Portage Library to offer watercolor class for children June 2

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will offer a watercolor class for young children and elementary age students from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 2.

"Let’s Play with Color!" will be presented by artist Sun-Young Park. Participants will squeeze and spray water colors onto paper and learn how to use tissue paper to create different effects. Kids will experience the beauty of mixed colors spreading on the paper as they see their work turn into flowers, animals, dinosaurs or whatever they imagine it to be.

Sun-Young Park studied oriental fine art in South Korea earning her Bachelors degree in Fine Arts in 1996 and a Masters of Arts in 1999. The subject of her works comes primarily from nature; flowers, butterflies, wind, and mountains. She uses traditional oriental painting materials including oriental inks and Korean traditional papers. Park has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions.

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

Conservation District to host Pilgrim River Potluck June 5

HOUGHTON -- Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District (HKCD) will host a Pilgrim River Potluck at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at the Nara Park Chalet, two miles east of the Michigan Tech campus.

The special guest will be Matt Warner, Department of Environmental Quality Grant Project manager, Michigan Coastal Management Program, for the Pilgrim River Watershed Management Plan.

Please bring a dish to pass and RSVP to Sue Haralson, HKCD administrator, at 482-0214 or email sue.haralson@mi.nacdnet.net.

Backroom Boys to play jazz, swing at Carmelita's June 1

CALUMET -- The Backroom Boys will be playing traditional jazz and swing from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. TONIGHT, First Friday, June 1, at Carmelita's Southwestern Grill, 618 Oak Street  in Calumet. Call 337-4025 for reservations.

 

The Backroom Boys, pictured standing from left, Oren Tikkanen, John Munson, Bob Norden and, seated, Randy Seppala will play jazz and swing tunes at Carmelita's in Calumet TONIGHT, First Friday, June 1. (Photo courtesy Backroom Boys)

"Special guests Bob and (perhaps) Belinda will be sitting in on bass! Check out the gallery shows, and come on down for some music (and dancing if there's room)," says musician Oren Tikkanen.

Fourth Annual Health, Safety Fair offers activities for all June 2 at Portage Health

HANCOCK -- The Fourth Annual Health and Safety Fair is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 2, at Portage Health in Hancock. Activities for all ages will include the following:

Car seat clinic (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Health Screenings -- total cholesterol, blood glucose, bone density, blood pressure, urine protein, hearing, oximetry, heart rate, body mass index and waist circumference
Youth bike helmet giveaway -- (125 available -- first come, first serve) Professionals will be available to properly fit helmets.
Ambulance and fire truck tours
Cyber safety information
Physicians, nurses, therapists and pharmacists available to answer questions
Healthy cooking demo and snacks
Chair massages
Expired medication disposal
Canal Run and Chain Drive registration -- Although the Chain Drive early registration deadline was May 31, Lori Hauswirth says, "Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival will have a table tomorrow at the Portage Health Health Fair. If you stop in and visit us, we'll let you sneak in at the early rate and still get a bamboo shirt with registration."
Giveaways and a chance to win one of two mountain bikes
Hands-Only CPR lessons offered
Plus much more ...

The entire event is FREE. Bring family/friends out anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, no registration required! Click here for more information.

First Friday, June 1, to offer four new art exhibits in Calumet galleries

"Melt-Off, Lake Superior," copyright 2012 by Eric Munch. An exhibit of Eric Munch's color photography will open June 1 at the Vertin Gallery in Calumet. Click on photo for larger version.

CALUMET -- New art exhibits will open at the Ed Gray Gallery, Gallerie Bohème, the Vertin Gallery, and the Omphale Gallery and Café on First Friday, June 1, in Calumet

"The Keweenaw Beneath Our Feet" opens with a reception from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. this Friday at the Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet. Featuring painter Susan Robinson and jewelry artists, Julie Jerman-Melka and Julie Sanford, the show honors the geology of the Keweenaw.

Susan Robinson's paintings of rocks are well known to local inhabitants. Julie Jerman-Melka fashions jewelry from Keweenaw bedrock while Julie Sanford creates using local gemstones. This show is a testament to the Keweenaw and its gifts. The Ed Gray Gallery is at 109 Fifth Street in Calumet.

Gallerie Bohème will feature "Meditations," new artworks by Joyce Koskenmaki, from June 1 to July 4, 2012. An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday, June 1.

Gallerie Bohème is located at 426 Fifth St. in Calumet. For more information contact Tom Rudd at 906-369-4086.

The Vertin Gallery will welcome back photographer Eric Munch as featured artist for the month of June.

Munch is known for his black and white photographs, but his current work delves into the world of color. He captures the subtle and unique colors of the local landscape in uniquely beautiful images.

An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Vertin. Munch will speak about his current work and answer audience questions around 7:15 p.m.

The Vertin Gallery is at 220 Sixth Street in downtown Calumet.

Don't miss the Calumet High School Art Exhibition at the Omphale Gallery and Café, offering art, food, and music from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1. The exhibit, which is curated by Logan Karrio and Esme Johnson, continues through June 30.

Visit the Omphale's Facebook page for photos of some of their tempting treats.

Copper Country Associated Artists to hold Grand Re-Opening, dragonfly workshop June 1

Creating wire and bead dragonflies like these will be the objective of a First Friday workshop at the Copper Country Associated Artists Studio and Gallery on June 1. (Photo courtesy Copper Country Associated Artists.)

CALUMET -- Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) will celebrate a Grand Re-Opening at the CCAA Gallery on First Friday, June 1, at their new location, 205 Fifth St. in Calumet.

Friday, June 1, will be a special evening with prize drawings, refreshments and a real summery project that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you haven't stopped in to see this new space, the Grand Re-Opening would be a good time to come see the artists and visit with friends.

Members at the CCAA will be hosting a "wire and bead dragonfly" workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. this First Friday. These delightful little critters can hang from a screen door or window. All materials will be provided, but if you have some special beads or wire that you would like to use, you are welcome to bring it along. Extra long-nosed pliers could also come in handy. This workshop is free and open to the public, though donations are always welcome.

Participants and Gallery visitors can enter a drawing for a gift certificate as well as prizes offered by some of the CCAA artists.

Updated: Keweenaw Chain Drive early registration deadline is May 31

 

Chain Drive participants head across the Portage Lift Bridge. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

HANCOCK -- The early registration deadline for the Portage Health Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival is TOMORROW, Thursday, May 31. After midnight on May 31 (Thursday), festival shirts are not included and fees go up. Please register soon so you can enjoy the awesome bamboo shirt. You can register online at www.chaindrive.org or print a registration. 

Printed registrations can be dropped off at the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce in Houghton.

The 2012 event is on Saturday, June 16! The Portage Health Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival mountain bike race includes 16- and 32-mile point-to-point cross-country distance races through the Maasto Hiihto and Churning Rapids trail systems in Hancock. Racers will finish at the Portage Health campus with food, beverages, tunes, and awards.  Distance events will begin with a 10 a.m. roll-out at the Magnuson Hotel - Franklin Square Inn, at the east end of Shelden Avenue in downtown Houghton.

Junior Chain Drive: Kids line up for the start at Portage Health. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

The Junior Chain Drive youth races begin at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16. The Junior Chain Drive starts and ends at Portage Health, using a single-track trail in a wooded area east of the hospital. The event includes timed races for youth ages 8-13 and non-timed races for those ages 7 and under. Registration is day-of-event only.

Volunteers still needed

Dan Dalquist reports that he still needs traffic control volunteers for the Chain Drive. If you respond no later than May 31, your volunteer shirt will be available before the race.

Locations needed:
 Shelden and Rhythm -- need 2 people
 Shelden and Ambassador -- 2 people
 Navy St and Tezcuco -- need 2 more
 In Hancock -- Jasberg and Wolverine -- need 1
 M-203 and Atlantic St. -- need 1
 Crossing at Snowmobile trail and snowfence trail - Need 3 - 10:30 to 12, 12 to 1:30, 1:30 to sweep
 Doug's Bypass exit onto Campus drive -- 1
 Campus Drive and Portage St. -- need 2-3 from 12:15 to last racer
 First Aid Tent -- need medical professional for the Chain Drive (10:30 to 2) and for Kids race (2:30 - 4)

Please click here to respond through the Chain Drive volunteer site and include your shirt size or respond directly to ddalquist@gmail.com.

Pine Mountain Music Festival to host Keweenaw Kickoff Gala June 12

HANCOCK -- Pine Mountain Music Festival (PMMF) announces the opening event of its 22nd Season, the Keweenaw Kickoff Gala on June 12, at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Houghton.

This traditional kickoff event is a festive occasion to meet the festival's 2012 Resident Opera Artists in a more intimate and personal setting. These Resident Opera Artists (ROA) from all over -- Oregon, Ohio, Texas, Maryland, Bermuda, and Illinois -- come together in the Upper Peninsula for the first time. Following an elegant dinner, guests will enjoy highlights from opera and American musical theatre repertoire.

Joshua Major, Pine Mountain Music Festival artistic director. (Photo courtesy Pine Mountain Music Festival)

Joshua Major, PMMF Artistic Director, and Lucy Thrasher, ROA Program Director will host the evening event. Susan Byykkonen, accomplished teacher and pianist from Calumet, Mich., will accompany.

Be the first to meet the Festival’s six Resident Opera Artists, who will later star in Mozart’s Così fan tutte on June 21 at Calumet Theatre, as well as in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music on July 13 and 15 at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Houghton.

PMMF’s 2012 Resident Opera Artists are (top to bottom, left to right) Jacqueline Shoda-Iwasaki, Martin Bakari, Julie Tabash, Alex De Socio, Jonathan Christopher, and Claire Shackleton. (Photo courtesy Pine Mountain Music Festival)

The ticket price includes full dinner and dessert, and there will be a cash bar. This year’s elegant dinner will feature a choice of entrées: brie-stuffed French-cut chicken breast with Minnesota wild rice pilaf and chef’s vegetables or Lake Superior trout with parsley potatoes and chef’s vegetables. Tickets are $75 and are available until June 5; call 1-877-746-3999 (toll free.) Seating is limited. 

Pine Mountain Music Festival presents a season of opera and classical music each June and July in Dickinson County, Marquette County, the Keweenaw Peninsula, and in other towns in the central and western Upper Peninsula and northeast Wisconsin. Visit www.pmmf.org for season details or call 888-309-7861 for more information.

Michigan Tech Summer Teacher Institutes application deadline is June 1

HOUGHTON -- This Friday, June 1, is the application deadline for the 2012 Michigan Tech University Five-Day Summer Teacher Institutes in June and July 2012. The following institutes are being offered to teachers:

June 18-22 -- Global Change Teacher Institute at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Mich.

This five-day Institute will prepare you to engage your middle and high school students in a real-world study of the effects of global change on ecosystems, including the impacts of climatic change on forests -- elevated carbon dioxide and ozone levels, nitrogen saturation, acid rain, and invasive species. Cost: $350 off campus includes five lunches, three MTU graduate credits and instructional materials; $625 also includes five nights lodging and all meals.

June 25-29 -- Great Lakes Watershed Investigations Teacher Institute at Michigan Tech University

Explore  the physical, chemical, and biological components of the Great Lakes ecosystem, using the Lake Superior watershed as the classroom: Agassiz research vessel, day at Gratiot Lake, visit streams, wetlands, stewardship projects. Cost: $295 includes five lunches, three MTU graduate credits and instructional materials; $595 also includes five nights lodging and all meals.

July 9-13 -- Forestry Teacher Institute at Michigan Technological University

Through lecture, hands-on data collection, classroom activities, and field trips, participants will learn tree ID, forest measurements, forest health and insect pests, wildlife, and carbon sequestration. Cost:  $485 off campus includes five lunches, three MTU graduate credits and instructional materials; $725 with four nights lodging and all meals.

July 16-20 -- Great Lakes Maritime Teacher Institute in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula

Traveling course with overnights in Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Manistique. Explore the historical, economical and environmental aspects of Great Lakes shipping -- visiting an iron ore mine, Whitefish Point Shipwreck Museum, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service, Soo Locks, limestone quarry,  lighthouses and more, exploring many facets of the shipping industry: intermodal transportation, port safety, history and economics. Cost:  $495, includes two MTU graduate credits, most meals and four nights lodging.

July 23-27 -- Exploring the Geology of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Explore unique geologic features  in the Keweenaw, Porcupine Mountains, Presque Isle Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Tahquamenon Falls with geologists and educators. Cost: $495, includes two MTU graduate credits, 4 nights lodging, and most meals.    

To obtain more information and to submit applications, please contact Joan Chadde, Institute Coordinator Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, 105 Dillman Hall, Michigan Tech University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI  49931
Phone:  906-487-3341   FAX:  906-487-1620    EMAIL:  jchadde@mtu.edu   

Prof. Martha Sloan awarded Michigan Tech's 2012 Distinguished Service Award

By John Gagnon, Michigan Tech Promotional Writer, Tech Today Editor

Posted May 24 on Michigan Tech News

HOUGHTON -- Martha Sloan, professor and associate chair of Michigan Tech's  Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, has received Michigan Technological University's 2012 Distinguished Service Award.

Martha Sloan, professor and associate chair of Michigan Tech's  Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. (Photo courtesy Michigan Technological University)

She has been at Michigan Tech since 1969.

Sloan was cited for service and leadership in the University Senate, her department, the College of Engineering and, overall, the University.

Colleagues single her out for bringing international stature to Michigan Tech via work in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), where she served as president, the first woman to do so.

"She represents Michigan Tech to the world," says Associate Professor Mark Johnson, of the School of Technology.

As well, Sloan was saluted for mentoring female faculty and students. She evidenced "undying support and encouragement of mentoring before it was vogue," according to Professor Dana Johnson, of the School of Business and Economics. She says that Sloan is selfless and dedicated to "furthering careers other than her own."

Click here to read the full story on the Michigan Tech News.

Calumet Theatre to host "Superior" Luau fundraiser June 2

CALUMET -- The Calumet Theatre will host its major annual fundraiser and silent auction beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, with a social hour in the Red Jacket Ballroom located on the 2nd floor of the Theatre. This year’s "Superior" Luau sports a Hawaiian theme with a "Superior" twist.

Guests are encouraged to dress in Hawaiian attire and casual wear is always acceptable for this fun evening.

The evening includes a silent auction featuring a Clarion Hotel Green Bay weekend get-a-way, an Isle Royale Queen IV cruise, a Joe Masini flight lesson in a Beech Skipper, luxury motel  accommodations at AmericInn, Country Inn, and Dapple Gray, a Herman Jeweler’s German Cuckoo clock, Daily Mining Gazette subscription and many, many more favorites.

Tickets for this open to the public event are $60 per person, $110 for two, full table discounts. Price includes  hors d’oeuvres, beverages, music, door prizes and a special buffet dinner by Kangas’ Café and Catering featuring macadamia crusted chicken and kalua pork. Dinner is followed by "Superior Hawaiian" themed entertainment. Reservations can be made by calling the Calumet Theatre at (906) 337-2166 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday  through Friday.

Proceeds will support daily operational expenses of the Theatre.

Updated: High school robotics project to help Isle Royale staff monitor invasive species

By Michele Bourdieu
 

Outside the Portage Lake District Library, following a presentation about Isle Royale for kids and parents, Dollar Bay science teacher Matt Zimmer, second from left, chats with students, parents and kids during a demonstration of the student-designed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), or underwater robots, Zimmer and his students will take with them on a trip to Isle Royale this week. Also pictured are students Justin Rogan, left, and Samantha Richards. Nathan Olson, right, of Hubbell, accompanied his son Riley Olson, 6. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- A group of Dollar Bay High School students and their teacher, Matt Zimmer, will head for Isle Royale on the Ranger this Tuesday, May 29, after working all year on their Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) -- underwater robots, designed and constructed in their Marine Robotics classes to monitor invasive species such as zebra mussels.

Victoria Kangas, one of the Dollar Bay High School students who helped make the ROVs in Matt Zimmer's Marine Robotics class, points out the LED headlights on one of the robots displayed in the Portage Library during the May 15 program -- the last in the the "Explore Your National Park" series of family programs presented at the library by Isle Royale National Park rangers.                   

Zimmer said this will be the first trip to Isle Royale for all 20 students, who will spend the night camping on the island and return on Wednesday, May 30.

"They'll take two ROVs with them and will train the rangers to operate them," Zimmer said.

"The students spent six hours on Saturday (May 26) working on the two ROVs and have planned a final work session for Monday (May 28, Memorial Day)," Zimmer wrote in an email follow-up message to Keweenaw Now on Sunday, May 27.

Some of the students demonstrated the ROVs in a tank of water outside the Portage Lake District Library on May 15, following a presentation by Isle Royale National Park Ranger Valerie Martin -- "Wade into Isle Royale" -- during which children had a chance to be "aquatic ecologists" and to learn about food chains and the lives of underwater creatures that live in the water surrounding Isle Royale, including some uninvited invasive species.

During her presentation "Wade into Isle Royale" at the Portage Library, Valerie Martin, Isle Royale National Park ranger, teaches children about habitat and leads them in a song about "Phytoplankton." (Video clips by Keweenaw Now)

Martin has done several of these family activities at the Portage Library and has a great rapport with the children, involving them physically in the adventure.

"My job is perfect for me because I do what I like to do best," Martin says, "to try to connect people to nature and get them excited about going out on their own to explore these things -- and I get to be silly and creative!"

In one of Ranger Valerie Martin's activities, children learn about food chains by playing the roles of creatures that eat one another.

Ranger Martin introduces the concept of invasive species with a father-son game in which Dad is an invasive zebra mussel, a species the robots are intended to monitor once they arrive on Isle Royale.

Valerie Martin explained that the Dollar Bay students' robotics project is a partnership with the Park Service. The students will actually be training the park staff in how to use the robots. Park staff will then give the students feedback so they can improve the robots.

Outside the Portage Library, Victoria Kangas shows children how to use a remote control with a computer monitor to operate the robots, which are in a water tank several feet away. The object is to get the robot to pick up an item from the bottom of the water tank.

Dollar Bay student Justin Rogan explains some parts of the robot.

Zimmer notes three purposes of taking the robots to Isle Royale:

• First, they can inspect incoming vessels for invasive species such as zebra mussels.
• Second, the robots can monitor the existing population of zebra mussels to see if they are reproducing.
• Third, the robot acts as an ice breaker with the public so the rangers can talk to the public about zebra mussels through informal discussion.

"It's wonderful for the students," Zimmer said. "They learn concepts in science and then apply those concepts in a real-world situation."

The Dollar Bay S.O.A.R. (Student Organization of Aquatic Robotics) displayed this exhibit about their project in the Portage Lake District Library. (Click on photo for larger version.)

The robotics project is sponsored by the High School Enterprise, Square One Education Network and the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative.

Portage Library to show BBC film May 26

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will show the film Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown at 6:30 p.m. TONIGHT, Saturday, May 26. This BBC film tells the true story of one of the most powerful women in the Western world -- the Queen of the British Empire -- and her friendship with a lowly Scottish servant whose primary job was to look after the horses. When circumstances brought the widowed Queen Victoria and her servant John Brown together, the result was a friendship that scandalized the nation and nearly toppled the British Monarchy. Filmed on location in Scotland and England, this film opens up the long-shrouded history of Victoria’s second great love as she presided over her nation’s transformation into a 20th-century industrial power. This film is rated PG.

This film is part of a Celtic film series presented by the Celtic Quarter, a local, non-profit group dedicated to preserving Celtic heritage in the Copper Country.The Celtic Quarter welcomes new members regardless of heritage. In 2009 they purchased the historic Pewabic House at 222 Hancock Ave. in Hancock. Plans for the building include a small museum, a genealogy center, and a welcome place for meetings and classes in all things Celtic. They can be reached through their website at www.thecelticquarter.com.

All library programs are free and everyone is welcome. For more information you may call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Updated: Gratiot Lake Conservancy to offer summer workshops

Bob Marr will again be offering a Beginners Workshop on Dragonflies and Damselflies through Gratiot Lake Conservancy this summer. See below to read about this and other workshops that still have openings. (Photo © and courtesy Jim Hay of Gratiot Lake Conservancy. Reprinted with permission.)

GRATIOT LAKE -- Gratiot Lake Conservancy (GLC) has exciting offerings on tap for July and August. All workshops require advance registration. Here are some descriptions of those that still have vacancies:

Sketching the Landscape in Watercolor -- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, July 15.
Instructor: Marilynn Brandenburger.
Location: Eagle Harbor Community Building and outdoor locations in the vicinity. Fee: $100 ($85 GLC members) Advance registration required.
Suitable for persons of all levels of art experience. Advance registration required (limited enrollment).

A student at a recent GLC workshop given by Marilynn Brandenburger works on a watercolor journal. (Photo © and courtesy Bonnie Hay) 

Marilynn Brandenburger has been painting and exhibiting professionally for more than twenty-five years. Awards and recognitions include grants from private and public foundations, appointments as Artist-in-Residence in national and state parks, including Isle Royale National Park. Her work is in collections throughout the U.S. Marilynn’s work has been featured in national newspaper and magazine articles and in two books: The Best of Colored Pencil 5 and The Island Within Us. She has also illustrated three books. Click here to read more about Marilynn Brandenburger and the workshop.

A Retreat at Gratiot Lake Preserve and Noblet Field Station: Connecting More Deeply with Nature and Spirit -- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 21 (Raindate July 22)
Facilitated by Bonnie Hay and Sharon Levine
Location: Noblet Field Station and Gratiot Lake Preserve
Fee: $50 ($45 GLC members) Advance registration required.

Cabin at Noblet Field Station near Gratiot Lake. (Photo © and courtesy Jim Hay)

Participate in a guided process to develop skills of careful observation in nature through direct sensory experience. It will be a time to rekindle your imagination and translate your perceptions into stories or images. Details of the Saturday meeting location and what to bring will be sent to you. Bring a bag lunch and extra drinking water since no potable water is available at the GLC preserve. Please wear comfortable clothing suitable for being out-of-doors and shoes suitable for moderate walking. Click here to read more about this workshop.

Beginners Workshop on Dragonflies and Damselflies -- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 11 (Raindate August 12)
Instructor: Bob Marr
Location: Sites in Keweenaw County. Meeting location to be determined closer to the date.
Fee: $20 ($15 GLC members) Janet Avery Scholarship available. Advance registration required.
Learn identification, safe capture and release, and techniques for observation of these "winged dragons" and "neon toothpicks." Appropriate for adults and children 11 and older with an interest in nature (accompanied by an adult). The day will start with a short (about 45-minute) overview of life cycle, ecology, morphology, and behavior followed by field identification. There will be a break for lunch and then more field observation. Since both aquatic and terrestrial habitat will be explored, participants are encouraged to bring along wading shoes or boots.... Click here to read more about this workshop.

All workshops require advance registration. More information and downloadable application forms are at www.gratiotlakeconservancy.org. Go to the drop down menu at the top of the page and select "What’s New" to find the GLC calendar and workshop list.  For further information contact Bonnie: belh@verizon.net or leave a phone message at 906-337-5476.

Mike Schira to present "Living by Water" June 30

GLC is planning to host Mike Schira, District Educator of the MSU Extension from 10 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, June 30, at the Eagle Harbor Community Building. Mike’s talk will be "Living by Water." He will explain how lakeshore landowners can protect the lakes and rivers they love. This is free and open to all.

Gallerie Bohème in Calumet is open May 26, 28

The Gallerie Bohème in Calumet is open this weekend from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 26, and on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. The exhibit, "Paddles and Prints," work by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty, opened May 4.

To view work at other times, please call Tom Rudd at 906-369-4086

The Gallerie Bohème is located at 426 Fifth Street in Calumet.

  Paddles, by Tom Rudd. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

Isle Royale Series: North Superior. Color reduction relief print by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty.

Flood Series: Village. Color reduction relief print by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty. 

The Gallerie Bohème will present a showing of "New Work by Joyce Koskenmaki" in June. The opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, June 1.

Main Street Calumet Market's June riddle is here

CALUMET -- The Main Street Calumet Market is ready with its June riddle. See if you can find the key that makes this accurate statement make sense:

Every lady in this land
Has twenty nails, upon each hand
Five, and twenty on hands and feet:
All this is true, without deceit.

The first 3 children 12 or under, accompanied by a parent or guardian, who give the correct answer to the Main Street Calumet Market manager on Saturday, June 9, 2012, will win a prize. Parental help is encouraged. The market, located at 200 Fifth St. on the corner of Fifth and Portland Streets in downtown Calumet, Michigan, features seasonal produce, crafts by area artisans and a variety of products by local businesses. It is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the first Friday of each month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Answer to the May Market Riddle:

Congratulations to the winners of the Main Street Calumet Market  Riddle Contest for May.
The May riddle was this:

 Little Nancy Etticoat
 In a white petticoat,
 And a red nose.
 The longer she stands
 The shorter she grows.

 Answer: A candle.

Barb Koski to present Stanton Township history program May 24

HOUGHTON -- Today, Stanton Township may be more commonly associated with quiet country roads, dense forests, and scenic vistas than it is with industrial activity. One hundred years ago, however, it was busy with logging, fishing, farming, and stamp milling. Revisit historic Stanton Township with Barb Koski as she shares its role in copper production and other commercial endeavors.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, May 24, in the Stanton Township Hall, located at 14010 Liminga Road, off Houghton’s Canal Road. The event is free and open to the public.

Barb Koski’s connection to the Keweenaw began in 1958 with summers spent in Agate Harbor. Researching her husband’s family history of immigrating to Liminga sparked her interest in Copper Country history. Since undertaking that project, she has researched and written extensively about the area’s history. Stanton Township has been a particular focus of her research.

Koski has combed archives, talked to long-time residents, and uncovered the history of both well-known features like the Redridge Dam and less obvious ones like Edgemere and shares them with a wide audience on the Stanton Township website. She will share what she has learned in this illustrated presentation.

This program is part of the popular monthly Fourth Thursday in History series, now in its eleventh year, offered by Keweenaw National Historical Park, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

For further information, including specific directions to this event, contact Keweenaw National Historical Park at (906)483-3176, or visit their Web site.

Updated: Big Bay residents report on Rio Tinto AGM in London

By Michele Bourdieu

MARQUETTE -- Two Big Bay, Mich., residents concerned about air pollution from Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Mine went all the way to London -- to Rio Tinto's April 19, 2012, Annual General Meeting (AGM) with shareholders -- to request an independent, third-party air quality monitoring program for the mine.

During a rally preceding the Rio Tinto Annual General Meeting (AGM), Big Bay residents Cynthia Pryor (far right, holding sign) and Carla Champagne joined other groups who protested against Rio Tinto's projects and practices around the world, as well as their corporate sponsorship of the Olympic Games. Groups pictured here include the Utah Moms for Clean Air (with banner) and United Steel Workers Union members from Quebec (in orange shirts). See below for their comments at the AGM. (Photo © 2012 by Sallie Dean Shatz of www.shatziephotos.com. Reprinted with permission.)

When Cynthia Pryor of the Yellowdog Watershed Preserve and Carla Champagne of Concerned Citizens of Big Bay finally had their chance to speak at the AGM -- near the end of the question session -- the shareholders in the audience and the board members in the front of the large hall in Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center, just minutes before, had heard from a woman representing Utah Moms for Clean Air -- a Salt Lake City mother whose son had nearly died from asthma. According to Utah Moms, he is one of many children affected by air pollution attributed to Rio Tinto-Kennecott's huge open-pit Bingham Canyon mining operation near Salt Lake City.

That young mother, Alexandra Allred, was nearly in tears as she told the story of rushing her son to the hospital -- and of the many funerals of children she has attended in her community. Addressing both the shareholders and the company executives, Allred asked in a voice choked with emotion, "Can all of you please make a vow to me that you will put environmental issues in the forefront ... that you will become socially responsible for air quality and the environment -- not just where I live but around the world?"

Her request was answered with applause from the audience. Jan DuPlessis, Rio Tinto board chair, assured her he was sensitive to her "highly personal" question and was aware of the air quality problem in the Salt Lake City basin.

"I believe that Rio Tinto probably is the most responsible company in our sector when it comes to dealing with the environment," DuPlessis said.

They may not always get it right, he added, but they "will always try to do better."

At the very end of the question period DuPlessis took a question from Cherise Udell, also of Utah Moms for Clean Air. Udell said Salt Lake City has been cited by the conservative Forbes magazine as being the ninth most toxic city in the U.S., and it gets an "F" grade year after year from the American Lung Association.

"Rio Tinto," Udell stated, "is the number-one point-source emission in Utah and responsible for about 30 percent of the air pollution. This is a liability for you shareholders."

Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto chief executive, blamed the air pollution on their subsidiary Kennecott's vehicles as well as automobile traffic in the Salt Lake Valley. He said Rio Tinto is committed to reduce emissions "from Kennecott" with "extended light rail" and to begin converting vehicles from gasoline to natural gas.

That statement might make Marquette residents wonder why Rio Tinto's subsidiary Kennecott, after obtaining for the Eagle Mine a permit based on their original plan to haul the ore by rail, has since been allowed to change that plan to a haul route through Marquette (for an estimated nearly 50 trucks a day, each way) -- unless their alternative, CR 595 through the woods, should be approved by the federal agencies that have twice opposed it because of potential impacts to wetlands and streams.

Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Mine near Big Bay, Mich. The portal to the mine is at right, where it enters Eagle Rock, a sacred Ojibwe site. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo © and courtesy Jeremiah Eagle Eye. Reprinted with permission)

When Carla Champagne of Big Bay made her request for an independent, third-party air quality monitoring program for the Eagle Mine, Albanese spoke directly to the audience to assure them that air pollution near Big Bay was merely "particulate dust" that would be the equivalent of 15 wood-burning home heating units. He told Champagne Rio Tinto would fund and set up an air quality monitoring body to include representatives from the community, NGOs and probably academia.

"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about an independent, third-party air quality monitoring program," Champagne said. "If you're paying for it you're going to get the results you want. I would recommend -- and to all the shareholders also -- that instead of spending all that money on public relations you put that money where it can actually do something for the people of my community. You can afford it."

Champagne and Pryor gave a brief report on their trip to Rio Tinto's AGM at an April 30 meeting of a coalition of environmental groups in Marquette. Keweenaw Now recorded some of their comments.

Carla Champagne of Concerned Citizens of Big Bay tells members of a coalition of environmental groups in Marquette about speaking to Rio Tinto executives and shareholders concerning the need for an independent, third-party air quality monitoring program for Rio Tinto - Kennecott's Eagle Mine. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Gene Champagne, Carla's husband, who also attended the Marquette coalition meeting, said he and other Big Bay residents have noticed significant air pollution from the mine.

"Currently, as they drill the tunnel, they are venting everything out the mine portal," Gene Champagne said. "We have no idea what is in the exhaust other than you can get a nauseating whiff of diesel fumes while standing on the AAA Road on some days. The exhaust fan is powered by a diesel generator. This is especially true if the wind happens to be blowing around."

Powell Township approves resolution for air quality monitoring

On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, Powell Township, which includes the Big Bay area, passed a resolution for the kind of air quality monitoring program Carla Champagne requested of Rio Tinto at the London AGM. The resolution states, in part, "...in response to Citizen’s concerns, we the Powell Township Board do ask that the Environmental Protection Agency and or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality develop an Air Quality Monitoring program in our region, with monitors installed at present and future mine sites, within the community of Big Bay, and at any other sites in Powell Township that these agencies deem appropriate. We ask that the EPA and or the DEQ designate air quality scientists to monitor and maintain this air quality program; ask that the mining companies cover all the costs for the implementation and on-going support for this air quality monitoring program; and that all data and information be available for citizen review."

Meeting with Albanese after AGM

After the AGM, Cynthia Pryor and Carla Champagne met with Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto chief executive, to discuss several issues. Pryor expressed objections to Kennecott's recent air quality permit application (for the Eagle Mine), which requests removal of the air filter controls from the Main Vent Air Raise. This Air Raise, which will be used as the only exhaust for all the underground mine workings, is a 65-ft. stack located within 150 feet of the Salmon Trout River (under which the ore body lies). The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is reviewing this permit application and has already asked Kennecott to make some changes.* According to an April 20, 2012, article in the Marquette Mining Journal, a public hearing and public comment period will be scheduled before the DEQ makes a final decision on the air permit, possibly this summer.**

View of the Salmon Trout River, not far from the Main Vent Air Raise, which will be used as the only exhaust from the Eagle Mine. Kennecott's ore body (copper and nickel) is under this trout stream. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Cynthia Pryor noted the trip provided an opportunity to meet with Richard Solly and other members of the London Mining Network (LMN) -- an alliance of human rights, development, and environmental groups working to expose supporters of unacceptable mining projects.

Pryor also mentioned the Greenwash Gold 2012 action: LMN has promoted voting for Rio Tinto in the Greenwash Gold 2012 "competition" to vote for the worst corporate sponsor (the others are BP and Dow Chemical) of the London Olympic Games. Metal for the 2012 Olympic medals will come from the company’s Bingham Canyon (Kennecott) mine in Utah and its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia -- both of which threaten human health.***

Here is an excerpt from Pryor's report on the London trip to environmental coalition members at their Apr. 30 meeting in Marquette:

Cynthia Pryor of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve speaks about attending Rio Tinto's London AGM to representatives of several local environmental groups at their coalition meeting in Marquette on April 30, 2012.

As Pryor and Champagne pointed out to coalition members, people affected by Rio Tinto's mining projects came to the AGM from various parts of the world to express their concerns. The entire AGM Web cast can be viewed on the Rio Tinto Web site.****

Here are some more highlights of the AGM question period -- more than two hours of open comments, mostly in opposition to Rio Tinto's policies and projects.

Mongolia: Oyu Tolgoi mine threatens water supply

Mongolian activist Zanaa Jurmed, Director of the Center for Citizens’ Alliance in Mongolia, questioned Rio Tinto's claim that they are training thousands of Mongolians to work in their Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in the Gobi Desert.

"You might train hundreds of workers but not thousands," Jurmed said.

She was also concerned about the lack of rules to protect Mongolian women from sexual harassment by Chinese workers.

"We have a zero tolerance policy towards sexual harassment," Albanese replied.

Jurmed's main concern, though, was Rio Tinto's depletion of water resources. She accused Rio Tinto of not disclosing their social and health impact statement. According to the London Mining Network, the mine will use enormous quantities of water in a desert region and the company has failed to demonstrate the availability of sufficient water needed for the mine as well as the population.

"Are you going to do a cumulative risk assessment?" Jurmed asked, noting the danger that the water supply in the Gobi region could run out.

Albanese defended the company's plans to use groundwater from a deep, saline aquifer not suitable for humans or animals and said the company will supplement surface water.

A second speaker supported Jurmed's claims, referring to a report from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) on potential environmental impacts of mining projects in Mongolia on water, air quality and habitat fragmentation. The report also mentions the challenge of water availability in a desert environment with many herders. It gives details on the Oyu Tolgoi mine and the company's plans to use deep aquifers they claim will not connect with more shallow water sources used by herders.

According to the report, "Mining companies state that there is no communication between the shallow and deep aquifers; however, if pressed, there is no proven evidence in the public domain to validate their claim."*****

DuPlessis cut this speaker off, refusing to take more questions on Mongolia.

"We are very proud of our engagement in Mongolia," he said.

Union Workers locked out in Quebec

Criticisms and questions also came from a representative of the locked-out United Steel Workers from Alma, Quebec. Albanese claimed the union's demands for hiring more workers were excessive and there was evidence of vandalism and sabotage at the plant -- hence, the lock out. Denying the vandalism, the union spokesman said he was just asking Rio Tinto to go back to the table and negotiate.

Pryor reported 14 representatives of the Quebec Steel Workers attended the AGM.

"The Quebec Steel Workers were told to go back home and be reasonable and the company would meet with them -- which was met with outrage by the workers," Pryor said.

Pebble Mine threatens salmon of Bristol Bay, Alaska

Albanese also heard from representatives of tribal groups, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Earth Works -- who questioned Rio Tinto's partnership with the Anglo American mining company in the Pebble Mine project near Bristol Bay, Alaska -- a proposed open-pit mine to be located at the headwaters of the largest, possibly the last, salmon fishery in the world.

Jason Metrokin, president/CEO of Bristol Bay Native Corp., noted 54 percent of Alaskan voters and more than 80 percent of Bristol Bay residents oppose the project because of the risk to the salmon habitat. Joel Reynolds of NRDC said he had a million petitions from around the world asking Rio Tinto to withdraw from the project. He said he had brought 150,000 of them with him to present to Rio Tinto. Bonnie Gestering of Earth Works said her organization was in support of the native peoples and fishermen opposed to the Pebble Mine and asked Albanese to consider the results of an EPA study on the suitability of large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed.

Both DuPlessis and Albanese replied they were not in favor of an open-pit operation in Bristol Bay. However, Albanese said he was interested in an underground ore body in that area, which would require 10 years of exploration.

On April 20, the day after the AGM, Cynthia Pryor visited Ian Collard of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, American Directorate and presented the history of the Eagle project. She mentioned issues including Rio Tinto-Kennecott's disregard of law, collusion with and corruption of state and local government, Indian Rights and treaty violations, the desecration of Eagle Rock as a sacred site. She also told Collard about issues of water quality, air quality and good science.

Pryor learned that Collard had been to the U.P. as a boy scout and was familiar with the beauty of the place. Noting the reputation of British companies in foreign countries is important, he said he would share a copy of their discussion.

Carla Champagne commented on meeting and hearing from people all over the world at the AGM and noted a similarity in Rio Tinto's reactions to their concerns.

"One of the things that struck me was that Rio Tinto acts the same -- everywhere they go," Carla said. "It's just their degree of corruption that changes. People from Mongolia, people from West Papua New Guinea, people from Canada -- the United Steel Workers that were locked out -- they're all treated the same."

Notes:

* Click here to read Kennecott's application for an air quality permit on the DEQ Web site.

** See "Kennecott wants mine air permit revised," by John Pepin of the Mining Journal.

*** Click here to read about Rio Tinto and Greenwash Gold 2012. Read about the London Mining Network on their Web site.

**** Click here to watch the Web cast of the Rio Tinto 2012 AGM in London.

***** Click here to read the USAID report on the Oyu Tolgoi mining project in Mongolia.
Update: See also Carla Champagne's Letter to the Mining Journal posted today, May 23: "Monitoring Needed."

Portage Lake District Library invites all to Open House May 25

HOUGHTON -- The community is invited to an Open House at the Portage Lake District Library beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 25.  It’s an opportunity to enjoy a relaxing evening in the library as well as learn about the library’s downloadable audio books and eBooks.

Step-by-step lessons will be given by library staff on how to download books onto a PC or Mac computer as well as how to download books to a Kindle, iPod, Nook, Sony Reader and other compatible devices. People will discover that this is easy to do, there are no late fees, and it is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This video clip shows a sample demonstration of how to download books from the library's digital collection to a Kindle for rental:

David Karnosky, Portage Library page and Web Site coordinator, shows library patron Shirley Galbraith of Houghton how to download a book from the library's digital collection to a Kindle. Portage Library Director Shawn Leche observes the procedure. (Video by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

Shawn Leche, Portage Lake District Library director, is excited about the library's new technology for digital rentals from the library's electronic collection of approximately 1600 books. He said he looks forward to the Open House this Friday, during which visitors will be able to download audio books and eBooks from the collection, which is found under Great Lakes Digital Library on the library's catalog. So bring your laptop, Kindle, iPod or other reader to the Open House and try it.

When you attend the Open House, be sure to notice "Mind Waves," these acrylic paintings by Bethany Stevens, on display through May 31 at the Portage Library. The paintings are inspired by the artist's meditation practice. "Mind waves are metaphors for thoughts that distract us from being in the present moment," Stevens states. The exhibit, just opposite the circulation desk, is a collaboration between the library and the Copper Country Community Arts Center. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)


Refreshments will be catered by Illa Garver and Jeannine Blough, and everyone is welcome.

For more information, you may call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Michigan LCV: Green Gavels and Great Lakes

From Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Posted May 21, 2012

The Michigan Supreme Court just couldn't wait to test out the new Green Gavels accountability tool we launched last week, as they have already issued a brand new ruling that will ripple across Michigan's rivers and lakes. Hundreds of other Michigan voters couldn't wait to test it out, either, though they did so without wearing funny black robes. Well, most of them, at least.

Meanwhile, new bills introduced in the House and Senate could weaken the protections we have for our iconic sand dunes, joining existing legislation to weaken shoreline wetland protections. The Assault on Pure Michigan continues.

Click here to read more on this week's Michigan LCV Political Week in Review.