Letter: Michigan’s Inaugural Wolf Hunt Not Justified

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

Last week Adam Bump, Michigan DNR (Department of Natural Resources), claimed 17 of the 23 wolves killed during last fall’s wolf hunt happened in places within known territories of packs repeatedly attacking livestock or pets and exhibiting fearless behavior around people. Once again, DNR has stretched the facts.

Data released this week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that no wolves were killed near either of the two farms in the U.P. with the greatest livestock losses to wolves.

Most wolves killed during the hunt were far from any perceived or actual threats to humans, including a male and female wolf killed just outside the boundary of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The female was a collared research animal.
 
Another collared wolf was killed near Prickett Lake, within the Ottawa National Forest. Two wolves were killed in the Superior State Forest, one of which was collared.

Other wolves killed in remote areas include one within the Sturgeon Gorge Wilderness area; five within the Baraga State Forest; and another within the boundary of the Black River National Scenic Byway. Three wolves were killed along the East Branch of the Ontonagon River within the Ottawa National Forest.

This data reveals that the recent wolf hunt was not justified because most wolves killed were not involved with verified conflicts with livestock or humans during 2013.

Upon federal delisting of wolves in January of 2012, livestock and pet owners were allowed to kill any wolf in the act of attacking their animals. Further, the DNR began issuing permits to landowners to kill any wolf on their property if they experienced a prior confirmed wolf attack on their animals. Eleven wolves were killed in control actions by government officials and private citizens. The numbers demonstrate that these actions were effective. In Wolf Management Unit B (Ontonagon, Houghton, Baraga Counties) verified livestock losses by wolves in 2013 were down 89 percent prior to the hunt.
 
In addition to the 23 wolves killed during the 2013 hunting season, the DNR also reported that 14 wolves were killed illegally.

The DNR should emphasize the value of wolves to the ecosystem through education and outreach, as recommended in Michigan’s Wolf Management Plan, instead of trying to find ways to kill non-problem wolves through a recreational hunt.

Nancy Warren
National Wolfwatcher Coalition
Ewen, MI

Finlandia's Young Women's Caucus for Art to hold "Soup and Art" fundraiser Feb. 1

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University's Young Women's Caucus for Art will hold a "Soup and Art" fundraiser -- all-you-can-eat soup and a silent art auction -- from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Room 323 of the Jutila Center in Hancock.

Soups will include Finnish fish soup, Thai soup, Black Bean Chili,  Cheese and Brocolli and more!

$8 donation at the door.

Finlandia's Jutila Center is at 200 Michigan Street in Hancock. For more information call Phyllis at 487-7376.

New Groundwater Discharge Permit proposed for Lundin Eagle Mine: Analysis by Michelle Halley

[Editor's Note:  The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is seeking to renew the Lundin Eagle Mine’s Ground Water Discharge Permit. MDEQ has extended the comment period and will soon announce a public hearing on the permit. According to Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP), the renewal permit contains significantly weakened environmental regulations. SWUP has posted an analysis of the proposed permit by attorney Michelle Halley for Freshwater Future, an organization working to ensure the healthy future of waters in the Great Lakes region.]

By Michelle Halley for Freshwater Future*
Posted on Save the Wild U.P. Jan. 29, 2014
Reprinted in part with permission

Exceedances and MDEQ’s Failure to Act and Backwards Regulation

During the current permit period, the mine has exceeded it limits at least 47 times, in at least the following constituents and characteristics:

• pH;
• arsenic;
• copper;
• lead;
• molybdenum;
• silver; and
• vanadium.

MDEQ has taken no enforcement action. In fact, the mine has exceeded its vanadium limit more than 20 times. Instead of enforcing the limit, in this renewal permit, MDEQ is easing the limit.** This is completely backwards. The MDEQ’s role is regulator, not conciliator. The limits were set, supposedly based upon sound science, as MDEQ strenuously argued during the months-long contested case that encompassed the current groundwater discharge permit. Now, rather than protecting water quality, the draft simply increases the limits to industry’s preferred levels. The facility’s performance should be required to meet the regulatory standards rather than the regulatory standards being adjusted to meet the facility’s performance. ...
Click here to read the rest of this analysis on Save the Wild U.P.

Editor's Notes:
* Michelle Halley, former National Wildlife Federation attorney and senior manager, is also the author of a 2012 report titled "Sulfide Mining Regulation in the Great Lakes Region: A Comparative Analysis of Regulation in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario." Learn more about Freshwater Future on their Web site.
** See also "DEQ proposes new groundwater discharge permit for Eagle Mine; public hearing to be announced."

Hancock celebrates Heikinpäivä 2014 despite frigid weather

By Michele Bourdieu

David Maki, staff member of the Finnish American Reporter and Finnish American Heritage Center, as this year's Hankooki Heikki, rides the giant kicksled in the 2014  Heikinpäivä Parade and reigns over the festivities held on Jan. 25 in Hancock. (Photos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now unless otherwise indicated.)

HANCOCK -- Undaunted by the sub-zero temperatures last Saturday, Jan. 25, Hancock celebrated its mid-winter festival, Heikinpäivä 2014, a celebration of Finnish American cultural heritage. Here are a few video clips of the parade, thanks to Keweenaw Now's Allan Baker, and photos by Allan and also by Arlyn and Sandy Aronson, borrowed with their permission from Gromit the Snow Dog's blog, Trail Mutt Reports.

Gromit the Snow Dog (Lumi Koira), decked out in her January booties, joins a friend in the 2014 Heikinpäivä Parade in Hancock. (Photo courtesy Arlyn and Sandy Aronson. Reprinted with permission from Gromit's blog, Trail Mutt Reports.)

To see all the photos, click here and then on slide show or on any photo in our slide show posted in the right-hand column.

Here are two video clips of some of the hardy participants in the 2014 Heikinpäivä Parade:

Spectators comment as some of the favorite parade characters pass by -- the Suomi Lion of Finlandia University, Heikki Lunta the snow god (calling for "more snow") and the graceful Swan from the Kalevala, the Finnish epic poem. (Videos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

More characters from the Kalevala, Finnish Theme Committee members, Finlandia University students, members of the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club, the Brrr Maids and the Michigan Tech Pep Band parade down Quincy Street in Hancock during Heikinpäivä 2014.

The Wife Carrying competition follows the parade. Hankooki Heikki (David Maki) presides over the event as Jim Kurtti, Finnish American Reporter editor, takes photos. 

A sign near the Heikinpäivä Tori (indoor market), held in the First United Methodist Church on Quincy Street, announces hot homemade chili and soup, Finnish bread (rieska), and hot drinks for warming up after the parade. 

At the Tori in the Methodist church, people shop for hand-crafted items, warm up with hot drinks and snacks and listen to live music.

Be sure to check out our slide show for more Heikinpäivä 2014 photos.

Save the Wild U.P. seeks to hire Regional Organizer

MARQUETTE -- Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP), a dynamic grassroots group based in Marquette, seeks to hire a Regional Organizer to increase their advocacy work protecting the Upper Peninsula’s unique culture, environment, and communities from the hazards of sulfide mining.

As Regional Organizer, the ideal candidate will join SWUP in educating the public on the hazards of sulfide mining -- and in engaging more people in the work of demonstrating how sustainable economies, our unique culture, and our environment are all linked together.

SWUP is a nonpartisan organization that reaches out to people across the peninsula to communicate the region's need to move beyond a dependence on mining for the good of our economies and communities. Activities as Regional Organizer include training activists to speak out at permit hearings, writing email blasts for the group's next free hike, scheduling volunteers, disseminating evidence-based research and education, and much more.

To learn more about the position and to apply on line, click here.

From The Shalom Center: Pete Seeger: Our Loving Admiration

[Editor's Note: Pete Seeger -- folk singer, song writer, musician and activist for peace, human rights and the environment -- passed away on Jan. 27, 2014. We received this photo of Seeger from Rabbi Arthur Waskow of The Shalom Center and permission to publish it with part of his article about an environmental project Seeger shared with his neighbors in Beacon, NY.]

In 1998, The Shalom Center and the Elat Chayyim spiritual retreat center co-sponsored a "liturgical/spiritual protest" against the poisoning of the Hudson River by the PCBs that the General Electric Corporation had poured into it. The protest was held at Beacon, NY, on the banks of the Hudson -- and Pete Seeger (right, on banjo), who lived in Beacon and was a lover of the river, joined in the protest/celebration. Pictured at left is Rabbi Arthur Waskow with his daughter Shoshana. (Photo courtesy The Shalom Center. Reprinted with permission.)

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Posted Jan. 28, 2014, on The Shalom Center Web site
Reprinted in part with permission

The occasion was the seventh day of Sukkot, the harvest festival -- the day traditionally celebrated as Hoshana Rabbah, with seven dances of the Torah Scroll; many prayers for healing of the Earth from locusts, drought, famine; and beating willow branches on the ground at the banks of the river.

We added prayers, petitions, and protests to save the Earth and the river from PCBs, and we brought seven great banners to honor the seven dances as the seven days of creation -- bright yellow for the sun and moon, blue for the oceans, red for red-blooded mammals, white for Shabbat. One of those who gathered was an elder of the Iroquois, who had heard about the action and knew he belonged in any effort to heal the river of his people. We invited him to carry the Torah for the first processional dance. A dozen Catholic nuns from convents along the Hudson joined. Three hundred Jews came -- hailing from a long stretch of the River -- Kingston to Manhattan, where students of the Jewish Theological Seminary were especially drawn to this moment.

And Pete Seeger. He thanked us for blessing the Hudson and confronting its poisoners. He told us about the sloop Clearwater he had created as an activist educational center about the Hudson. He said his voice was almost gone, but he could croak a version of  "Hinei Mah Tov u’Mah Nayyim"  if we would do the singing for him. We did. He did.... Click here to read the rest of this article.*

* Click here to read about The Shalom Center's CD that includes Pete Seeger and other well known musicians and singers performing songs of peace, justice, and healing of the earth.

Sens. King and Levin pen New York Times Op-Ed on Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Carl M. Levin (D-MI) penned a New York Times op-ed, "Don’t Undermine the Iran Deal," published yesterday, Jan. 27, 2014, urging their colleagues not to seek further sanctions on Iran while negotiations proceed to ensure the country can’t develop nuclear weapons.

"For us to impose additional sanctions under these circumstances (or threaten in law to impose additional sanctions) could be an 'I told you so' moment for [Iranian government and military] hard-liners, providing the very excuse they’re looking for to kill the negotiations and, with them, what is probably the best chance we have of resolving this incredibly dangerous situation without resorting to military action," write Senators King and Levin.

Click here to read the New York Times Op-Ed.

Iranian Community at Michigan Tech to hold memorial service for victim of domestic assault

Poster courtesy Iranian Community at Michigan Tech.

HOUGHTON -- The Iranian community at Michigan Tech, with support from International Programs and Services and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, will host a memorial ceremony for Sanaz Nezami, a newly admitted graduate student who passed away after falling victim to domestic assault in Dollar Bay. The service will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28, in MUB Ballroom B on the Michigan Tech campus.

According to an article in the Huffington Post, ""Nezami's family gave permission for her heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas and small intestine to be donated, and after her death they were transplanted to seven people in the United States, a rare occurrence, according to the Associated Press."

According to the article, Nezami had planned to pursue a doctorate in environmental engineering at Michigan Tech.

Click here to read the Huffington Post article, ""In Her Tragic Death, 'Miracle' Allowed Sanaz Nezami To Give Life To Others," updated Jan. 23, 2014.

See also this Huffington Post article of Jan. 1, 2014, "Nurses, Family Bond Online As Sanaz Nezami, Iranian Woman, Dies In US Hospital," including a video interview with nurses who cared for Nezami at Marquette General Hospital, where she passed away.

MTEC SmartZone recognizes founding board chairman Phil Musser for 14 years of steady economic development and leadership

HOUGHTON -- In December, MTEC SmartZone Board of Directors bid farewell to founding chairman Phil Musser, recognizing him as a pillar of economic development for the Keweenaw.

At the May 10, 2005, design workshop in Michigan Tech's Memorial Union Building Ballroom, Phil Musser, at that time executive director of the Keweenaw Industrial Council -- now the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) -- gives an overview of Main Street Calumet. (Keweenaw Now file photo by Michele Bourdieu)

Musser played a major role in the creation of MTEC SmartZone. In 2001, he helped write the grant that established MTEC SmartZone as Michigan’s second SmartZone.* He served as Board Chair for 10 years, from the beginning until July 2013. He has been an integral part of the growth and change that occurred over the years.

Ten years later, Musser’s vision for a technology incubator and job creation has come to life. To date, MTEC SmartZone has created more than 400 local jobs.

"It was pretty clear when we opened MTEC SmartZone that this community had great potential for growing high-tech firms," stated Musser.

According to Houghton City Manager and longtime board member Scott MacInnes, Musser’s work on the board helped gain MTEC SmartZone higher earnings than other SmartZone locations throughout the state.

"We’re the third highest tax capture SmartZone in Michigan," MacInnes said.

After the Oct. 17, 2008, ceremony in honor of funding for establishing MTEC Smart Zone's new technology development center in the former UPPCO Building, Phil Musser, left, chairman of the MTEC SmartZone Board and executive director of the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), chats with Lisa McKenzie, Hancock City Council member and small business owner, and Don Keith, Keweenaw County Board chairman at that time. (Keweenaw Now file photo by Michele Bourdieu)**

For more than 25 years, Musser served as Executive Director of Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), formerly the Keweenaw Industrial Council, where he spearheaded several significant economic development projects. His latest and largest project included the attraction of DA Glass America, a Poland-based glass treatment company that expects to create over 200 family-sustaining jobs in Houghton County in the next few years.

Prior to establishing MTEC SmartZone, Musser visited many technology incubators around the country to identify successful operational and job growth strategies for our local technology incubator.

MTEC SmartZone Board Chairman and Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson said, "Phil understands technology trends and local opportunities and he pushed us to be the best that we can be. Most importantly he provided steady, progressive leadership right from the start."

To fill Musser’s seat, MTEC SmartZone Board of Directors elected Co-Chair, Kevin Codere, as the new KEDA representative. Codere is President and CEO of Peninsula Copper Industries Inc. (PCI).

MTEC SmartZone CEO Marilyn Clark said, "I’m honored to serve on the KEDA Board with Kevin, and even more honored to have him take a leadership role on MTEC SmartZone Board of Directors. I’m excited about his strong sense of strategy and best business practices."

Codere added, "I look forward to building upon the strong foundation of economic development facilitated by Phil’s 25 years of dedicated service."

Editor's Notes:
* See our April 12, 2001, article on Keweenaw Today about the beginnings of the Smart Zone: "SmartZone may bring businesses north into Keweenaw."

** See our Oct. 18, 2008, Keweenaw Now article, "MTEC SmartZone receives funds for former UPPCO building renovation."

For more information about the MTEC Smart Zone, visit mtecsz.com.

To learn more about the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) visit
kedabiz.com.

Volunteers needed for KNSC, Sons of Norway Barneløpet kids' ski race Feb. 9

HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club (KNSC) and the Sons of Norway are looking for volunteers to help out with the Barneløpet kids' ski race on Sunday, Feb. 9. They need road/snowmobile crossing monitors, rabbits (pre-race skiers), and sweeps. Times to be on site are generally from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; but this can vary, so please reply if you can do anything during this time frame.

Also homemade cookie and bar donations would be appreciated. To volunteer please reply to Wayne Stordahl, Barnelopet chairman, at wr.emstordz@sbcglobal.net or call him at 906-482-0290.

MNA snowshoe hike scheduled for Jan. 25 cancelled because of weather

CHASSELL -- The Michigan Nature Association snowshoe hike at Black Creek Nature Sanctuary and volunteer appreciation party afterward scheduled for today, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, have been cancelled due to extreme blowing and drifting snow. The hike will be postponed. Call Jill or Peter at 906-337-2144 for an update.

Heikinpäivä, Hancock's mid-winter festival, to be Jan. 25; videos, photos from Heikinpäivä 2013

By Michele Bourdieu

The giant kicksled, reportedly the largest in the world, makes its way down Quincy Street in Hancock during the 2013 Heikinpäivä parade. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

[Editor's Note: This article has been updated with information on the music events. Please see below.]

HANCOCK -- This Saturday, Jan. 25, will offer a full day of activities for Heikinpäivä -- Hancock's annual mid-winter festival celebrating Finnish-American culture and heritage.

Dan Maki, retired longtime Finlandia professor, as Hankooki Heikki for 2013, waves from a parade wagon and presides over the festivities. This year the honor of Hankooki Heikki -- awarded for contributions to the preservation and enhancement of Finnish-American cultural life in Michigan’s Copper Country -- goes to David Maki, staff member of the Finnish American Reporter and Finnish American Heritage Center. David was also a member of the FinnFest USA 2013 board of directors and has been a longtime member of the Finnish Theme Committee.

The Tori (Market) will be open all day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in both the Finnish American Heritage Center and the First United Methodist Church. Don't miss the chance to shop for handmade items and Finnish specialties (including snacks, coffee and baked goods) and to enjoy a variety of musical entertainment.

Anna Leppanen, right, and Meghan Pachmayer offer Finnish items for sale in the 2013 Tori at the First United Methodist Church.

At 11 a.m. the Heikinpäivä Parade will head down Quincy Street toward the Finnish American Heritage Center. Here are some videos from last year's parade, held on Jan. 26, 2013:

Michigan Tech's Pep Band adds a lively tune to the 2013 Heikinpäivä Parade in Hancock. Following them is a group of nordic walkers announcing the 2013 FinnFest U.S.A. that was celebrated in Hancock and Houghton last June. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

During the 2013 Heikinpäivä parade, some participants impersonate characters from the Kalevala, the Finnish epic poem.

Following the Parade, this year the kicksled races will again be held on the Quincy Green (next to the Finnish American Heritage Center) along with the vipukelkka (whipsled) and the Eukonkanto (Wife-Carrying Contest).

Younger children love riding on the vipukelkka (whipsled).

Kids line up for the kicksled races, which made their debut at Heikinpäivä last year and will be held again this Saturday, Jan. 25, after the Parade.

Here are some videos of the 2013 kicksled races and the Wife-Carrying Contest:

Kids compete in the final round of the children's kicksled races during the 2013 Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival.

Despite a few unexpected obstacles, this couple apparently came in second in the Wife-Carrying Contest -- a Finnish tradition -- during the 2013 Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival.

While shopping at the Tori markets take a break to listen to some live music played by a variety of groups throughout the day.

Copper Country Suzuki musicians perform at Heikinpäivä 2013 in the Finlandia Gallery at the Finnish American Heritage Center. At left is their director, Libby Meyer. They will be playing from 11:30 to noon tomorrow, Jan. 25, 2014, in the Finnish American Heritage Center.

This is the music schedule for the Tori markets tomorrow, Jan. 25:

Finnish American Heritage Center:

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. -- Finn Aire (Roger Hewlett)
(11 a.m. -- Parade)
11:30 a.m. - noon -- Libby Meyer and Keweenaw Youth Orchestra (Copper Country Suzuki).
noon - 1 p.m. -- Eleanor Taylor
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. -- Tanja Stanaway
2 p.m. - 3 p.m. -- Finn Aire

First United Methodist Church:

11:30 a.m. - noon -- Courtney Clisch
noon - 12:30 p.m. -- Kivajat Dancers
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- Pasi Cats
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. -- Christine Nakkula

Here are some samples of Finnish music performed last year in the basement of the First United Methodist Church:

Trio Tumpelot -- Ana Gawboy on concertina, Pasi Lautala on accordion and Meghan Pachmayer on bass (while holding Olavi, new addition to the Lautala family) -- play a lively schottische during the 2013 Heikinpäivä celebration.

The Kivajat Dancers perform a Finnish folk dance during last year's Heikinpäivä. At far left is their director, Kay Seppälä. They will perform tomorrow, Jan. 25, from noon to 12:30 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church

Polar Bear Dive back by popular demand

One of Heikinpäivä’s most popular events each year is the Polar Bear Dive, when hundreds of hearty souls take the plunge into the icy waters of the Portage Canal. Although the Polar Bear Dive was not held last year, it is scheduled to return this year to challenge the fearless. Along with participants proving their mettle, there’s an opportunity for three entries to win cash prizes for their creativity.

The Polar Bear Dive will return this year and will take place along the Hancock waterfront between the Ramada Inn and the Copper Island Beach Club. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

The Michigan Tech Aquanauts manage the site and provide a safe environment for the participants and spectators alike. Local radio personalities provide an entertaining play-by-play.

Due to the popularity of this event and limited parking near the dive site, car-pooling is strongly encouraged.

Registration for this year's dive begins at 2 p.m., and the Dive is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. along the Hancock waterfront between the Ramada Inn and the Copper Island Beach Club.

Those who just want to dive for fun must pay $1; anyone who'd like to compete for cash prizes must pay $5. Divers who are competing for prizes will dive first. Prizes will be awarded by three judges, who will choose the winners based on costume, presentation, and execution of the dive.

Footwear is strongly encouraged. Be sure to bring a towel! No children participating this year, please. Be sure to bring a bathing suit!

Banquet and Dance Saturday night, Jan. 25

Saturday night, at 6 p.m. the Seisovapöytä (Finnish buffet) will be held at Zion Lutheran Church, Hancock. Tickets are $18. A silent auction will be held during the banquet.

UPDATED: Finally, at 8 p.m., bring your dancing shoes to the Finnish American Heritage Center and dance to great Finnish tunes on the new wooden dance floor! The Pasi Cats will provide great dance music!

"PasiCats will climb on stage for Heikinpäivä Dance at Finnish-American Heritage Center, starting 8 p.m. and playing until people drop, or maintenance kicks us out," says Pasi Lautala. "We'll make sure that there's plenty of speed on the dance floor and calm people down with tangos."

For more details on Heikinpäivä visit pasty.com/heikki.

Community Arts Center to hold open house, reception for "Art from the Kalevala" exhibit Jan. 25

These art works by Edith Marshall, left, and Daniel Schneider are part of the "Art from the Kalevala" group exhibit on display in the Kerredge Gallery of the Copper Country Community Arts Center through Jan. 31, 2014. An open house and reception will be held for the artists in conjunction with Hancock's Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival Saturday, Jan. 25. (Photos courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center will hold an open house reception for "Art from the Kalevala" with Finnish style refreshments from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, during the Heikinpäivä celebrations!

Art by K. Carlton Johnson, part of the "Art from the Kalevala" exhibit.

"Art from the Kalevala" is a group exhibition that will be on display at the Copper Country Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery through Jan. 31, 2014. The exhibit coincides with Heikinpäivä, Hancock’s mid-winter festival.

The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology. It is regarded as the national epic poem of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. Its rich imagery provides a hearty topic for visual art. Ten artists are included in the exhibition with their interpretations of passages, also called runes or runos, from the Kalevala.

Also inspired by the Kalevala are these pieces by Kris Raisanen Shourek, left, and Joyce Koskenmaki.

Artists in the exhibition include Bob Dawson, Constance Stockwell Johnson, K. Carlton Johnson, Edith Marshall, Joyce Koskenmaki, Eric Munch, Cynthia Coté, Kris Raisanen Schourek, Leona Blessing, and Daniel Schneider.

The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. For more information call: 906-482-2333.

Eagle Mine Application, Draft Groundwater Discharge Permit available on new DEQ Web page

LANSING -- The Eagle Mine Application and Draft Groundwater Discharge Permit are now available on line. The Department of Environmental Quality has set up a separate Web page so the public can access these more easily. Also, the public comment period, which originally had a deadline of Jan. 10 and then Jan. 20, has now been extended.

According to Steve Casey, Michigan DEQ Water Resources Division Upper Peninsula District supervisor, the department is still working out the details, including time and place, for the public hearing. The hearing must be announced at least 30 days before the date. Comments will be accepted now and during that time and possibly about a week after the hearing.

Click here to access links to the Eagle Mine Groundwater Discharge Permit Application, the Draft Permit and FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) information.

Guest article: Mining industry has big plans for western UP and beyond

By Steve Garske*

The rush is on for the copper, silver, nickel, and other hard-rock minerals of the Lake Superior region, and especially Michigan's Upper Peninsula. One of the latest arrivals to the UP is the recently formed Highland Copper Company, Inc. This month geologist and Highland Vice President for Exploration Dr. Ross Grunwald has been on tour, giving a detailed powerpoint presentation of the company's activities and plans in Ontonagon, Ironwood, Calumet and Houghton.

Ross Grunwald points out Keweenaw ore deposits during Highland Copper's presentation at their Jan. 15, 2014, community information meeting in Calumet. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Highland Copper Company Inc. is a Canadian company based in Longueuil, Quebec. Along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Keweenaw Copper Company, the company is "focused on exploring and developing copper projects within the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, U.S.A." Incorporated about two and a half years ago, they now have 21 full-time employees. They are currently exploring four deposits -- three in the Keweenaw Peninsula and another near Bald Mountain, north of Ironwood near Lake Superior. They are also in the process of buying the White Pine facility and mineral rights from Copper Range Co., a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals LLC of Canada. Drilling is being done at all these sites. As noted in a Jan. 10, 2014, Daily Globe story, the drilling at Bald Mountain was not generally known until Grunwald mentioned it at the Ironwood meeting.

Grunwald explained that at this point at least, the Highland (and Keweenaw) Copper Companies are mining exploration and development companies, not mining companies. If the prospects turn out to be economically viable, they would probably be sold to other companies that would mine them. The company provided a fact sheet with a map of their projects. Their extensive website has quite a bit of information about the company, including the results of drilling done so far.

Grunwald and his partners are not the only ones that believe there's money to be made from these prospects. Highland has been wildly successful in raising investor funds, bringing in some $25 million since Sept. 30th in a stock offering of 43 cents per share. The money will go to continued exploration, as well as the purchase of the White Pine mine. Grunwald stated that if and when White Pine is reopened, a new underground mine would be constructed to access the extensive copper deposits northeast of the present mine. The tailings could be backfilled into the old, water-filled mine. While smelting would not be done at White Pine, some concentrating of copper ore could be done there using staged flotation reactor technology. Meanwhile the company's stated intent is to continue to explore for copper and other minerals throughout the Keweenaw region.

In their online "Corporate Presentation," the company notes that Michigan has a favorable political climate for mining. Their list of "favorables" includes support from the Governor and local officials, new laws encouraging mining and making Michigan a "right to work" state, and a "supportive" Michigan Department of Environment Quality staff. They state that local citizens favor development but admit that some "have questions."

When asked at the Ironwood presentation whether Highland Copper Company had any financial ties to billionaire Chris Cline of Florida, Cline's GTac corporation, or the Houston-based Natural Resource Partners (NRP), in which Cline is a major investor, Grunwald gave a flat-out "No." A bit of online research reveals a much more complicated picture, though.

As mentioned in several places on their website, Highland has entered into a joint venture partnership with an entity called Bowie Resource Partners LLC (BRP LLC). BRP LLC is a joint venture formed in June 2010 between Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NRP) and International Paper (IP). Both companies are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. According to their website, BRP owned approximately 8.8 million mineral acres in 29 states, including approximately 60,000 gross acres of copper rights in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as of 2011. Once mainly invested in coal, BRP's holdings now include everything from oil, gas, and mineral rights to water rights and cell tower placement rights.

According to page 71 of NRP's 2012 Annual Report, Chris Cline owns 31 percent of NRP. As outlined on NRP's website and their prospectus, NRP is the managing and controlling partner of BRP with a 51 percent interest, with IP controlling the remaining 49 percent. Furthermore, oilman Russell Gordy of Houston, owner of RGGS Land and Minerals LLC, sits on the NRP board of directors. RGGS owns most of the surface and mineral rights leased/optioned to GTAC in Iron County. BRP owns and manages current mineral leases, and manages the development of the more than seven million acres of former International Paper land.

Thus Highland has a joint partnership with BRP, which is controlled by NRP, of which Chris Cline (owner of GTac) is a major shareholder.

There can be little doubt that the descent of multiple mining companies on the UP and states west is a well-planned, well-funded effort by incredibly wealthy investors to turn the Lake Superior region into a major industrial and resource extraction zone, similar to the Appalachians of West Virginia (where Cline got his start in the coal industry). The question is whether the citizens of the region will let them.

(For more on the financial connections between Cline, GTac and NRP, check out the interesting and well researched article "Circles of Friends -- Spheres of Influence," by Woodsperson, posted Dec. 10, 2013.)

*Editor's Note: Guest author Steve Garske is a resident of the Western Upper Peninsula. He attended Highland Copper's Jan. 9, 2014, community information meeting in Ironwood. Watch for our coverage of Highland's Calumet (Jan. 15) and Houghton (Jan. 16) meetings -- coming soon.

Herbalists Without Borders Keweenaw Chapter to offer Tea and Idea Exchange Jan. 23 at Portage Library

[Editor's Note: Update, Jan. 23: The following event has been cancelled for today, Thursday, Jan. 23, since schools and the Portage Library are closed because of extremely cold temperatures. The event has been re-scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30, same time and place indicated below.]

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will host the Keweenaw Chapter of Herbalists Without Borders for a Tea and Idea Exchange from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Herbalists Without Borders (HWB) Keweenaw Chapter invites interested persons to meet and exchange ideas with them TOMORROW, Thursday, Jan. 23, at Portage Lake District Library. (Herbalists Without Borders photos courtesy HWB Keweenaw chapter.)

Herbalists Without Borders coordinator Jess Juntunen invites participants to bring their favorite herbal tea to share (and a mug if you have one) and relax while learning about the organization and its local and worldwide projects. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about what kinds of work they would like to see the group involved in.

"If you don't have a tea or mug, don't worry, come as you are," says Juntunen. "Drop in for part, or all, of our session. Your presence is all that is required. Be involved at the level that suits you, whether that is in the form of your valuable input, satisfying personal curiosity, idea building, or becoming engaged as a volunteer or organizer."

Herbalists Without Borders (HWB) is an international network of herbalists, traditional healers, complementary alternative medicine practitioners, botanical product makers and trades people, herb growers, farmers, ecologists, students, humanitarian aid workers and others who are interested in the vital role of plants in primary health care, sustainable agriculture, trade, and ecological preservation.

HWB Keweenaw is currently serving Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. This chapter operates under the umbrella of the National and International Nonprofit Herbalists Without Borders doing unique projects in a variety of scopes focused on social justice with a down-to-the-ground, grassroots structure.

To learn more contact Jess Juntunen, chapter coordinator, at jjuntune@mtu.edu or call  (906) 231-0755.

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

Oil addiction vs. alternative energy to be discussed with Jan. 21 presentation, Jan. 23 Green Film at Michigan Tech

HOUGHTON -- Two events concerning oil addiction and alternative energy will take place at Michigan Tech this week.

TODAY, Tuesday, Jan. 21: Presentation on Affordable Alternative Energy

John Hofmeister will give a presentation on affordable energy alternatives in a nation of people addicted to oil from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. TODAY, Tuesday, Jan. 21, in EERC 508 on the Michigan Tech campus. Hofmeister is the founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy, former president of Shell Oil Company and the author of the book Why We Hate The Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider.

The presentation will be via a live video feed from Northern Michigan University and will offer the opportunity to ask questions of the speaker. The event is co-hosted by the School of Business and Economics, Chemical Engineering and the Sustainable Futures Institute.

Thursday, Jan. 23: Green Film Series: Fuel

The Green Film Series will present the documentary film Fuel from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, in Atrium and G002, Hesterberg Hall, Michigan Tech Forestry Building. The 112-minute film will be followed by discussion and refreshments -- coffee and dessert. The event is FREE, with a suggested donation of $3.

In this documentary, director Josh Tickell takes viewers along on his 11-year journey around the world to find solutions to America's addiction to oil. A shrinking economy, a failing auto industry, rampant unemployment, an out-of-control national debt, and an insatiable demand for energy weigh heavily on all of us. Fuel shows us the way out of the mess we're in by explaining how to replace every drop of oil we now use, while creating green jobs and keeping our money here at home. The film never dwells on the negative, but instead shows us the easy solutions already within our reach.

This event is co-sponsored by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society, Keweenaw Land Trust, and Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, with funding from the Keweenaw Community Foundation.

For more information call Joan Chadde at 906-487-3341.

200+ Demand: Repeal of Wisconsin’s Unjust Mining Law

By Barbara With
Posted Jan. 19, 2014, on Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative
Reprinted in part with permission

Chris Cline, owner of Gogebic Taconite (GTac), the company hoping to develop an open-pit iron mine in the Penokee Hills of northern Wisconsin. Cline’s net worth as of 2012 was $1.5 billion. As it turns out, a member of the West Virginia legislature is vice president for business development for Natural Resource Partners (NRP), the company that Chris Cline owns a 31 percent interest in; and Russell Gordy, owner of RGGS minerals, the company that owns most of the mineral rights lease-optioned to GTAC in Iron County, is on the board of directors. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.)

Last week, 300,000 West Virginians lost their water. Hundreds of people went to emergency rooms, which also did not have water. A state of emergency has been declared. All because of "clean" coal.

The toxin responsible was methylcyclohexanol, used for washing coal and one of the chemicals that killed the Love Canal, site of the worst chemical disaster in U.S. history. West Virginia mining companies assured residents that their operations are safe and clean. The truth is just the opposite. "It’s caused us more problems than you could ever imagine," said Danny Jones, mayor of Charleston, the state’s capital. "It’s a prison from which we would like to be released."

West Virginia’s Chris Cline, King Coal himself, owns Gogebic Taconite (GTac), the mining company that wrote Wisconsin’s new mining law and wants to set up shop in northern Wisconsin. GTac has stated over and over that the new law protects the environment. Like the lies of King Coal, the lies of iron ore mining in Northern Wisconsin have come home to roost. ...

Click here to read the rest of this article, which includes names of concerned citizens calling for the REPEAL of Act 1, Wisconsin’s unjust ferrous mining law, and Act 118, the wetlands destruction law.

Michigan Tech to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 20-22

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech's Center for Diversity and Inclusion announces the 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week Celebration. Events will be held throughout campus through Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014.

Monday, Jan. 20: Tech students and staff will be volunteering at Houghton Elementary and Barkell Elementary in Hancock, reading to the students about the life and legacy of Dr. King.

At 6 p.m. Monday evening, in the MUB Ballroom, the 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet will be held. Max Seel, Michigan Tech provost and vice president of academic affairs, will deliver a keynote address. Momentum Jazz Trio will perform. Tickets for this event are free and can be picked up at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in the Hamar House.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: At 4 p.m. in Room 201 of the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) join Join Michigan Tech and Finlandia University faculty, staff and students for "Where have we been? Where are we going?" -- a thoughtful social justice and equity discussion. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Jan. 22: At 7 p.m. in Fisher 135, KING: A Filmed Record will be shown. This documentary film follows Dr. King from 1955 to 1968 in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Admission and concessions are free.

MTEC Smart Zone, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, Rep. Dianda respond to Gov. Snyder's State of the State address

HOUGHTON -- New developments at MTEC SmartZone were among key issues Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder discussed in his fourth State of the State address in Lansing Thursday evening, Jan. 16. However, Snyder's speech did not make up for his failed environmental and social policies, according to some Michigan leaders.

Snyder talked about MTEC SmartZone’s collaboration with Michigan Technological University, entrepreneurs and local governments to foster economic success in the Upper Peninsula. That collaboration has continued to thrive for more than a decade, leading to new developments and opportunities for job creation across the Upper Peninsula.

"We have a situation where they are partnering with Northern Michigan University and Marquette. So we are bringing communities together and bringing synergy and power. So I want to complement those particular communities and those universities in the U.P. for their outstanding work," Gov. Snyder said in his address Thursday.

Since 2003, MTEC SmartZone has proven great success for the cities of Houghton and Hancock, creating more than 400 high-tech jobs and assisting over 47 entrepreneur technology start-ups by providing entrepreneurs with training and resource programs. Now, MTEC SmartZone is reaching out to the Marquette area to create the same successes for that economy. Both Marquette and Houghton-Hancock officials are looking to expand high-tech job creation with the development of a satellite business incubator in Marquette.

State Representative Scott Dianda (D-Calumet) said, "This collaboration brings so many positive opportunities to the Upper Peninsula. MTEC SmartZone has garnered statewide respect for their high-tech job creation and economic development. I’ve visited many SmartZones and we’ve got the best."

The mission of MTEC SmartZone is accelerating high-tech business growth to build a prosperous regional economy.*

MTEC SmartZone board member Dan Webber said, "It has become time for a more regional approach to leveraging the talents along the 'Technology Shore' between Houghton-Hancock and Marquette, supporting economic sustainability for the entire Upper Peninsula. Given the always-limited resources, we must work together to advance the best technologies that promote employment opportunities for our existing communities and the State of Michigan as a whole."

Sierra Club Michigan: Gov. Snyder needs to plan for clean energy

While the Governor praised the Smart Zone, he has not done enough for renewable energy in Michigan according a Sierra Club Michigan Chapter spokesperson.

"Last night, in his State of the State address, Governor Snyder spoke briefly about a framework for Michigan's energy policy," writes Mike Berkowitz, legislative and political director of the Sierra Club's Michigan Chapter. "Again, he failed to lay out a timeline to move us forward and lacked specific policy proposals for Michigan's energy policy. With the clock ticking, it's time for Governor Snyder to put forward a concrete proposal to update Michigan's renewable energy and energy efficiency standards."

In an email asking supporters to write to the Governor about stronger clean energy policies, Berkowitz noted, "Expanding renewable energy in Michigan is an opportunity to create jobs, spark investment in the state, rein in the increasingly high cost of electricity, improve public health, and reduce air and water pollution from burning dirty fossil fuels for power. Energy efficiency is the cleanest and cheapest way to meet our energy needs. By saving energy, we're cutting demand for dirty energy sources like coal, leading to cleaner air, while creating local jobs right here in Michigan."

Just before the Governor's State of the State speech, the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter released its first-ever gubernatorial Scorecard, which evaluates Rick Snyder’s performance on energy, environment, good government and related issues. Michigan’s chief executive got a failing grade, scoring 25 percent on the most important environmental actions taken during his first three years in office.**

State Rep. Dianda responds to State of the State Address

While State Rep. Scott Dianda agreed with the Governor's praise of the Smart Zone, he also noted the speech only promised more of the same failed policies that have yet to create jobs for Michigan families or deliver the best possible education to our students.

"During my time in the Legislature, I‘ve seen people struggle under Republican policies," Dianda said. "We need more funding for our classrooms, we need job opportunities that will build the middle class, and we need to be taking care of our seniors. The retirement tax took money out of seniors’ pockets and sent it to Lansing, and now they have less to spend at our fish fries and small businesses. That’s why I introduced a bill this week to repeal the new tax on retirement."***

Families face smaller tax refunds, or no refunds at all, because of the loss of tax credits and deductions including the child tax deduction and a severely reduced Earned Income Tax Credit, Dianda noted.

Women face greater economic struggles thanks to Republican approval of a new law making basic health care more costly.

Republicans continue to push gimmicks to address education including cyber schools and other entities that lack accountability and have yet to show any improvements.

"My fellow Democratic House colleagues and I have plans to bring relief to the Michiganders who need it," said Dianda. "I’ve listened to residents from my district, and I know what the U.P. needs to recover. We need to increase education funding and bring tax relief to the hard-working families who deserve it. Any budget surplus we have to work with should go toward these efforts."

Editor's Notes:

* Learn more about the MTEC Smart Zone at www.mtecsz.com.

** Click here to read more about Sierra Club Michigan's Scorecard for Gov. Snyder.

*** See our Jan. 14, 2014, article, "Rep. Dianda introduces bill to repeal state pension tax."