Sen. Stabenow visits Houghton County Dems' fundraiser

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), second from left, hosted a reception and expressed her support for 110th District State Rep. Scott Dianda, fourth from left, at a fundraiser for Dianda held on August 12, 2013, by the Houghton County Democratic Party. Also pictured are, from left, Michigan House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel, Debbie Dianda and Sharon and Mike Lahti. (Photos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow hosted a reception and fundraiser for 110th District Michigan Rep. Scott Dianda Aug. 12 at the Shelden Grill in Houghton.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow with 110th District Michigan Rep. Scott Dianda of Calumet. Stabenow hosted a fundraising reception for Dianda's 2014 campaign Aug. 12 in Houghton.

The informal fundraising event kicked off Dianda's campaign for re-election in 2014. Also present to show their support were Michigan House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel, other Michigan Democratic House members and about 30 door-knocking supporters for Dianda.

Greimel, who represents Michigan's 29th House District downstate, has visited the Copper Country several times and is an enthusiastic supporter of Dianda, who, he told local Democrats, is the hardest-working legislator in the House.

Visit the Houghton County Dems' Facebook page for more on their activities.

Click here for Rep. Scott Dianda's Web site.

Guitarist Steve Jones to perform at Portage Library's "Music on the Menu" Aug. 16

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.

Steve Jones will perform his unique sound and intricate rhythms of jazz and blues guitar music from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16.

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.

This event is part of the library’s Summer Reading Program and is free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Red Metal Radio Show to dramatize 1913-14 Copper Miners' Strike Aug. 15 live on K-Bear Radio

CALUMET -- The Red Metal Radio Show will take to the airwaves for the fifth straight year with a live broadcast on K-Bear, WHKB-FM, 102.3, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, from the historic Calumet Theatre. The show, which is part of Main Street Calumet’s Heritage Days, has always focused on some aspect of local history or culture, and this year takes on the topic of the 1913-14 Michigan Copper Strike.

Red Metal Radio Show co-hosts Oren Tikkanen and Kris Kyro Johnson will offer a dramatic trip into the past with radio "coverage" of the 1913-14 Copper Miners' Strike at 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Aug. 15, in the Calumet Theatre. Here -- in the stage performance of the show at the theatre during Finn Fest on June 20, 2013 -- they tell the story of the strike with the help of local actors and actual journalists Dick Storm and Todd Van Dyke. The show will be broadcast on K-Bear, WHKB-FM, 102.3 and streamed live on the K-Bear Web site. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The show’s writer, producer, and host is Oren Tikkanen, who says that this year’s topic is a dramatic departure from previous shows.

"We’ve usually taken a nostalgic, light-hearted approach to looking back at the boom times of the Copper Country," Tikkanen notes, "but there’s nothing light-hearted about the Copper Strike. It was deadly serious, and we take it seriously. But it’s a great story and it’s our story and we are glad to be telling it."

As usual, the Red Metal Radio Show uses "the magic of radio" to carry the listener into the past through the sounds and voices of bygone days. Tikkanen says that the format of this program is "radio news coverage" of the Strike.

"We are fortunate that we have two real-life radio newsmen with us," Tikkanen adds. "When you hear Dick Storm and Todd Van Dyke interviewing James MacNaughton from Calumet and Hecla, and Big Annie Clemenc from the union, it gives a sense of immediacy to these events from 100 years ago.”

Tikkanen reports that the show has been expanded for this year because of the topic: "We’ve gone to a two-hour format so that we can cover some of the most important events and issues in the Strike story -- and even then, we’ve had to cut out a great deal. We hope our show will stimulate people to read the history books and delve into the archives and find the important points that we may have missed."

The public is encouraged to be part of the audience at the Calumet Theatre, and ticket information is available at 337-2610.

"We already performed the show for Finnfest USA in June as a stage presentation," Tikkanen explains, "and the audience feedback was very positive. People felt like they were really there in 1913 listening to the news, and they said our reporting was fair and balanced."

Since this is a live radio broadcast, audience members are requested to be in their seats by 6:50 p.m. The show will be streamed live on the K-Bear website for those who are outside the broadcast range.

Center for Biological Diversity: Agency backtracks on attempt to exclude wolf experts from review of wolf delisting proposal

From a Center for Biological Diversity Press Release
Posted Aug. 12, 2013

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Aug. 12, 2013, that it will put on hold the scientific peer review of its proposal to remove protections for gray wolves across the country while it reviews its own actions leading to the disqualification of three scientists from the review panel.

Dr. John Vucetich, co-director of the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study and Michigan Tech professor of wildlife ecology and management, was one of the three excluded scientists. Vucetich has been studying the wolves of Isle Royale National Park for the past 20 years and is one of the nation’s leading wolf researchers. Vucetich was a member of the Mexican wolf recovery team and in 2011 participated as a peer reviewer of the Service’s decision to drop federal protections for the gray wolf in Wyoming.

Last week it was revealed that three scientists were excluded from the peer review because they signed a letter calling into question some of the science behind the proposal to delist the gray wolf.* While the Service initially claimed that it had not asked for the three scientists to be removed, emails between the contractor supervising the peer review process and the scientists themselves confirmed that the Service had in fact done exactly that.

Here is an interview with John Vucetich from the California Wolf Center posted on Aug. 9, 2013:

The California Wolf Center interviews Michigan Tech Professor and wildlife ecologist John Vucetich, co-director of the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study, concerning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) exclusion of scientists from a peer review of their wolf delisting proposal. This interview was posted on Aug. 9, 2013. USFWS announced on Aug. 12, 2013, that it would put the peer review on hold. (Video courtesy California Wolf Center. Re-published with permission.)

"We’re glad to see the Fish and Wildlife Service admit this mistake and hope this means there will be a true independent review of this deeply flawed proposal to remove protections for gray wolves," said Brett Hartl, endangered species policy director with the Center for Biological Diversity. "Unfortunately, this is but one example of how the Fish and Wildlife Service has been twisting the scientific process to get the desired political result of no more protections for wolves."

Peer review, a step required by the Endangered Species Act, is critical in ensuring that federal protections are not lifted before a species is fully recovered. In the case of the wolves, the Fish and Wildlife Service is contracting with a private company to conduct the peer review. Recognizing their scientific expertise, the private contractor hired for the review contacted several of the signers to the letter to participate in the review, including Dr. Vucetich, Dr. Robert Wayne and Dr. Roland Kays.

Dr. Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles, is a leading wildlife geneticist and has studied the evolutionary and ecological relationship between wolves and other canine species in the United States and around the world. Dr. Roland Kays of North Carolina State University is a zoologist whose research focuses on the ecology and conservation of mammals. Kays’ research has focused on the genetic relationship and evolution of wolves and coyotes in North America.

As part of its contract, the outside contractor was required to submit the résumés of each peer reviewer to the Service with the names redacted. However, because each of these scientists has published hundreds of articles, it was easy for the Service to deduce who the contractor had selected. The Service then sent the contractor a copy of the letter asking that any signers be removed.

"The Service should take a moment to reflect on why it felt it was necessary to go to such lengths to control the peer review process of this proposal," said Hartl. "Perhaps it’s because the decision to delist the gray wolf is based on politics, not solely on the best available science."

This is the first time the Fish and Wildlife Service has imposed restrictions at the outset for whether scientists could be involved in peer review based on what it termed an "affiliation with an advocacy position."**....

The letter from the scientists and another from the American Society of Mammalogists raised a number of scientific questions about the agency’s proposal to remove protections for wolves, which today survive in just five percent of their historic range in the lower 48.***

Notes:

* Click here to read the May 21, 2013, letter from scientists addressed to Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Dan Ashe, Director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

** Click here to read the June 25, 2013, Order Statement of Work from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Criteria for peer reviewers are listed on pp. 2-3. Under "Advocacy," the document states, ""Reviewers will not be known or recognized for an affiliation with an advocacy position regarding the protection of this species under the Endangered Species Act."

*** Please note that wolves in Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment (which includes wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and portions of adjacent states) were delisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in December 2011 (by a rule that took effect in January 2012). Click here for USFWS Questions and Answers on that decision. Since then Minnesota, Wisconsin, and -- most recently -- Michigan have legislated wolf hunts. A petition for a referendum against the second Michigan legislation (PA 21) to allow a wolf harvest (despite the success of a first petition drive against an earlier law) is now underway. Watch for a story on this, coming soon.

Visit the Center for Biological Diversity Web site for more background on their efforts to protect wolves.

See also this article by environmental journalist Todd Wilkinson: "Feds' wolf panel fails on science, objectivity."

Author Steve Lehto to speak on new edition of his book "Death's Door" Aug. 14 at Brownstone Hall

Author Steve Lehto speaks about the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike during his 2012 presentation at the Brownstone Hall in Atlantic Mine. This Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013, Lehto will speak about the new edition of his book Death's Door -- the Truth Behind the Italian Hall Disaster and the Strike of 1913 at the Brownstone Hall during an event again sponsored by the Adams Township School District Foundation, Inc., and the Sarah Sargent Paine Historical Research Center. (Keweenaw Now file photo)*

ATLANTIC MINE -- Author Steve Lehto will discuss the second edition of his book Death's Door -- the Truth Behind the Italian Hall Disaster and the Strike of 1913 during "An Evening with Steve Lehto" from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Brownstone Hall in Atlantic Mine. The event is open to the public.

The Adams Township School District Foundation, Inc., and the Sarah Sargent Paine Historical Research Center are hosting the event, similar to Lehto's visit that they sponsored in June 2012. In this new lecture, Lehto will update attendees with even more new information on this dark chapter in Michigan's past.

This book is a revised and expanded version of Lehto's 2006 book, Death's Door -- the Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder. This new edition builds on that strong foundation with additional information and new photographs.

In his introduction to this second edition of Death's Door, Steve Lehto writes, "I first worked on this project in the early 2000s, and Death's Door was published in 2006. After the book came out, I continued researching the Italian Hall and the strike while working on other projects. Among other things, I met with countless people who had ties to the story, and many of them had information regarding the events in my book. I also uncovered more evidence regarding what happened at the hall and during the strike. I decided that with the 100th anniversary approaching, it would be appropriate to release an updated and revised version of the book, including everything I know so far.

"And to assure that we never forget how their children were stolen away."

During a book signing at Copper World in Calumet on June 20, 2013, author Steve Lehto chats with customer Delores Aho of Ontonagon about the second edition of his book Death's Door (which she is holding), while Copper World owner Tony Bausano looks on. Lehto was visiting the Copper Country on June 20 for the Italian Hall Ceremony and lectures he gave at Finn Fest.**

Lehto also spoke about his books and gave a book signing at the Brownstone Hall last year for the Adams Township School District Foundation, Inc., and the Sarah Sargent Paine Historical Research Center. The group invited him to return for a second presentation this summer.*

Like the event last year, this Wednesday's event will include discussion, book signing, wine tasting, hors-d'oeuvres, coffee and desserts. Admission is $10, which is tax-deductible and will help support scholarships and projects sponsored by the Sarah Sargent Paine Historical Research Center, which is an affiliate of Adams Township School District Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. In addition to scholarships, the Foundation funds are used to provide for teacher and student inspired programs as well as to assist in the preservation and enhancement of school buildings.

Editor's Notes:

* See our June 19, 2013, article about Steve Lehto, which includes video clips and photos from his presentation at Brownstone Hall last year.

** See our July 7, 2013, article with videos and photos of the Italian Hall Ceremony.

Novelist Carol Sheldon to launch new book on Copper Country with library presentations, book signings

CALUMET, HOUGHTON -- Novelist Carol Sheldon, author of two fictional accounts of the Copper Country, will give two presentations this week at local libraries to launch her newly published book, Driven to Rage.

"I love to write about relationships and human rights issues," Sheldon says.

An intimate tale of a family divided, the story is set in 1913 when miners and laborers are desperate, and drama unfolds in a human, personal light. Readers of Sheldon’s previous book, Mother Lode, will recognize earlier characters, while those familiar with Copper Country history will enjoy familiar events and elements applied in creative historical fiction.

Reading and book signing at Calumet Library Aug. 14

Sheldon will present "Love and Strife in the Mining Families of 1913" -- a reading and book signing -- from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Calumet (CLK) Public Library. The event it open to the public -- all ages welcome! Refreshments will be served

Sheldon will present the "story behind the story," including her own ties to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Following the presentation, Sheldon will be available to sign books.  Proceeds from the sale of books during this event will go to support projects sponsored by the Friends of the Calumet Public Library.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Calumet Public Library. For more information, visit the library or call 337-0311 ext. 1107.

Portage Lake District Library to host Carol Sheldon Aug. 15

The Portage Lake District Library invites everyone to an evening of readings and reflections with author Carol Sheldon from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15.

Sheldon will discuss her recent historical novel, Driven to Rage, and read excerpts from this book that tells the story of the 1913 Copper Miner’s Strike. In this tale, Sheldon's second historical novel about the Copper Country, conscience is set against convention and brother against brother as miners and laborers unite to face the power of copper mine bosses. Readers will meet heroes and scoundrels as well as Big Annie, a woman so strong in her determination to help the struggling miners that she could not be shamed or silenced.

This novel "explodes with tension," according to author Teresa LeYung-Ryan.

"You’ll recognize characters in this copper mining town, including Sheriff Earl Foster from the riveting Mother Lode," LeYung-Ryan says. "How we suffer, struggling with lust, loyalty and tolerance. Driven to Rage is powerfully moving; Sheldon is a master storyteller of relationships. Reminiscent of Gone With the Wind and Grapes of Wrath."

Sheldon's award-winning historical novel Mother Lode is set in the rough frontier state of Michigan in the late 1800s during the heyday of copper mining. Mother Lode placed in the top five percent of 5000 entries in Amazon's International Novel Contest of 2011. Recently it won the Bay Area Independent Publishers’ Association award for Best Fiction.

The highlights of Sheldon's writing career have been for the stage, and her award winning plays were chosen for professional productions on the east coast. Sheldon also writes poetry and teaches writing in Marin, California, where she lives.

There will be a book signing and selling after the presentation at Portage Library.

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

More book signings

Carol Sheldon will give additional book signings and sell her books as follows:

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 10 a.m. - noon. Tori Farmers' Market, Hancock.
Thursday, Aug. 15, 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. North Wind Books, Finlandia, Hancock.
Friday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m. - noon. Quincy Mine, Hancock; 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Copper World, Calumet.
Saturday, Aug.  17, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Heritage Festival, Agassiz Park, Calumet; 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Grandpa's Barn, Copper Harbor.

For more information about Carol Sheldon, visit her Web site, http://carolsheldon.com/.

(Photo: Book cover for Driven to Rage, courtesy Carol Sheldon.)

Calumet Heritage Celebration to commemorate 1913 Strike Centennial Aug. 12-17

2013 Calumet Heritage Celebration Poster. (Poster courtesy Main Street Calumet)

CALUMET -- This year Calumet’s annual Heritage Celebration, sponsored by Main Street Calumet and local businesses, will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1913 Copper Miners' Strike. A full week of events will begin on Monday, Aug. 12, with a presentation at the Keweenaw Heritage Center by researcher and author Gary Kaunonen, and conclude on Saturday, Aug. 17, with the Great Deer Chase Mountain Bike races and the annual parade followed by music, vendors and a variety of other activities at Agassiz Park in downtown Calumet.

The youngest racers take off for their lap in the 2012 Great Deer Chase youth race in Calumet during the Heritage Celebration. This year the youth race will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17 (note time change). (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Here is the Schedule of Events:

Monday, Aug. 12, 2013, 7 p.m. -- Heritage Center at St. Anne’s, 5th and Portland streets, Calumet: Gary Kaunonen, Michigan Tech researcher and author, will speak; and the "Strikers' Chorus" will perform.

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 6 p.m. -- C and H Miners reunion at Coppertown USA Museum, Calumet

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 7 p.m. -- Dance lessons: dance steps popular in 1913 -- Keweenaw Social Dance Studio, 333 5th St., Calumet. Donations accepted for new dance floor.

Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m. -- Red Metal Radio Show at the Calumet Theatre. Call the box office at 337-2610. (Live broadcast on K-Bear, WHKB-FM, 102.3 and streamed live on K-Bear Web site. Audience should be in their seats by 6:50 p.m.)

Friday Aug. 16, 8 p.m. -- "Big Annie’s Ball," Omphale Gallery and Café, 431 5th St., Calumet. Music by Eleanor Taylor and Friends. Donations accepted for event fund.

Saturday, Aug. 17 -- Events all day in Agassiz Park, beginning at 9 a.m. with pannukakku breakfast. Noon - 5 p.m. -- Music by Jim and Terri Enrietti, Craft Show, Food Vendors, Kids' Games.

Elmore Reese, Main Street Calumet volunteer, sells t-shirts in Agassiz Park during the 2012 Heritage Celebration. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

You can order this year's Calumet Heritage t-shirt and other souvenirs on line at the Main Street Calumet Store. (Photo courtesy Main Street Calumet)

• Great Deer Chase Mountain Bike Race -- Starts on 5th St. Youth race begins at 9 a.m.; 15- and 28-mile races will start at 11 a.m. at the North end of 5th Street. The Great Deer Chase races lead out the Calumet Heritage parade at 11 a.m. Please note the new start time and location! The roll-out proceeds through downtown Calumet and onto two-track at Swedetown Trails. Click here for registration and details.


• Copper Country Heritage Parade -- 5th St., 11 a.m.


• Free Guided Horse-drawn Rides -- Noon - 3 p.m.

Carnegie Museum to host Aug. 13 reception for "Last Days of Italian Hall: Photographs of Calumet's Italian Hall 1981-1988" by Eric Munch

Photographer Eric Munch is pictured here in the Italian Hall Ballroom, Calumet, in September 1983, before the building was demolished. Munch is exhibiting a series of his photos of Italian Hall at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton and will speak at a reception on Aug. 13. (Photo © 2013 and courtesy Eric Munch. Reprinted with permission.)

HOUGHTON -- The Carnegie Museum in downtown Houghton will host a reception for "Last Days of Italian Hall: Photographs of Calumet's Italian Hall 1981-1988" by local photographer Eric Munch from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Photographer Munch will speak at 6:30 p.m.

On Christmas Eve 1913, families of striking copper miners gathered in Italian Hall in Calumet, Michigan, for a holiday party. According to several witnesses, someone yelled, "Fire!!" -- and, in the ensuing panic to flee the second story ballroom, 73 people, 59 of them under age 17, were crushed to death in the stairway.

"Last Days of Italian Hall" is a series of 21 photographs, taken by Eric Munch, professional photographer, of Italian Hall before, during, and after its 1984 demolition. Munch first visited the building as a child in 1967 while in Calumet for a family reunion. Though his grandfather and great aunt had attended the 1913 Christmas party, he was at first unaware of the tragic history of the building.

After moving to Calumet in 1980, Mr. Munch photographed the exterior of Italian Hall on several occasions and in 1981 and 1983 he was able to photograph inside the building. In 1984 he documented the demolition and the crowd that gathered to watch as the building was torn down.

Other exhibits at Carnegie Museum

Other exhibits currently at the Carnegie Museum include the following:

"Rural Reflections: Finnish American Buildings and Landscapes in Michigan's Copper Country" -- photographs by Ryan Holt with Historical Narrative by Arnold Alanen.

"Family Ties: Memorials to Those Lost in the 1913 Italian Hall Tragedy" -- an exhibit by the Houghton Keweenaw County Genealogical Society.

"From the Old School: Memories from the Old Houghton High School 1923 - 1989" -- oral histories about life in "the Old School."

The Carnegie Museum is on the corner of Huron and Montezuma in Houghton, Mich. Regular hours are Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. The museum is open to the public and there is no entry fee. For more information email history@cityofhoughton.com or call (906) 482-7140.

Music TONIGHT, Aug. 9, at Old Bridge, Eagle River

EAGLE RIVER -- Musician Oren Tikkanen reports that good music will be playing at the Old Bridge in Eagle River, Mich., TONIGHT, Friday, Aug. 9.

Here's the schedule:

6 p.m. -- the Backroom Boys Jazz Band
7 p.m. -- Ron Lahti, the Singing Sheriff
8 p.m. -- Steve Jones and the Garden City Hot Club
9 p.m. -- Uncle Pete's BBQ Blues Band

Drive carefully, and enjoy!

Eagle Harbor Art Fair and Exhibit to be Aug. 10, 11

EAGLE HARBOR -- The 53rd Annual Fine Art Fair and Exhibit will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 10, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, on the grounds of St. Peter by the Sea in Eagle Harbor, Mich.

Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) has hosted the fair for 50 years, and CCAA notes this year's fair will be as spectacular as ever.

About 60 artist vendors will be selling their wares -- paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, quilting, fiber, weaving, pottery, jewelry, basketry, wood turning, silver, iron, copper, stone, wood bark, computer-assisted prints and many other materials. Each work exhibited is original and presented by the individual artist who produced it.

Eagle Harbor Township will provide goodies to eat in order to raise money for various projects.

Eagle Harbor also offers a swimming beach, and restaurants can be found in Eagle Harbor as well as a few miles up or down the road in Eagle River or Copper Harbor.

Weather is anticipated to be wonderful!

Click here for a map of Eagle Harbor.

Farm Block Fest to offer family friendly music, camping Aug. 9, 10, 11

ALLOUEZ, Mich. -- Farm Block Fest is a two-night, three-day camping and music festival in the heart of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula -- at 2239 N. Farmers Block Rd., Allouez, MI 49805. The festival begins with gates opening at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, and continues Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9 and 10.

In conjunction with Keweenaw Krayons, Farm Block Festival is put on as a fundraiser for the Dan Schmitt Gift of Music fund. The fund provides free and low-cost instruments and music lessons for area youth.

Farm Block Fest strives to create a safe, family friendly environment that harnesses the power of music and arts in order to create a unique and positive community experience.

Live Music! Great Food! Art Vendors! A beautiful and pristine environment! 3 0n 3 basketball tournament!

Visit www.farmblockfest.com for ticket info and more details.

Click here for the Music Schedule for Farm Block Fest 2013.

Keweenaw Area Jazz Band to play at Portage Lake District Library Aug. 9

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.

The Keweenaw Area Jazz Band, under the direction of Pat Valencia, will perform from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.

These fine young musicians will be playing familiar jazz standards composed and/or performed by jazz legends such as Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Parker, and Sonny Rollins.

"These students have played and practiced very hard all year and look forward to this opportunity to provide a listening experience for the community," says Valencia. "Each of the musicians advanced tremendously in ability over the past year. This will be a fun performance. We welcome everyone to come, listen, and have a great time!"

Summer members of Keweenaw Area Jazz Band and the schools they represent include: Nate Miron (tenor sax) from Baraga Schools; Dillon Babcock (drums), Josh Moore (guitar), and Andrew Baes (bass guitar) from Hancock Schools; and Kayla Makela (alto sax) and Isabel Valencia (keyboard) from Houghton Schools.

This band attends a Jazz Festival each year, and they received the "Most Outstanding Jazz Ensemble" award in 2011 at the Northern Michigan University Jazz Festival in Marquette. Each student does this on his or her own time and has great support from family and parents.

"We hope to get the full Jazz band rehearsing early this fall. All high school students are welcome to participate," says Valencia.

The Keweenaw Area Jazz Band is a collaborative effort of the Copper Country Intermediate School District and Houghton/Keweenaw County 4-H. The band is supported in part by a Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs grant through the Copper Country Community Arts Center, Houghton/Keweenaw 4-H, Michigan Technological University, and in-kind support from community organizations.

Library programs are free and everyone is welcome. In the event of bad weather, this performance will be held in the community room. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

U.P. Book Tour 2013 to visit Hancock, Houghton Aug. 9

HANCOCK, HOUGHTON -- THE U.P. BOOK TOUR 2013 -- five authors who will read from and discuss their books -- will make two local stops TOMORROW, Friday, August 9.

North Wind Books in Hancock will host the five authors from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the Portage Lake District Library will host them from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on August 9.

The five authors are National Book Award finalist Bonnie Jo Campbell, Randall R. Freisinger, April Lindala, Ron Riekki, and Phillip Sterling. Their published works include fiction, short stories, non fiction, poetry, plays, entries in anthologies, and awards. There will be a book signing and selling after the presentation and refreshments will be served at both locations.

The event is free and open to the public, both at North Wind Books and at the Portage Library.

THE U.P. BOOK TOUR 2013 is a U.P. wide event featuring writers from Michigan and the Midwest who write about Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The tour partners with libraries, book stores, community colleges, community centers, and other organizations to bring more than 40 authors to more than 50 events in more than 25 towns in 25 days. Visit www.upbooktour.org for more information.

For more information on Portage Lake District Library programs, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

"Finglish" exhibit of photographs of Finns in North America on display at Community Arts Center

HANCOCK -- "Finglish," an exhibition of photographs of Finns in North America, which traveled to the area for the FinnFest celebration in June, is now on on display in the Copper Country Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery through Aug. 31.

Finnish artist, Vesa Oja dedicated eight years to this project -- which documents Finnish Americans and Finnish Canadians, their dreams and homesickness and their Finnish-flavored North American life.

During Oja’s many trips to North America he found and photographed hundreds of Finnish immigrants, their descendants, and places related to their history. He became familiar with the old and young folks speaking "Finglish," or broken Finnish. He also came to know landscapes in the Great Lakes region; FinnFests; Finntowns; and the villages of Kaleva, Toivola, and Onnela. Oja heard many stories of what immigrant life was like far from Finnish shores.

The project culminated in a book titled Vesa Oja: Finglish - Finns in North America with photographs by Vesa Oja and text by Vesa Oja and Päivi Oja. It includes the 40 photographs in this exhibition. Copies of the book are available at Finlandia University’s Northwind Books.

The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock and is supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information call (906) 482-2333.

Portage Library to host "Your Lymphatic System and How to Assist It" Aug. 8

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will host its monthly program in the Natural Health and Wellness series from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m on Thursday, Aug. 8.

Professional Massage Therapist Angel Janssen will present "Your Lymphatic System and How to Assist It." Participants will deepen their understanding of the important role the body’s lymphatic system performs. They will also learn simple techniques that assist it when it is working hard to maintain a person’s health.

Janssen is a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist in practice for over 20 years in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Michigan. She is a master level LaStone Therapist, a Reflexologist, and a 2nd Degree Reiki Practitioner. The focus of her massage practice is health maintenance, stress reduction, and pain relief with advanced training in aromatherapy, massage for people living with cancer, as well as massage for the medically frail. Janssen is the proprietor of Synergy Massage and Wellness.

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

Michigan LCV: Rep. Tlaib Says No To PetCoke

Posted by Michigan League of Conservation Voters on their Political Week in Review
August 5, 2013

Detroit’s petroleum coke piles may be getting smaller, but concerns about their environmental and public health impacts have not gone anywhere. Last week, video footage of a dark cloud of Detroit petcoke dust hovering over Windsor stirred up more calls for clean-up, and a temporary halt to petcoke deliveries on the part of the storage company was an encouraging sign. While tightened regulations and permitting for storing the dirty oil waste are in the works, there are no guarantees .

A poster at the MICATS/DCATS booth at the July 14, 2013, "Oil and Water Don't Mix" rally at the Mackinac Bridge explains the Petcoke process. Click on photo for larger
version. See also the MICATS (Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands) Web site for more information.

Detroit Bulk Storage will stop adding to the petcoke piles for good. Thankfully, State Representative Rashida Tlaib (D - Detroit) has taken the lead on addressing the hazards that petcoke piles pose to our clean water and Detroiters’ health. To continue making progress on petcoke, we want to make sure Rep. Tlaib knows we support her work and we have her back. Add your name to the list of Michiganders who thank Rep. Tlaib for her local leadership and action toward cleaning up petcoke piles.

Click here to sign today.

See more articles on Michigan LCV's Aug. 5, 2013, Political Week in Review.

UPDATE: Click here to see a video clip of petcoke dust.

Save the Wild U.P. to hold hike, picnic, concert in Trap Hills Aug. 18

MARQUETTE -- Save the Wild U.P. is sponsoring a free Celebration of the Trap Hills -- including a guided wilderness hike, picnic and folk music concert on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013, in Bergland Township Park, Bergland, Mich.

This is a photo of Norwich Bluff in the Trap Hills. Enjoy a guided wilderness hike here in Bergland Township Park with botanist Steve Garske on Sunday, Aug. 18. Save the Wild U.P. is sponsoring the hike, a picnic and folk concert. RSVP now for the hike and picnic! (Photo courtesy Margaret Comfort)

Meet at Bergland Township Park. Following a Blessing Ceremony with Nona Trealoff at 10 a.m., botanist Steve Garske will lead a Guided Trap Hills Hike from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You must reserve your place on the hike: only 25 spots available. To RSVP for the hike and/or lunch call 906-250-3284 or e-mail president@savethewildup.org. A picnic lunch of brats, grilled veggies and shortcake will be served from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Carpooling is available from Marquette and other regions. Don't be afraid to call the above number and ask.

Wisconsin folk singer Skip Jones will offer a free concert from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. All are welcome.

Portage Library to present "Annuities and Your Retirement" workshop Aug. 7

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library is hosting a series of financial workshops designed to give participants the information they need to understand the basics of investments so they can make decisions about their financial goals.

Bob Nelson, CFP, AAMS financial adviser from Edward Jones, will present Annuities and Your Retirement from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7. This educational program will help people examine if their retirement income will last as long as their retirement. The seminar will cover different types of annuities, retirement uncertainties that could impact a long-term strategy, and how an annuity can supplement retirement income.

The final workshop in this series will be held on August 21. All programs begin at 6:30 p.m., are free of charge and open to the public, and include time for questions and answers.

Nelson has attended numerous Edward Jones Financial Advisers Leaders Conferences, and he recently received the Spirit of Caring Award. This award is designed to recognize those financial advisers who exemplify the values, culture, and spirit of giving back.

For more information about this seminar, please call Bob Nelson at 482-8680 or call the library at 482-4570.

Woodsperson: They’re doing it again!

Posted Aug. 4, 2013, on Woodsperson.blogspot.com

For more than a year geologists were saying that there were sulfides in the Ironwood deposit and in the Tyler Shale overburden.  GTac (Gogebic Taconite) steadfastly denied that until they were presented with almost a hundred years of documentation that sulfides were there accompanied by the modern research done by Marcia Bjornerud of Lawrence University. Then GTac "debunked" that study by merely reimagining the size and topography of the deposit -- they just made it wider and steeper -- fixed! That resulted in the truly amazing testimony of Tim Myers and Bob Seitz -- the "tinytriangle of Tyler" testimony.

It appears that GTac is up to the same reality repair again....

Click here to read the rest of Woodsperson's article about the Asbestos Issue and GTac's proposed open pit mine in the Penokee Hills of northern Wisconsin.

Finlandia University campuses now smoke- and tobacco-free

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University has announced that its campuses are smoke- and tobacco-free effective August 1, 2013.

"The decision to institute this policy was in response to urging from students, student groups, and employees, as well as in response to state and national trends, and trends on college and university campuses nationwide," says Finlandia president Philip Johnson, adding that encouraging the overall good health of students and employees was also an important consideration.

Johnson says the policy applies to all indoor and outdoor university areas, activities, and property. The policy does not apply to tobacco use in personal vehicles.

University leadership has been preparing for the change since announcement of the policy in fall 2011. Johnson says that various healthy living resources and incentives will be available to Finlandia students and employees who wish to quit smoking.

For information about the university’s smoke- and tobacco-free policy, please contact TyAnn Lindell, EVP for academic and student affairs, at 906-487-7301.