary friends." (Photo courtesy Community Arts Center)

The public is invited to a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, to meet the artist and enjoy refreshments.

In her statement about the exhibit, Jones writes, "Born of long days alone in my parents’ back yard, 'Imaginary Friends' is a body of needle felted wool and mixed media sculpture that pays tribute to the magical creatures, friend and foe, I created as a five year old to keep me company and to explain the unexplainable."

Ronda Jones is a graduate of Finlandia University’s International School of Art and Design. She is a full-time studio artist and a full-time Mom to a creative child with a wild imagination of his own.

This exhibit is supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. For more information call 482-2333 or visit the website at coppercountryarts.com.

Sit-in against Tar Sands XL Pipeline concludes peacefully Sept. 3; national campaign to follow

Article and photos by Kate Flynn*

In front of the White House, protesters against the Tar Sands XL Pipeline display signs on Saturday, Sept. 3, the final day of the peaceful two-week sit-in and civil disobedience. Their signs and banners were later taken away by the United States Park Police before the police began making arrests. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos © 2011 and courtesy Kate Flynn)

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- A White House sit-in that has been called the largest environmental civil disobedience act in decades culminated in two days of protest on Friday, Sept. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 3. The 14-day sit-in was held in objection to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project, which would transport crude oil over a distance of 1,980 miles from Canada to the U.S.

Organizers are pledging to escalate a nationwide campaign to push President Obama to deny the permit for the pipeline.

Climate activist Bill McKibben, who helped organize the protest, encouraged attendees not to view the fight against the pipeline as over.

Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist, who was one of the first leaders arrested during the sit-in, addressed assembled protesters on Saturday., Sept. 3, the fourteenth and final day of protest outside the White House against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. "This has turned into the biggest civil disobedience protest about anything this century," he stated.

"The next month or two are going to be absolutely crucial," he told those assembled before Saturday’s sit-in.

Hundreds of individuals took to the sidewalk in front of the White House on both days, risking arrest by the United States Park Police, while dozens more held signs, danced and sang across the street in Lafayette Square. The protest, which has been going on for the past fourteen days, has seen 1,252 arrests.

Protesters in front of the White House on Saturday, Sept. 3, display signs objecting to the Keystone XL Pipeline. "Game Over" is what NASA climate scientist James Hansen, who was arrested during the protest last week, said about the tar sands exploitation and the pipeline. A petition with more than 600,000 signatures opposing the pipeline was delivered to the White House on Sept. 3.

"Third warning, they came out and got us," said Joey Firman of Arlington, Va., who was arrested on Thursday after being asked to leave the sidewalk area three times by police. Firman and other protesters were not jailed upon arrest, but rather brought to a processing center and required to pay a $100 fine before being released. “Even my SWAT-team guy who arrested me, he was like, 'Tell me about this pipeline,'" Firman said. "So I told him about it for like three minutes and he was like, 'Thank you.'"

The protest has been largely peaceful and has seen support from people all over North America, as well as the local D. C. area. A number of indigenous leaders, many of whose communities would be directly affected by the pipeline, made their voices heard on Friday.

During the sit-in on Friday, Sept. 2, protesters hold a sign that says, "Respect Sovereignty / Honor Indigenous Rights." Several indigenous leaders addressed the crowd in front of the White House.

Chief Bill Erasmus -- of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada -- said his people are already being affected by the tar sands and pipeline.

Chief Bill Erasmus of the Dene Nation in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, speaks to assembled protesters on Friday, Sept. 2.

"We want people to know what our concerns are. We're saying that this pipeline is not needed," Chief Erasmus said. “Our people, in some areas, can no longer eat the fish. Our people can no longer drink the water. The oil is not for America; the oil is for the highest bidder."

Deborah Whitebloom of the Oklahoma Lakota Nation addressed the fact that the pipeline would cross the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the world.

Deborah Lightbloom of the Oklahoma Lakota Nation speaks to assembled protesters on Friday, Sept. 2. She addressed the fact that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would cross roughly 2,000 streams, lakes and creeks, as well as the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world's largest aquifers.

"This is our territory," Whitebloom said. "We have to stand up and say no -- say no to the pipeline, say no to the corporations."

Candy Mosset spoke to assembled protesters on behalf of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

"It's going to affect all of us; it is, in fact, affecting all of us," she said, referring to the negative environmental impacts of the pipeline.

During the Sept. 2 protest, Candy Mosset speaks on behalf of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

Maryland State Sen. Paul Pinsky also addressed the protesters on Friday, Sept. 2.

"We have to move in a forward direction," said Pinsky. "We need solar, we need wind. We have to speak truth to power."

Pinsky also said that he disputes the State Department’s final Environmental Impact Statement, released on August 26th, on the proposed pipeline. The report concludes that any environmental impact of the pipeline will be minimal. Pinsky was later one of the estimated 166 people arrested on Friday, Sept. 2.

Maryland State Senator Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George's) makes a public statement before the Friday, Sept. 2, White House sit-in. He was later arrested.

Many see the pipeline issue as crucial to whether or not President Obama will receive voter support from environmentalists in the next election cycle.

Members of the Ali-Latouche family, of Berwyn Heights, Md., line up on Fri., Sept. 2, to take part in the protest.

"This is a real chance for Obama to take a stand on something," said attendee Steve Paisley, of Ithaca, New York. "He is not going to get reelected by doing what he’s been doing, which is waffling and compromising and doing nothing. No one on the left is going to support that; even people in the middle are going to recognize someone who stands up for what they believe in, even if they don’t share that belief."

The Reverend Lennox Yearwood, a D.C.-area minister and community activist, addresses assembled supporters and protesters after the sit-in on Saturday, Sept. 3.

The final State Department hearing on the Keystone XL pipeline will be held on Oct. 7, 2011. A final decision on the pipeline is expected from President Obama by the end of the year.

Editor's Notes:

*Guest reporter Kate Flynn is a graduate student in journalism at American University in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Hancock High School and Beloit College. Kate also worked as a journalism intern for both Keweenaw Now and the L'Anse Sentinel in 2010. This is her second article on the Keystone XL Pipeline protest. Click here to read her first article in this series, posted Aug. 31, 2011.

** See "The Indigenous Call: Take Back Our Future," a short video clip showing indigenous people at the protest, including some being arrested.

Tars Sands Action, organizers of the sit-in, will soon announce Phase 2 of the protest against the pipeline. Visit their Web site for updates.

Updated: Tall Ships Regatta photos from Turku, Finland

Editor's Update: On Aug. 29, 2011, we published this article with links to photos of the Tall Ships Regatta in Turku, Finland. Since then we received permission to publish some of the individual photos. Here is the revised article with photos of the Tall Ships and some additional photos from readers in Turku, Finland:

Aug. 28, 2011, photo of Tall Ships Regatta, Turku, Finland. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © 2011 Shoja Lak. Turun Tietokuva Oy. Reprinted with permission. Photos courtesy Kalle Ipatti, Photographer-in-Chief, Turun Sanomat)*

TURKU, FINLAND -- The city of Turku, Finland, celebrated a Tall Ships Regatta in late August. The Regatta was reportedly the biggest event in the celebration this summer of Turku as the 2011 European Capital of Culture.

View of one of the tall ships participating in the Tall Ships Regatta in Turku, Finland, celebrating the city as the 2011 European Capital of Culture. (Photo © 2011 Shoja Lak. Turun Tietokuva Oy. Reprinted with permission. )

Keweenaw Now reader Annukka Vepsäläinen, a resident of Turku, who directed us to these photos in the Turku newspaper Turun Sanomat, recalls her own experience at the Tall Ships Regatta a few years ago with her partner, Pasi Laihonen:

"Pasi and I had the chance to be there a few years ago when the same ships were leaving Turku. One of Pasi's friends has a beautiful boat, made according to the style of a typical archipelago boat. It was an experience I'll never forget. There were hundreds of boats there to witness the moment. I'm adding a picture from 2006 when Pasi, I and some friends were going on a short trip with that same boat."

The Tall Ships Regatta brought back memories for Annukka Vepsäläinen of Turku -- including the memory of taking a trip in this Finnish archipelago boat, in which she had also witnessed the Tall Ships Regatta in Turku. (Photo © 2006 Pasi Laihonen and courtesy Annukka Vepsäläinen. Reprinted with permission.)

Annukka Vepsäläinen and Pasi Laihonen relax in the Finnish archipelago boat. (Photo © 2006 and courtesy Annukka Vepsäläinen. Reprinted with permission.)*

Click here for a night photo with fireworks.

Click here for more photos, including close-ups of the ships.

Click here to read -- in English -- about Turku's Summer of Culture celebration held on the banks of the River Aura.

* Editor's Note: Thanks (kiitos) to our reader Annukka Vepsäläinen, a resident of Turku, for directing us to news of the Regatta in the Turku newspaper Turun Sanomat; thanks to Kalle Ipatti, Turun Sanomat Photographer-in-Chief, for permission to use photos of the Tall Ships; and to Pasi Laihonen for his photos.

Portage Library to host Survival Shelter Building Program

HOUGHTON -- David Talaga, founder of the Houghton Primitive Skills and Wilderness Survival School, will teach children and adults how to build a survival shelter at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the Tech Trails in Houghton.

This program will take participants out of the library and into the woods. Participants will first walk around the Tech Trails to see various survival shelters that kids have built. The group will then work together to build a survival shelter.

In this program, participants will learn which types of trees make the best shelter, what to avoid when setting up a shelter, what are the best types of materials for covering your shelter, different types of shelter construction methods, and hands-on construction of a lean-to survival shelter.

Participants should meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Tech Trails parking lot off of Sharon Ave. Hiking shoes or boots, a light jacket, and a water bottle are recommended.

Talaga has been learning and teaching wilderness survival and primitive skills for over nine years. He studied at the Tom Brown, Jr., Tracker School and also studied under Dave Canterbury, co-host of "Dual Survival," a wilderness survival documentary television series on the Discovery Channel.

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

Mini-grants available to non-profits for arts, cultural projects

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Council is accepting applications from non-profit organizations for mini-grants of up to $4,000 for arts and cultural projects. The deadline for submission of applications is Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Funding is for projects that take place between Feb. 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2012.

The Mini-grant program is a grants-giving partnership funded by the State of Michigan through the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and administered by agencies in each region of the state. The Copper Country Community Arts Council serves as the Regional Re-granting Agency for the six counties in the Western UP.

MCACA mini-grants are available to registered non-profit organizations located in Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties. These include (but are not limited to) service organizations, arts and historical organizations, churches, professional associations, public and non-public schools, and municipalities.

Mini-grants provide up to $4,000 for locally developed, high quality arts and cultural projects, which are special opportunities to address local arts and cultural needs and increase public access to arts and culture. Mini-grant funds require a 1:1 match which can be cash or in-kind.

Mini-grant applications must be submitted to the Community Arts Center by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Awards will be announced in January 2012. Applications and guidelines are available on the Copper Country Community Arts Council web site (www.coppercountryarts.com) or by phoning (906) 482-2333.

The Community Arts Center will host a grant writing workshop designed to assist organizations interested in applying for Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) Mini-grant funds. The workshop will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, at the Community Arts Center located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Please phone 482-2333 to reserve your space. Technical assistance is also available by appointment.

For more information, call Regional Re-granting Coordinator Cynthia Coté at 482-2333 or email cynthia@coppercountryarts.com.

Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club to hold meeting Sept. 7

HANCOCK -- KNSC (Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club) will hold its first meeting of the season at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Hancock Chalet. The general public is welcome. For those new to the area, KNSC is a nonprofit club that maintains the Maasto Hiitto/ Churning Rapids classic cross country ski trail system in and adjacent to the City of Hancock.

The Hancock Chalet is at the Houghton County Fair Grounds (also called the Driving Park). More questions, call Jay Green, president, at 906-487-5411.

Groups ask Judge to halt mine blasting at Eagle Rock

By Michele Bourdieu with information from Stand for the Land:

MARQUETTE -- This week a coalition of groups asked a judge to halt imminent mining activity that would desecrate a sacred Native American site and jeopardize water quality for the Great Lakes and one of the region’s last spawning grounds for the coaster brook trout.

The Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, National Wildlife Federation and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve filed the motion on Aug. 31, 2011, with the Ingham County Circuit Court to stay Rio Tinto’s permits for the projected Eagle Mine on the Yellow Dog Plains. If granted, the stay would prohibit Rio Tinto from blasting Eagle Rock -- a sacred site that sits over this proposed nickel mine.

"My people have prayed and held ceremonies at Eagle Rock since time immemorial," said Susan LaFerniere, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Council secretary. "No one should be allowed to blast it apart. I hope the judge grants this request."

LaFerniere told Keweenaw Now recently that the tribe is waiting for the judge's decision on the appeal, since that will determine their next step.

"We've always said that we're not opposed to the mine if it doesn't harm the environment -- and we're still not convinced that it will not harm the environment," she added.

Community and conservation partners have challenged the mine in court, arguing that it presents unacceptable risks to water and air quality -- and that it could collapse, endangering workers and the river it is underneath. The court challenge is currently under appeal. The motion for a stay is necessary because the mining company intends to blast into Eagle Rock on or near September 14, 2011, even though the judge, Paula Manderfield, has not issued a final ruling on the appeal.

"Without this emergency stay, Rio Tinto could begin blasting Eagle Rock before the judge has had a chance to determine whether the mine is safe," said Andy Buchsbaum, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office. "The serious questions we have about this mine need to be addressed -- and allowing the company to blast away in one of Michigan’s most pristine and important areas will only further jeopardize the region’s water quality, tourism industry, wildlife and quality of life."

Extracting nickel from the site poses extreme risks to water quality, wildlife and recreation. The metals are embedded in sulfide ores, which produce sulfuric acid when exposed to moisture and air. The resulting acid mine drainage (AMD) has devastated natural resources in other parts of the country. And the company overseeing the project -- Rio Tinto -- has broken Clean Water Act laws dozens of times in mines they have controlled in other states.

MLive.com published on Sept. 1, 2011, an Associated Press article titled "Foes make final try to stop UP nickel, copper mine," reporting the fact of the requested stay but not giving evidence to justify the word "final" in the headline.

According to Michelle Halley, National Wildlife Federation attorney and Lake Superior Project manager, the groups involved in the contested case appeal could take their case to a higher court.

"If the judge (Manderfield) rules against us we would most likely appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals and ultimately to the Michigan Supreme Court," she said.

Halley noted the hope is that Judge Manderfield will rule in favor of this stay, or injunction, before she makes the overall decision on the appeal.

Other groups and individual concerned citizens have written letters to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on the illegality of the mining permit granted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.*

*Editor's Note: Click here for the Aug. 1, 2011, article and links on Stand for the Land: "Environmental group asks Michigan A.G. to investigate allegations of fraud at DEQ."

KFRC to hold Kids Consignment Sale Sept. 30-Oct. 1

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. 30 - Oct. 1, 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, Oct. 1. 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!).

Anyone wishing to be a consignor should register by the deadline -- Friday, Sept. 23. Contact Ivette at 906-523-5295 or email KFRCKidsConsign@gmail.com. KFRC's current goal is to have 50 consignors.

Items for the sale should be high-quality and gently-used. These can include clothing, gear, sporting goods, toys, equipment, furniture, etc., for all ages, stages and sizes, as well as maternity clothes and accessories, nursing apparel, diaper bags and much more.

Musician Chuck Young to perform at Portage Library Sept. 2

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library invites everyone to bring a lunch and enjoy "Music on the Menu," an outdoor series of events held on the dock outside the library.

Chuck Young will perform from noon to 1 p.m.on Friday, Sept. 2. He sings and plays guitar, mandolin and other folk music instruments. Young started learning these songs and tunes during the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and never stopped. His music includes bluegrass, old timey, gospel, Scottish, Irish, and Caribbean. He also likes to get the audience to help with choruses on some of the songs.

Everyone is invited to eat, relax, and enjoy the lunch hour while listening to some great music. In the event of bad weather, the program will be held in the community room.

Library programs are free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Pasi Cats to close final Houghton Summer Concert series TONIGHT, Sept. 1

HOUGHTON -- The final concert of the Houghton Downtown Summer Concert Series will take place at Parking Deck across from Wells Fargo from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, Sept. 1.

The musical lineup is as follows:

6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. -- Trio Tumpelot (Anna Gawboy (concertina), Meghan Pachmayer (bass) and Pasi Lautala (accordion and vocals)

6:40 p.m. - 7:20 p.m. -- Agate Pickers (From Corktown, MI, Kenny O'Connor on guitar; from Dodgeville "progress our goal," MI, Mary Kurttu on bass; from Iron River, MI, Spookie Lukie Dedo on drums and Randy Dandy on vox)

7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. -- PasiCats.

Calumet galleries to offer First Friday art exhibits, events Sept. 2

CALUMET -- First Friday, Sept. 2, will offer several art events in Calumet galleries.

Omphale Gallery to present art by Daniel C. Boyer

Omphale Gallery will display a one-man exhibition of drawings and paintings by Daniel C. Boyer in September. The exhibit, titled "The Teenage Girl With Grey Hair," will run through September. A reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.

"The Adjustment to Silence," by Daniel C. Boyer. Gouache diluted with Diet Coke. (Image courtesy Daniel C. Boyer)

The Omphale Gallery recently re-opened with a new café offering espresso drinks and a gourmet lunch menu that is predominantly vegetarian with an emphasis on raw foods -- and lots of home-made bakery items.

Barista and baker Katie Jo Wright, Omphale co-owner with Julie DePaul Johnson (not pictured), serves a gourmet lunch to Laurium residents Patricia and Bernie Koskiniemi on Aug. 20, 2011. Patricia ordered pita bread with a vegan vegetable spread while Bernie's choice was a veggie beet burger. Both ordered the Omphale's special red cabbage slaw. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The Omphale Gallery Café is at 431 Fifth Street in Calumet.

Ed Gray Gallery to host exhibit by Sharon Schmeltzer

The work of Sharon Schmeltzer of Kingsford, Michigan, will be featured for the month of September at the Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet. An opening reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2. Schmeltzer will be available at the reception to answer questions and to describe her work.

Schmeltzer was invited to have a solo show at the gallery after she was selected from a group of artists who entered the annual juried show at the Bonifas Arts Center in Escanaba.

The Ed Gray Gallery is located at 109 Fifth Street, Calumet.

Copper Country Associated Artists to present "You Can Do This" Sept. 2

With a greeting card and a scrap of wool, discover your artist within. Pam Hecht will guide you through this creative process during a First Friday event on Sept. 2 at the Copper Country Associated Artists Gallery, 112 5th Street, Calumet.

The first presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. All materials will be provided. Also bakery and coffee will be served. Donations are appreciated.

Vertin Gallery to host September exhibit by Ingrid Blixt

Vertin Gallery is pleased to announce its September exhibit, Ingrid Blixt’s "Hiding Places," a collection of new graphite drawings and encaustic paintings. Blixt’s work is an ongoing exploration of the common threads connecting people from varying cultural and geographical backgrounds. "Hiding Places" explores the geography of human emotions.

"Hiding places are openings into these inner spaces, sacred spaces and rolling hills," Blixt says.

"White Dress," by Ingrid Blixt. Acrylic on canvas. (Photo courtesy Vertin Gallery)

The Romanian born artist moved to the Escanaba area in 2001, after earning her MFA from the University of Art and Design, Cluj Napoca, Romania.

A reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2. At 7:15 p.m., the artist will talk about her work, which will remain on display through the month of September.

The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

For more information please call the Vertin Gallery at (906) 337-2200.

Editor's Note: The new Gallerie Bohème will also present a September exhibit on First Friday, Sept. 2. Click here to read about their opening reception with three artists.

Gallerie Bohème to host new exhibit, opening Sept. 2

Artist Tom Rudd, left, and Gallerie Bohème owner Tom Dumble invite the public to the opening of a new exhibit, "Lost and Found," on First Friday, Sept. 2. The show will feature work by three artists: Bonnie Peterson, Cynthia Coté and Margo McCafferty. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- The public is invited to the opening of a new show in Calumet at Gallerie Bohème from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.

Margo McCafferty, Toys and Beans (detail). Oil on panel. (Images of art works courtesy Gallerie Bohème)

The exhibit, titled "Lost and Found," will feature artwork by three outstanding visual artists: Bonnie Peterson, embroidered maps; Cynthia Coté, small-format books made with found words and paper; and Margo McCafferty, still lifes of toys and found objects. The artists will be in attendance at the opening to discuss their work with interested viewers and collectors.

Cynthia Coté, Opening Light (detail). Found words and paper.

Gallerie Bohème exhibits exceptional works by Calumet and Keweenaw-area artists and craftspersons. The gallery is located in Calumet on the north end of Fifth Street at 423, near the Omphale Gallery and Café and Artis Books. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, through October, and other times by appointment.

Bonnie Peterson, Lake Medora Quad. Mixed media.

For additional information contact Tom Rudd at (906) 369-4087 or Tom Dumble at (760) 285-5128.

Protesters continue White House sit-in against pipeline for tar sands oil

Article and photos by Kate Flynn*

Actress Daryl Hannah addresses an assembled group of protesters near the White House on Tuesday, Aug. 30, the eleventh day of a sit-in against the Keystone XL pipeline, a proposed project that would funnel crude oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to terminals in the Gulf Coast. Hannah was reportedly one of those arrested during the sit-in. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © 2011 and courtesy Kate Flynn)

WASHINGTON, DC -- Dozens of activists gathered across the street from the White House Tuesday morning to prepare for the eleventh day of protest against the Keystone XL pipeline, a proposed project that would funnel tar sands crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to terminals in the Gulf Coast.

"We’re asking the president to do something that is entirely within his power," said Bill McKibben, an environmental author involved in organizing the effort, as he addressed assembled protesters. "All he has to do is not sign this permit and this pipeline can’t be built."

Police have made 706 arrests outside the White House since Aug. 20. Activists and others opposing the pipeline are concerned that carbon emissions from the process of extracting petroleum from the tar sands will contribute to global climate change. They are also concerned about an environmental threat in the form of a pipeline rupture.

"I think that it’s important that we show Obama the seriousness of clean energy and how much we want it now, for our future and for future generations," said Rebecca Ortiz, a student activist from Virginia. "The Keystone XL pipeline is a violation of our right to clean water."

During the Aug. 30 sit-in against the Keystone XL pipeline, at the White House, young activists, from left, Rebecca Ortiz, Emma Peterson, and Nathaly Agosto Filion practice a protest song. (Photo © 2011 and courtesy Kate Flynn)

"We U.S. citizens need and want to be free from this hideously destructive fossil fuel dependence," stated actress Daryl Hannah as she addressed those assembled. "If President Obama rejects the lobbyists’ influences and does the right thing by the citizens, then we will be free so that the money and jobs can go towards safe, clean, regenerative, community-based U.S. energy and fuel."

Hannah is known for her roles in such films as Blade Runner, Splash and Kill Bill. CNN later reported Hannah was arrested during the sit-in.

Many activists saw the struggle as a personal one that would have a direct impact on their quality of life.

"My son," Suzie DeBrosse of Vermont replied when asked what her reason for protesting was. "To get a healthy and clean environment for the next generations."

Suzie DeBrosse of Vermont holds a protest sign depicting her son. (Photo © 2011 and courtesy Kate Flynn)

Ben Gotschall, a spokesperson for Tar Sands Action, organizers of the sit-in, also spoke to the crowd at the protest on Aug. 30.

"Originally that was all it was about -- not in my backyard, not in my drinking water," Gotschall said. "But as I learned more about this…I realized this is something evil that we had to stop."

Tar Sands Action spokesperson Ben Gotschall addresses an assembled group of protesters. (Photo © 2011 and courtesy Kate Flynn)

The protest has already seen solidarity from religious leaders and NASA’s Dr. James Hansen, a leading expert on climate change, who was arrested during the protest outside the White House on Monday, Aug. 29.

The New York Times reported that the pipeline is expected to open in 2013 unless delayed by lawsuits or other challenges.

Editor's Notes: Guest reporter Kate Flynn is a graduate student in journalism at American University in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Hancock High School and Beloit College. Kate also worked as a journalism intern for both Keweenaw Now and the L'Anse Sentinel in 2010.

Visit tarsandsaction.org for more updates on the protest.

Tar Sands Action: Largest day of arrests yet at White House Pipeline Protest

A protester is arrested in front of the White House during the peaceful demonstration and civil disobedience against the Keystone XL pipeline destined to carry oil from the tar sands in Canada to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico unless President Obama denies the permit. (Aug. 29, 2011, photo © Josh Lopez and courtesy Tar Sands Action. Reprinted with permission.)

Posted by Tar Sands Action on August 29, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC -- America’s top climate scientist and a large group of religious leaders were arrested at the White House this morning with 140 other Americans protesting to push President Obama to deny the permit for a massive new oil pipeline. To date 521 people have been arrested in this protest at the White House.

Representatives of religious groups protest in front of the White House. Several religious leaders were arrested on Monday, Aug. 29. (Photo © Josh Lopez and courtesy Tar Sands Action. Reprinted with permission.)

"If Obama chooses the dirty needle it will confirm that the President was just green-washing all along, like the other well-oiled coal-fired politicians, with no real intention of solving the addiction," said NASA’s Dr. James Hansen, who was arrested at the White House this morning.

President Obama must decide whether or not to grant a "presidential permit" for a Canadian company, TransCanada, to begin construction of the Keystone XL, a 1,700 mile pipeline from the Canadian tar sands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. ...

Click here to read the rest of this press release from Tar Sands Action.

Updated: Protect the Earth 2011, Part 1: Walk to Humboldt mill, Rio Tinto-Kennecott projected ore processing site

By Michele Bourdieu

Members of WAVE (Water Action Vital Earth) and SWUP (Save the Wild UP) and other concerned participants in the 2011 Protect the Earth Great Lakes Community Gathering held on Aug. 6, 2011, begin the day with a visit to the proposed site of a processing facility for Rio Tinto / Kennecott's Eagle Mine at the Humboldt mill brownfield location. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HUMBOLDT, Mich. -- The 2011 Protect the Earth Great Lakes Community Gathering on Aug. 6 began with a walk from Van Riper State Park near Champion, Mich., to the nearby site for a proposed Humboldt processing facility intended for Rio Tinto /Kennecott's projected Eagle Mine on the Yellow Dog Plains near Big Bay.

Margaret Comfort, WAVE (Water Action Vital Earth) Steering Committee member and Save the Wild UP Board member, led the walk and introduced speakers Gail Griffith of Save the Wild UP, retired chemistry professor from Northern Michigan University, and Richard Sloat of Iron River, Mich., WAVE Steering Committee member.

As the walk participants gathered near a fence with a large "No Trespassing" sign barring entrance to the Humboldt area (site of a former mill -- a brownfield site still contaminated by iron mine tailings), a small airplane circled above, flew off and returned. A motorcycle also passed by twice. The walkers did not know whether these noise interruptions were intentional or not, but they were disturbing.

Rio Tinto / Kennecott's "No Trespassing" warning sign at the gate of the Humboldt brownfield site, where the company intends to build a processing plant for the nickel and copper ore to be transported from the projected Eagle Mine on the Yellow Dog Plains near Big Bay.

Gail Griffith spoke about Rio Tinto / Kennecott's plan to move the ore from the Eagle Mine south to the Humboldt mill for processing.

"The rock here is just going to be down to the size of talcum powder, when they get done with it," Griffith said. "And they do a flotation which floats the metal-rich material to the top."

This nickel and copper material is then floated off in a very concentrated state, she explained. The separate nickel and copper concentrates will be shipped off-site to be smelted. The remainder, a slurry of waste products (tailings), which total more than 95 percent of the rock, will be disposed of in the old Humboldt mine pit, which is presently full of water. When they put the finely ground waste rock into the pit, the water that is displaced has to go somewhere, Griffith explained.

"The water that's coming out of that area is not going to be clean so they're building a wastewater treatment plant to clean the water up before it goes into the middle branch of the Escanaba River (which goes down to Lake Michigan)."*

Since this is now a brownfield site, it has to be cleaned up before being used again. Griffith noted the company is already taking loads of material from the site to the Marquette County Landfill. She speaks about this and the proposed wastewater treatment in the video clip below.

At the Humboldt brownfield site, Gail Griffith of Save the Wild UP, who serves on the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority, speaks about loads of waste material Rio Tinto / Kennecott has been dumping in the landfill and answers questions from some of the Humboldt walk participants. A plane can be heard circling overhead. (Video by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

Kristi Mills of Save the Wild UP noted a Kennecott report indicates 26 known contaminants that are now migrating away from this Humboldt site.

"It's a report that Kennecott did on the site because when they took it over they wanted to know exactly what was here so they wouldn't be liable for it," Mills said.

Kennecott said they are doing their best to remove "the worst of it" -- the contamination from the tailings left by the old Humboldt iron mine -- spending $1.5 million to "remediate" it before they begin their own work here, Mills added.

Richard Sloat spoke about treatment of water coming from the Buck Mine -- one of more than 70 abandoned iron mines in Iron County. Sloat's concerns stem from the fact that the Buck Mine, even though it was an iron mine, was located in an ore body with high sulfide concentration and the fact that the Buck Mine is the farthest downstream along the Iron River.

Richard Sloat of Iron River, Mich., WAVE Steering Committee member, speaks about wastewater treatment at the Buck Mine in Iron County. (Video by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

Sloat said he would like to see better, more frequent monitoring of the water coming from sites like the Buck Mine, the proposed Eagle Mine (if it goes through) and this Humboldt site.

"Concentrations of contaminants can rise and fall during certain times of the day -- sometimes as much as 500 percent difference from testing at one part of the day," Sloat said.

He said he has hired an environmental consulting firm to do some water testing twice a day and to give the results to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Sloat also spoke about the dredging of sediment that is part of the cleanup. In 2008, dredging of over 17,000 tons of sediment from the Buck Mine cost Michigan taxpayers over $1 million, he noted. As for the projected Eagle Mine, if it goes through, Kennecott has admitted a large amount of contaminated sediment will have to be hauled to landfills.

"I think we just have to start changing our lifestyles," Sloat said. "Every one of us contributes to why there's mining. We just have to change that."

To conclude the meeting at the Humboldt site, Pamela St. Germaine offers a musical blessing to the site. (Video by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

The route Kennecott will use to truck chunks of ore to the Humboldt site has been a subject of discussion at Marquette County Road Commission meetings and hearings during the past year. At present they plan to use County Road 550 unless they can receive permits for the potential County Road 595, a north/south road for which the Road Commission will be holding information meetings from noon to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at Lakeview Arena in Marquette and Wednesday, Aug. 31, at the Ishpeming Township Hall.**

This route is a variation on the proposed "Woodland Road," which failed to receive federal permits because of potential impacts on wetlands, streams and wildlife in the area.***

Update: The Humboldt Mill was originally a mill for iron ore from the Humboldt mine; later it was used to process gold ore from the Ropes gold mine.

Editor's Notes: This article is the first in a series on the 2011 Protect the Earth Great Lakes Community Gathering. Watch for more articles, coming soon.

Update: The Humboldt Mill was originally a mill for iron ore from the Humboldt mine; later it was used to process gold ore from the Ropes gold mine.

* This wastewater treatment plant would be built in addition to the one that is being built at Rio Tinto / Kennecott's projected Eagle Mine site. See our May 3, 2011, article, "Residents concerned about water quality question Rio Tinto-Kennecott at community forum."

** Click here for details on these meetings and dates for consideration of public comments.

*** Click here to read a Letter to the Editor, "Road to Somewhere," by Catherine Parker, with links to other articles concerning this proposed road.

Michigan Messenger: State Dept. report favors tar sands pipeline

By Eartha Jane Melzer of the Michigan Messenger
Posted Aug. 26, 2011

In a report released [Friday, Aug. 26], the U.S. State Dept. says that TransCanada’s plan to move tar sands oil across the U.S. by pipeline will not cause significant environmental problems....

Click here to read the rest of this article.

Click here to read the article in the New York Times: "U.S. offers key support to Canadian Pipeline."

Click here for updates on the Washington D.C. protest against the pipeline.

Portage Library to host Rhythm 203 at "Music on the Menu" Aug. 26

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library invites everyone to bring a lunch and enjoy "Music on the Menu," an outdoor series of events held on the dock outside the library.

Rhythm 203 members, from left, Sue Ellen Kingsley, Phyllis Fredendall and Norm Kendall -- joined by Libby Meyer, right -- play a variety of tunes at the the Fourth of July celebration at Churning Rapids last month. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Rhythm 203 will perform an eclectic mix of folk, country, bluegrass, pop, and blues from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26. Songs feature the three-part vocal harmonies of Sue Ellen Kingsley, Norm Kendall, and Phyllis Fredendall.

Everyone is invited to eat, relax, and enjoy the lunch hour while listening to some great music. In the event of bad weather, the program will be held in the community room.

Library programs are free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Ford and Michigan Tech team up to imagine better community transit system

By Jennifer Donovan, Michigan Tech Director of Public Relations
Posted Aug. 25, 2011 on Michigan Tech News

HOUGHTON -- Do you ever ride the bus in Houghton and Hancock? Would you, if it were more convenient?

Soon it may be. Michigan Technological University Enterprise students have received a Ford College Community Challenge (Ford C3) grant to study the existing mass transit system in Houghton and Hancock and develop a model that would be more sustainable economically, environmentally and socially.

Michigan Tech’s Transportation Enterprise and Automotive Computing Enterprise (ACE) won the $50,000 competitive grant. Enterprises are teams of students who take on real-world problems and -- with industry partners -- use their Tech education to find practical solutions.

Ford C3 is a national challenge grant competition that recognizes colleges and universities that use a school's resources to address an urgent community need related to the grant's theme: Building Sustainable Communities. Proposals are expected to incorporate the use of alternative energy in a unique way. Unlike many traditional college grant programs, Ford C3 requires colleges to create proposals that have significant student input, involvement and leadership from beginning to end. Given this requirement, winning proposals have a distinctive student perspective on what it means to have a sustainable community.

Read the rest of this article on the Michigan Tech News ...

Houghton County Fair opens Aug. 25

By Michele Bourdieu

A blue-ribbon-winning rooster at the 2010 Houghton County Fair. (2010 file photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- The Houghton County Fair opens tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 25, and continues through Sunday, Aug. 28, at the Fairgrounds in Hancock.

The Fair promises activities and fun for the whole family. The gates open at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Highlights of opening day, Aug. 25, include the Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers science magic show from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in four circus tents on the baseball field next to the Midway; an Open Horse Show (speed) at 5 p.m. in the Horse Arena; Cirque da UP -- Bob, Trish, Jason Unicycle Juggling Act at 6 p.m. (Midway); and the Miss Houghton County Queen Pageant at 6:30 p.m. (Indoor Stage).

Rebecca Gast, Miss Houghton County for 2010. (Keweenaw Now 2010 file photo)

Exhibit Buildings open at 6 p.m. Thursday with a Poultry/Rabbit Show in the Small Animal Barn.

At 9:15 p.m. don't miss the Kenya Safari Acrobats (Indoor Stage). Exhibit Buildings close at 10 p.m. but the Amusements and Midway remain open.

Here are some memories from last year's Houghton County Fair:

A noisy duck fails to attract the attention of his neighbors in the Small Animal Barn. (Video clips by Keweenaw Now)

Action in the Horse Arena -- a 2010 winner!

Romance in the Livestock Pavilion ...

Donna the Holstein watches over her offspring. Both are owned by Gary Palosaari.

Gustavo and friend ...

See you at the Fair!

Click here for the complete Houghton County Fair schedule.

Editor's Note: Houghton County Democrats need help at their Fair booth. Please email bturucmills@yahoo.com or call 370-5496 if you can help.

New slide show, videos of Calumet Heritage Celebration

By Michele Bourdieu

Members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Veterans Honor Guard present the colors to begin the Calumet Heritage Celebration on Aug. 15, 2011, in Calumet's Keweenaw Heritage Center (formerly St. Anne's Church).Sponsored by Main Street Calumet, the annual Heritage Celebration highlights a particular ethnic group each year. The 2011 event featured the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwa) cultural heritage. Erik Awonohopay of Eagle Radio leads his drum group in a Native American Honor Song. Standing at far right is Warren C. Swartz, Jr., President of the KBIC Tribal Council. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)*

CALUMET -- Keweenaw Now attended some of the events celebrating Calumet Heritage last week. If you haven't yet checked it out, see our slide show of the Aug. 15, 18 and 20 events: the Calumet Heritage Celebration in the Keweenaw Heritage Center, the Red Metal Radio Show in the Calumet Theatre, and the Heritage Celebration in Agassiz Park featuring the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Dance Troupe.*

This year Main Street Calumet's Heritage Celebration honored especially the Ojibwa culture in the area.

Susan LaFernier, KBIC Tribal Council secretary, spoke on Aug. 15 at the Keweenaw Heritage Center, giving an overview of the history of the tribe since 1800. She spoke about the 19th-century treaties under which the Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) of the Great Lakes region ceded their lands to the U.S. Government, the tribe's Constitution, many tribal social services, efforts to protect and preserve natural resources, and recent job creation.

LaFernier was also present at the Aug. 20 Heritage Celebration in Agassiz Park.

During the 2011 Calumet Heritage Celebration on Aug. 20 honoring especially the Ojibwa culture, Susan LaFernier, KBIC Tribal Council secretary, spoke with Keweenaw Now following the performance by the KBIC Dance Troupe in Calumet's Agassiz Park. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"I'm very overwhelmed," LaFernier said. "I didn't realize that Heritage Days was such a huge event. It's absolutely wonderful! I know that the entire tribe has been looking forward to the event for a few months now, and I know that everyone from KBIC here today is enjoying visiting with our neighbors. I'd like to thank Main Street Calumet and the other organizers. Miigwetch!"**

Here are some video clips from the week of celebration:

Heritage Celebration honors Ojibwa culture at Keweenaw Heritage Center

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community members Nicole Eagle and her brother, E Halverson, harmonize on a song written by E -- concluding the opening event of the Calumet Heritage Celebration Aug. 15, 2011, in the Keweenaw Heritage Center (former St. Anne's Church) in Calumet. See slide show for photos and details of this event. (Video clips by Keweenaw Now)

KBIC Dance Troupe performs at Heritage Celebration in Agassiz Park

At the Calumet Heritage Celebration Aug. 20, 2011, in Agassiz Park, members of the KBIC Dance Troupe perform a Men's Traditional Dance. Erik Owonohopay of Eagle Radio is the master of ceremonies and leads the "Summer Cloud" drum group in accompanying the dancers.

Young women from the KBIC Dance Troupe perform the Women's Fancy Shawl Dance during the Calumet Heritage Celebration Aug. 20, 2011, in Agassiz Park. Women and girls of all ages can do the Shawl Dance. They wear colorful, elaborate regalia with a skirt and a beaded or sequined vest. A long fringed shawl is worn over the shoulders and held out at the elbows. Movements include fine footwork and fast spins, meant to mimic a joyful butterfly.

Red Metal Radio Show

Doug Bacon on banjo and vocalist Melissa Lewis perform "Put on Your Old Gray Bonnet" during the Aug. 18, 2011, Red Metal Radio Show in the Calumet Theatre. The historic show, featuring songs from the early 20th century, was broadcast on Eagle Radio and was a part of the 2011 Calumet Heritage Celebration. Co-hosts Oren Tikkanen and Kris Kyro Johnson introduce the singing duo, while Dave Bezotte accompanies on piano. Stage Manager Babette Jokela waves a red flag at right to signal the beginning of the show.

The Red Metal Band and vocalist Kris Kyro Johnson perform "Alexander's Ragtime Band" during the Aug. 18, 2011, Red Metal Radio Show in the Calumet Theatre. Band members include Bob Norden, bandleader, arranger and trombone; Debra Zei, clarinet; Benjie Brotherton, trumpet; Sherrie Pellegrini, drums; and Roger Laub, tuba. ***

Notes:

* Click here to see more photos, with captions, in our slide show on the 2011 Calumet Heritage Celebration.

** Miigwetch means "Thank you" in Ojibwa.

*** Click here to see more Keweenaw Now video clips of these and other local events on our Keweenaw News YouTube channel.

Marquette Road Commission to hold open houses on County Road 595

MARQUETTE -- The Marquette County Road Commission will hold a series of informational open houses to provide information to, and collect written comments from the public regarding the proposed new roadway called County Road 595. Time and location are as follows:

Tuesday, Aug. 30th: 12 noon - 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Citizens Forum Room, Lakeview Arena, Marquette.

Wednesday, Aug. 31st: 12 noon - 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Ishpeming Township Hall, Ishpeming.

Informational packets will be available for public review at these meetings. Information will also be available to the public for review starting Tuesday afternoon, August 16, 2011, at the following locations: Marquette County Road Commission Administrative Office, The Peter White Public Library, City of Ishpeming, City of Negaunee, City of Marquette, Powell Township, Ely Township, Marquette Township, Negaunee Township, Ishpeming Township, Humboldt Township and Michigamme Township.

All written input given and received at these informational meetings will be considered at the Board of Marquette County Road Commissioners regular meeting on Monday, September 19, 2011, 6 p.m. at the Ishpeming Township Hall. The public may submit written comment to the Marquette County Road Commission Office, 1610 N. Second Street, Ishpeming, MI 49849 or by emailing lbrogan@marqroad.org by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 2011.

Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers to bring science fun to Houghton County Fair Aug. 25

HOUGHTON --Thursday night -- opening night at the Houghton County Fair -- is Family Night, and this year there’s something brand new for the family. The Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers will be mystifying young and old with their science magic show from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, in four circus tents on the baseball field next to the Midway at the Houghton County Fairgrounds in Hancock. There is no extra charge for the Mind Trekkers show.

Mind Trekkers is a hands-on science and engineering show produced by the Center for Pre-college Outreach at Michigan Technological University. Staff and student volunteers invite visitors to walk on water (well, water mixed with cornstarch), to feel their hair stand on end, to see ice cream made in 60 seconds, and to breathe "dragon’s breath," to name just a few of more than 80 activities. Each demonstration is designed to reveal the mystery behind a scientific principle, turning science into fun.

Over the past year, the Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers have taken their popular show on the road to Washington, D.C.; Detroit, Mich.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Green Bay, Wis.

They have also performed in Traverse City, Escanaba and Iron Mountain, Mich. They have already been invited back to the nation’s capital for the next USA Science and Engineering Expo in April 2012.

The Mind Trekkers Science and Engineering Festival at the County Fair is sponsored by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

Family passes for the Fair that night are half price when purchased in advance; $10 admits two adults and up to four children ages 7 to 15. Children under 6 get in free. The passes are on sale at many local businesses.

For more information, call the Center for Pre-College Outreach at 906-487-2219, or email yp@mtu.edu.

Click here for the Schedule of activities at this year's Houghton County Fair.

Portage Library to host Magic Show, Food Fest

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library in Houghton will host two free events this week -- a Magic Show for children and a Food Fest potluck for lovers of garden-fresh fruits and vegetables.

Magic Show to conclude Summer Reading Program Aug. 24

The Summer Reading Program at the Portage Lake District Library will end with Craig Waddell’s Magic Show on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Two performances of this engaging family entertainment will be given -- from 11 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. and from noon to 12:40 p.m. Children can expect to be fascinated and mystified as magic and illusionist fun unfolds.

Waddell has been doing magic shows for the Houghton Elementary School Carnival for the past ten years. His magic is especially adapted for elementary school-age children, but children of all ages are invited.

Although the Summer Reading Program officially ends on Aug. 24, participants will still be able to finish up their reading lists and collect their grand prize until the end of August.

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

Portage Library to host Summer’s Bounty Food Fest Aug. 25

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

The Summer’s Bounty Social will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at the library. For this potluck event, people are asked to bring their favorite dish made from locally available fruits or vegetables. Foods can be fresh or frozen, sweet or savory, and hot or cold. If participants want to share a recipe, copies for all can be made at the library.

Community garden members and local producers who want to participate may set up a display with information about their project or business. Please contact Chris at the library for more details.

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

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

Keweenaw Heritage Center to host organ, harpsichord concert Aug. 23

CALUMET -- The Keweenaw Heritage Center at St. Anne's (corner of 5th and Scott Streets) will present a concert of pipe organ and harpsichord music at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

Thomas Kraska of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Adrienne Shipley of Lake Linden will be performing a variety of music on the 1899 Barckhoff Pipe Organ and harpsichord.

Tom is a summer resident of Big Traverse Bay here in the Copper country; Adrienne is the organist at St. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Houghton and is currently working toward her Masters Degree in Harpsichord from Indiana University.

The concert will feature a wide variety of works: from Bach to Sousa; from England, France, Holland, Norway and the U.S.

Tickets can be obtained at the door for $6. This is a benefit concert with proceeds donated to the universal accessibility project at the Keweenaw Heritage Center.