Heikinpäivä 2016 to offer parade, races, rides, art, music, dance, more -- Jan. 29-31

Kids line up for a kicksled race during Heikinpäivä 2015. (Keweenaw Now file photos)

HANCOCK -- Whether your favorite Heikinpäivä event is the parade, the wife-carrying contest, Tori shopping and snacks or music and dance, this last week of Hancock's mid-winter festival will offer fun-filled events for the whole family.

Here is the Schedule for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 29-31:

Friday, Jan. 29:

3 p.m. -- Presentation by Consul General Jukka Pietikainen, Jutila Center Chapel, Hancock. Sponsored by the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce - Upper Michigan Chapter.

7 p.m. -- Nyckelharpa concert with Cheryl Paschke and Jaana Tuttila of the Finn Hall Band ... and more! Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hancock.

Saturday, Jan. 30:

Carol Williams sells her lovely hand-crafted jewelry at the Tori (market) in the First United Methodist Church, Hancock, during Heikinpäivä 2015.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Tori Market, Finnish American Heritage Center and First United Methodist Church, Hancock.

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.  -- Vipukelkka (Whipsled), kicksleds, mölkky, World's Largest Kicksled, more! Quincy Green.

Kids enjoy riding the vipukelkka (whipsled) during Heikinpäivä.

Another ride option will be a sled-dog ride around the perimeter of the Quincy Green. A team from Otter River Kennels will be offering folks a sampling of what it’s like to be mushed along the trail in a true dogsled race. These rides will be starting from the area of the Green nearest the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC).
  
11 a.m. -- Parade, downtown Hancock. Line up at BRIDGE School at 10:30 a.m. Prizes.

"The Bear Rolls Over" is the tradition marking the middle of winter and the reason for the Heikinpäivä celebration.

Following parade -- Wife-carrying contest and kicksled races, Quincy Green. Prizes.*

Saturday music performances in Finnish American Heritage Center:

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. -- Finn Aire

11:30 - Noon -- Duo Nyckelharpa

Noon - 12:30 p.m. -- Kivajat Dancers

The Kivajat youth dancers perform Finnish folk dances in the gallery at the Finnish American Heritage Center during Heikinpäivä 2015. At right is their teacher, Kay Seppala.

12:30 p.m. –  1:30 p.m. -- Tanja Stanaway
 
1:30 p.m. –  2:30 p.m. -- Finn Hall Band
 
3 p.m. -- Polar Bear Dive, Hancock waterfront. $5 fee for competing divers; $1 all others.

3 p.m. -- Closing reception for "Art from the Kalevala," Community Arts Center, Hancock. (See notice in our right-hand column.)

7 p.m. -- Heikinpäivä iltamat (hors d’oeuvres and dance), live music, Finnish American Heritage Center.

7:30 p.m. -- Consul General Jukka Pietikäinen bestows honors from the Republic of Finland upon two prominent Finnish Americans.

Sunday, Jan. 31:

2 p.m. -- Finn Hall Dance, Eagles Hall, South Range.

* Click here to see our videos from last year's Heikinpäivä.

Houghton County Dems endorse Lon Johnson, candidate for Michigan's 1st District Congressional seat

Following their Jan. 6 monthly meeting, Houghton County Democrats join Lon Johnson, candidate for Congress in Michigan's 1st District, for supper at the Library restaurant in Houghton. Johnson is seated third from left facing table, next to Rep. Scott Dianda. (Photo courtesy Houghton County Democratic Party)

HOUGHTON -- Lon Johnson, candidate for Congress in Michigan's 1st District, attended the Jan. 6 meeting of the Houghton County Democratic Party and was present for a vote on whether to endorse his candidacy in the August primary. The vote to endorse Johnson was unanimous, with one abstention. Also attending the meeting was candidate Jerry Cannon's Campaign Manager Jessie Handley, who read a personal letter from Gen. Cannon to the group before the vote.

Primary endorsements are unusual for local parties, including Houghton County Democrats. Vice-chair for Communications Brian Rendel in December asked the party to hold a January endorsement vote because he is concerned about waiting for the state primary in August. A late primary leaves little time to lend much local coordinated support in this unusually expansive district.

"There is no question that Johnson's impressive efforts dwarf Gen Cannon's," Rendel said of Johnson's 1000 endorsements by party leaders and activists around the district, frequent visits around the district to meet people, and over a half million dollars he raised through December.

Lon Johnson: Line 5 oil spill may be Michigan’s next water crisis

TRAVERSE CITY -- Congressional Candidate Lon Johnson has warned that the same inaction from politicians in Lansing that led to the water crisis in Flint could result in a disastrous oil spill in the Great Lakes. He recently renewed his call for the Line 5 pipeline to be shut down unless independent review can prove it is 100 percent safe.

"I see too many unfortunate parallels between the ongoing water crisis in Flint and the ticking time bomb that is the Line 5 pipeline running beneath our Mackinac Straits," Johnson said. "For months now, politicians in Lansing have assured us that this 60-year-old pipeline poses no risk of a leak, despite there never having been independent inspection. How are we to entrust our health and the health of the Great Lakes to a government that only acts after disaster is upon us?

"Now it's clear that Lansing knew much more than it let on about the dangerous levels of lead in Flint's water. The same politicians who told worried Flint residents to 'relax' back in July now swear up and down that the Line 5 pipeline is secure. I'm sure we can agree that Lansing politicians have lost all measure of credibility.

"Trust must now give way to vigilance. The time is now to shut down Line 5 until it’s proven independently to be safe. The impact of an oil leak from this aging pipeline upon our health, economy and wildlife is immeasurable and too important to be risked."*

Former Congressman Bart Stupak endorses Johnson

TRAVERSE CITY -- On Jan. 5 Lon Johnson, Democratic Congressional candidate for Michigan’s 1st District,  announced the endorsement of former Congressman Bart Stupak -- the 1,000th public supporter of Johnson's campaign.

"I support Lon Johnson because he will work to create a U.P. and Northern Michigan where our families can stay and succeed," said Stupak. "Lon is the best candidate to represent a district that I know well and hold close to my heart."

Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, represented Michigan’s 1st Congressional District for 18 years, retiring in 2010.

"I’m honored to have the endorsement of such a leader as former Congressman Stupak," Johnson said.

Dozens of current and former leaders have endorsed Johnson, including state legislators, local elected officials, and Democratic party leaders from throughout the 1st Congressional District. A complete list of supporters is available at LonJohnson.com.**

* Click here to see a new documentary about the Line 5 Pipeline.

** See also our Dec. 14, 2015, article, "Candidate Lon Johnson gains support, endorsements for Michigan's 1st Congressional District primary race."

Save the Wild U.P.: "Flint is not a fluke"

From Save the Wild U.P. 

MARQUETTE -- Grassroots environmental group Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) is calling on the Obama Administration to appoint an individual with proven leadership experience in environmental protection to fill the top position at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 5 headquarters, following the resignation of EPA Administrator Susan Hedman on Thursday, Jan. 21.

"This situation is urgent and new leadership is critical," said Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP’s executive director. "The EPA needs a leader with an environmental track record, not a career administrator or an industry insider. All Hedman did was throw the problem back at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). Meanwhile, an entire city was being poisoned."

In December, MDEQ Director Dan Wyant resigned his position as the scope of the water crisis was revealed.

"What has happened in Flint is egregious," said Michelle Halley, Marquette attorney and advisory board member for Save the Wild U.P. "The public who relies upon their elected officials and the agencies they oversee should know that the problems do not stop in Flint. The same attitude of disregard for citizens and the environment has repeated itself in DEQ decisions across our state for well over a decade."

Halley noted the EPA watched while this happened in Michigan, but they did nothing.

"Flint is not a fluke," said Halley. "Flint reflects the failure of values and lack of thoroughness that has become habitual with Michigan politicians and environmental regulators."

Kathleen Heideman, Save the Wild U.P. president, said she was not surprised by Hedman's resignation.

"I’m afraid the problems in Flint are just the tip of the iceberg," Heideman said. "EPA Region 5 has been turning a blind eye to environmental degradations happening right here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well. For years, we’ve been calling on the EPA for transparency, accountability and enforcement actions."

In 2015, Save the Wild U.P. brought water quality and permitting problems to the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency -- specifically, discharges of industrial wastewater to the Salmon Trout River (from Eagle Mine), and the Middle Branch of the Escanaba River (from the Eagle Mine’s Humboldt Mill). SWUP petitioned the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board to uphold the Clean Water Act. The group also requested the veto authority of the EPA over wastewater discharges at the Humboldt Mill, which are known to pollute riparian wetlands of the Middle Branch of the Escanaba River.*

According to Gail Griffith, professor emeritus of chemistry at Northern Michigan University and Save the Wild U.P. board member, "When it comes to water quality, mining companies view the U.P. as a Third-World economy; Lundin Mining called us a 'low-risk jurisdiction' when they purchased the Eagle Mine, referring to our historical experience with mining, the complicity of state regulators, and the EPA’s lack of interest in our environmental problems."

Jeffery Loman, former federal oil regulator and Save the Wild U.P. advisory board member, noted the incompetence of both federal and state regulatory agencies.

"It took the poisoning of hundreds of poor children to demonstrate that the leaders of both EPA Region 5 and Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality were incapable of properly managing those organizations. Why did it take a catastrophe after we provided an abundance of evidence over the last 5 years demonstrating that they were inept?" Loman said. "The EPA has been too busy commemorating, celebrating and congratulating -- mostly themselves -- to care about enforcing water quality."

Maxwell added SWUP simply asks for new, competent leadership.

"Michigan and the Great Lakes deserve real environmental leadership," she said. "We look forward to establishing a positive working relationship with EPA Region 5 in 2016."

Founded in 2004, Save the Wild U.P. is a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to preserving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan's unique cultural and environmental resources. For more information contact info@savethewildup.org or call (906) 662-9987. Get involved with SWUP’s work at savethewildup.org on Facebook at facebook.com/savethewildup or on Twitter @savethewildup.

* See our August 2, 2015, article on citizen concerns about wastewater discharges from the Humboldt Mill.

Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival offers family fun, classes, music, dance in Hancock

Members of Hancock's Finnish Theme Committee lead the 2015 Heikinpäivä Parade. See more photos from last year's Heikinpäivä celebration in our Heikinpäivä 2015 slide show. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

HANCOCK -- Finnishness is at a fever pitch in the Copper Country as the Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival gets underway in Hancock with opportunities for the whole family.

A great way to get the entire family ready for Heikinpäivä is to come to Family Fun Night at 6:30 p.m. TONIGHT, Friday, Jan. 22, at the Finnish American Heritage Center. Kids of all ages (4 – 94) will have a grand time doing traditional Finnish song games, taught by Kay Seppala. In addition, instructors from Salolampi Finnish Language camp will lead families in organized learning through play activities. Refreshments will be provided. Reservations are requested, but not required. $5 per family. Call 523-6271.

Then, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24, the Heikinpäivä Hymn Sing and Concert takes place at Zion Lutheran Church in Hancock. This is a wonderful opportunity for folks of Finnish descent to enjoy many of the hymns that have been familiar in Finnish congregations of the area for decades. The Hymn Sing is free and open to the public.

Classes Monday at Zion Lutheran Church, Hancock

Monday, Jan. 25, includes a full slate of enrichment classes, all of which take place at Zion Lutheran Church. For $10 per person, per class, you can learn Finnish folk music techniques, gluten-free baking, or arm knitting.

Ralph and Jaana Tuttila of Minneapolis, Minnesota are this year’s Heikinpäivä artists in residence, and as their first order of business they’ll be providing instruction in playing Finnish folk music in their course "Finnish Folk Music -- Many Voices." The class will be offered at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday. $10 per person. The Tuttilas are known well for their work with the Minnesota-based Finn Hall Band, which has performed in the Copper Country numerous times.

Ralph and Jaana Tuttila of Minneapolis, Minnesota are this year’s Heikinpäivä artists in residence. (Photo courtesy Ralph and Jaana Tuttila)

Also at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, Edith Mäki, the longtime proprietor of Spice of Life Bakery in Hancock, will teach folks how to bake gluten-free items. Using the "from scratch" techniques for which she’s been known for years, Edith will share some tips on how to provide some tasty treats that every one of your friends and family will enjoy. $10 per person.

And, new to the festival this year, Painesdale resident Terri Taavola Wuorinen will lead a course in arm knitting at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. To take this class, you’re asked to bring two skeins of No. 6 yarn. Even if you’ve never knitted before, you’ll surely learn this technique in short order and begin crafting your own original items.

Advance registration for Heikinpäivä enrichment classes is appreciated. To sign up for your favorite classes -- and to register your friends at the same time -- call 482-1413.

Heikinpäivä concert to feature unique folk instrument

It’s been played by folk musicians for more than 600 years, but the nyckelharpa isn’t an instrument that’s a regular part of the music scene in the Copper Country.
Until now.

Minnesota-based musicians Jaana Tuttila and Cheryl Paschke, both members of the Finn Hall Band, will perform a variety of tunes on the nyckelharpa -- which is actually Sweden’s national instrument -- at a 7 p.m. concert Friday, Jan. 29, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock.

The nyckelharpa or "key fiddle," has strings similar to a violin's, which produce tones by the drawing action of a bow. Evidence suggests the first nyckelharpas may have arrived from Germany as early as the 14th century. Both Jaana Tuttila and Paschke have played the instrument for a number of years, in solo performances and as part of the Finn Hall Band as a whole.

Dance Lessons

JaanaTuttila and her husband, Ralph, are this year’s Heikinpäivä artists-in-residence. Their Finnish folk music course next Monday (see above) will include lessons on the nyckelharpa. They will also offer dance lessons -- Finnish tango and humppa -- at 6 p.m.  Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the Finnish American Heritage Center. $10 a person. They’re also planning to make visits to area schools to introduce the next generation to the folk music traditions.

For more information about the concert, or any aspect of Heikinpäivä, call (906) 487-7549 or find Heikinpäivä on Facebook. For the full schedule click here. More details on Heikinpäivä 2016 coming soon ...

Rozsa to present "Pete Seeger: The Storm King" Jan. 22; Sound Installation to open in Rozsa Gallery Jan. 22

Pete Seeger World Café Show. (Photo courtesy Rozsa Center)

HOUGHTON -- The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts presents "Pete Seeger: The Storm King" -- an evening of live music, poetry and video with a look back at the great hero of 60s, his music, peace activism and the counterculture movement. This beautiful collection of recorded stories, narratives, and poems spoken by the late Pete Seeger and longtime protege, producer and drummer Jeff Haynes, is set to live, multi-genre music that enhances Seeger’s marvelous reminiscences. "Pete Seeger: The Storm King," comes to the Rozsa at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22.

See Jeff Haynes with Richie Stearns, Sara Milonovich, Sean Harkness, and Timothy Hill, in a multi-media presentation interwoven with recordings and video of the great Pete Seeger. This performance is based on the Grammy® nominated audio project conceived and produced by world-renowned, Grammy award winning percussionist and producer, Jeff Haynes.

Pete Seeger, right, with percussionist Jeff Haynes. (Photo © Richard Dorbin and courtesy Rozsa Center)

In this unique blend of spoken word, music, and video, Pete Seeger's spoken words will be piped in as Jeff Haynes and accompanying musicians perform a combination of new music and music written by or popularized by Pete Seeger -- featuring traditions as diverse as African Music, Blues, Bluegrass, Classical Guitar, Folk, Jazz, and East Indian Music -- and performances of some of Pete's songs that were inspired from his travels around the world.

Tickets are $22 for adults, $10 for youth. No charge for Michigan Tech students with the Experience Tech fee. Advance reserved seating is now available, please order tickets early! Tickets are available by phone at (906) 487-2073, online at Rozsa.mtu.edu, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex, or at the Rozsa Box Office the evening of the performance. Please note the Rozsa Box Office only opens two hours prior to performances.

Noise Floor, a Sound Installation by Josh Loar, opens in Rozsa Gallery Friday, Jan. 22

Noise surrounds us. In the industrial world we are constantly bombarded with sounds, most of which we no longer even notice (the hum of compressor motors, the whine of routers, the whirr of hard drives, the roar of lawnmowers). Noise Floor is an interactive exhibit by artist Josh Loar, focused on the pervasive noise around us -- mechanical and cultural -- bringing into focus sounds that we normally shut out of our conscious minds.

A reception with the artist will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22, in the Rozsa Gallery A-Space. The exhibit is free and open to the public and continues through Saturday, Jan. 30. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturdays.

Josh Loar, Michigan Tech professor of practice in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, is a multimedia artist and designer whose works have been featured in galleries and salons from NYC to Los Angeles. His design and music composition has been featured in countless stage shows, films, TV programs, theme parks and concerts. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, director, writer, painter, filmmaker, and all-around general artist type.

Finlandia Gallery to host International School of Art and Design Alumni Exhibit Jan. 21 - March 19

"Opportunities in Color," 2014, Digital Print by Amanda (Moyer) Rogers. A 2011 Finlandia alumna, Rogers now lives in Metro Detroit and works as marketing coordinator at Pewabic -- a non-profit historic ceramic studio located in Detroit. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University International School of Art and Design (ISAD) will present an alumni exhibit at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock, from Jan. 21 to March 19, 2016.

An opening reception for the artists will take place at the gallery from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21. An artist talk will begin at 7:15 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

"Great Blue," Watercolor and Ink, 2015, by D.C. Wilson, a 2010 Finlandia alumna. Wilson now lives in Madison, Wis., where she is the Arts and Web Coordinator at a day center for adults with developmental delays. Wilson designs art projects and helps arrange gallery shows for her clients.

In the 17 years since the bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree program began at Finlandia University, 148 students have graduated in five concentration areas: Ceramic Design, Fiber Arts and Fashion Design, Integrated Design, Graphic Design and Digital Art, and Studio Arts.

The Alumni 2016 exhibit spotlights the current work of 20 Finlandia BFA graduates.

"Osteology," woodblock print book, three-page spread, by Bonnie Loukus. Finlandia graduate Loukus combines letterpress printing, bookbinding, papermaking and block printing to create limited edition books, cards, broadsides and prints. She currently works as Assistant Director at the Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock.

"Our graduates have moved to all parts of the world to pursue their careers in art," notes Gallery Director Carrie Flaspohler. "It is wonderful to see where their life journeys have taken them."

Flaspohler says Finlandia's ISAD alumni study and work as far away as South Korea and Oregon, while some continue to live and work in Hancock.

The Finlandia University Gallery is in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.

Michigan Tech Prof. Carol MacLennan to speak on "Mine Polluted Waters" at Carnegie Museum Jan. 19

Michigan Tech Professor Carol MacLennan will discuss "Mine Polluted Waters: What are our Options?" Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Carnegie Museum. Click on image for larger version. (Poster courtesy Carnegie Museum)

HOUGHTON -- The Keweenaw Natural History Lecture Series at the Carnegie Museum will present "Mine Polluted Waters: What are our Options?" a lecture by Carol MacLennan, Michigan Tech professor of anthropology and Dept. of Social Sciences graduate director, on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Refreshments and introductions begin at 6:30 p.m., and the lecture and discussion will be from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Community Room downstairs.

Professor Carol MacLennan speaks about Torch Lake issues during the July 30, 2015, Keweenaw Geotour, "Copper Mining Waste of Lake Superior Today," on Michigan Tech's Research Vessel Agassiz. Bill Rose, Michigan Tech professor emeritus in geology, led the series of educational tours for the public last summer. Highlights of this tour included visits to the Gay and Torch Lake stamp sands. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The Keweenaw's experience with the Torch Lake Superfund Site and Area of Concern raises questions as to how we can better understand the mechanisms and government programs we have at our disposal to clean up our watered environment and prevent future pollution. What strategies have worked in other communities? How can we navigate complicated programs and technical issues in order to protect human health and restore the environment. This seminar and discussion will examine our history of pollution, untangle the various efforts to clean it up, and introduce some new ideas for addressing the issues.

Drone Catcher: "Robotic Falcon" can capture, retrieve renegade drones

Mo Rastgaar's drone catcher speeds toward its target drone. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech University)

By Marcia Goodrich
Posted January 7, 2016, on Michigan Tech News
Reprinted with permission

In January 2015, a Washington, DC, hobbyist accidentally flew his DJI Phantom quadcopter drone over the White House fence and crashed it on the lawn.

Two years earlier, a prankster sent his drone toward German prime minister Angela Merkel during a campaign rally.

Small drones have also proven to be effective tools of mischief that doesn’t make the national news, from spying to smuggling to hacking. So when Mo Rastgaar was watching World Cup soccer and heard about snipers protecting the crowd, he doubted that they’d fully understood a drone’s potential.

"I thought, if the threat is a drone, you really don’t want to shoot it down -- it might contain explosives and blow up," Rastgaar said. "What you want to do is catch it and get it out of there."

Safe Drone Catcher

So Rastgaar, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University, began work on a drone catcher, which could pursue and capture rogue drones that might threaten military installations, air traffic, sporting events -- even the White House.

It’s a deceptively simple system: a launcher that shoots a big net attached to a large drone by a string. The system can be autonomous, controlled by a ground-based human pilot or a combination of the two.

After an intruding drone is spotted, the drone catcher takes up the chase and fires the net at it from a distance of up to 40 feet. Because the net is so big and can be deployed so quickly, it can overwhelm even the fastest, most maneuverable small drone.

Once trapped, the intruder doesn’t have a chance, as illustrated in this video.

"It gets really entangled," Rastgaar said. "It’s not going anywhere."

Then the net swings down below the drone catcher, which ferries its cargo to a safe location.

Netted

"What makes this unique is that the net is attached to our catcher, so you can retrieve the rogue drone or drop it in a designated, secure area," Rastgaar explained. "It’s like robotic falconry."

Other members of the team who worked on this project are Evandro Ficanha, a research engineer working with Rastgaar, PhD student Guilherme Ribeiro and recent mechanical engineering graduates Ruiyu Kang and Dean Keithly.

Rastgaar and Ficanha have filed for a patent on this drone catcher system and think that it could have several potential applications -- from foiling spy drones, smugglers and terrorists to supporting federal regulations.

"The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] has just announced that drones must be registered, and we think the catcher could help enforce the law by catching unregistered drones," Rastgaar said.

Jazz Cabaret: Backstage at the Rozsa is Jan. 15, 16

Nick Black of Momentum, a 9-piece horn band that will play during the Jazz Cabaret: Backstage at the Rozsa Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15, 16. (Photo courtesy Rozsa Center)

HOUGHTON -- Time for a jazz check-up?  Dr. Mike’s Rx for indoor winter activities = Jazz: Creative, fresh, interactive, soothing, food for the soul, and nourishment for the ears. Join Jazz Studies Program Director Mike Irish and the Michigan Tech Jazz ensembles for two nights of Jazz Cabaret: Backstage at the Rozsa at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday nights, Jan. 15-16.

Jazz Cabaret: Backstage at the Rozsa will administer the basic nutrients of swing, bebop, Latin, funk, soul, blues, and contemporary to heal anything that ails you.  Let these in-house musicians make your evening memorable, enjoyable and enriching. The Rozsa stage becomes a pop-up jazz club, and the intimate club atmosphere is a perfect setting for the "jazz-med staff," including Jaztec: A mainstream quintet that will stimulate all of your vital signs; Momentum: A 9-piece horn band providing the latest in soul treatments; and the Dan Fuhrman Trio:  They will get your blood pumping with adventurous takes on great jazz standards.

Tickets for Jazz Cabaret: Backstage at the Rozsa are on sale now: $13 for adults, $5 for youth, and no charge for Michigan Tech students with the Experience Tech fee. Tickets for Backstage at the Rozsa are limited, please order tickets early! Tickets are available by phone at (906) 487-2073, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex, or at the Rozsa Box Office the evening of the performance. Please note the Rozsa Box Office only opens two hours prior to performances.

Green Lecture Series to present Betsy Hartmann lecture on population, environment Jan. 14

Author and researcher Betsy Hartmann will speak on population and environment at the Green Lecture Thursday, Jan. 14, at Michigan Tech. (Photo courtesy Green Lecture Series)

HOUGHTON -- The Green Lecture Series will present "Rethinking the Links Between Population and Environment: Toward a More Hopeful Future" from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, in B002 Hesterberg Hall and Forestry Atrium, in Michigan Tech's Forestry Building.

This event is free and open to the public.

Presenter Betsy Hartmann is professor emerita of development studies and senior policy analyst of the Population and Development Program at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her research, writing, teaching, and lecturing focuses on the intersections between population, migration, environment and security issues. She is widely published in popular, policy, and scholarly venues. She is the author of Reproductive Rights and Wrongs: The Global Politics of Population Control and two political thrillers about the Far Right, The Truth about Fire, set in the Copper Country, and Deadly Election. She is the co-author of A Quiet Violence: View from a Bangladesh Village and co-editor of the anthology Making Threats: Biofears and Environmental Anxieties.

In spring 2015, Betsy was a Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Chair in India where she lectured and did research on Indian and international population policy. She has consulted for the United Nations Environment Program and UN Women, and is the recipient of a 2012 Mesa Refuge Writing Residency in Point Reyes, Calif., to write about climate change. A long-standing activist in the international women’s health movement, she is known nationally and internationally for her work to challenge and reform population policy and promote reproductive and environmental justice. She received her B.A. magna cum laude in South Asian Studies from Yale University and her Ph.D. in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.

Betsy lives in Amherst, Mass., where she is currently completing a book on apocalyptic thinking in the United States, provisionally titled The America Syndrome: Apocalypse and the Anxieties of Empire. The book will be published in Spring 2017 by Seven Stories Press in New York.

The event is sponsored by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Keweenaw Land Trust, and Michigan Tech's Department of Social Sciences.

Updated: Michigan Tech, NMU, Finlandia to commemorate Martin Luther King Day with special events

Michigan Tech University will commemorate Martin Luther King Day on Monday, Jan. 18, with a banquet and readings in local schools. Northern Michigan University will honor King with a March for Equality, presentations and service projects. Finlandia students will volunteer for community service. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech Center for Diversity and Inclusion)

HOUGHTON, MARQUETTE --  While university classes are cancelled for Martin Luther King Day -- the federal holiday marking King’s birthday -- on Monday, Jan. 18, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan universities will hold community events, including guest speakers, honoring the late civil rights leader. Finlandia students will volunteer for community service and attend an educational panel.

Michigan Tech to sponsor school readings, MLK Banquet

During the school day (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) on Monday, Jan. 18, Michigan Tech students, faculty, staff and community members will read books about the life and legacy of Dr. King to local school children. Houghton Elementary, Barkell Elemetary (Hancock) and TR Davis Elementary (Dollar Bay) are participating. 

Michigan Tech's 27th Annual MLK Banquet will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ball Room. The event, open to the public with free reservations, features a buffet dinner, musical performances from Tech's Momentum Jazz band, spoken word poetry and a keynote address from William P. Jones, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the books The March on Washington: Jobs, Freedom and the Forgotten History of Civil Rights and The Tribe of Black Ulysses: African American Lumber Workers in the Jim Crow South.
 
Following the banquet, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom, there will be "Interfaith Insights and Prayers for a Beloved Community." The public is invited to join a group reading of different interfaith passages of peace. The event is held by the Cooperative Campus Ministry.

Tickets for the banquet are free and available by making an online reservation here.

NMU to mark MLK Day with March for Equality, service projects, more ...

At Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette on Monday, Jan. 18,  an MLK March for Equality will begin at noon at the Payne/Halverson lobby and proceed to the Peter White Lounge of the University Center, where there will be food and speakers addressing race and diversity. Following the presentations, participants will engage in service projects, including book readings at the U.P. Children’s Museum and volunteering at the Salvation Army. In the Peter White Lounge, some will make blankets and knitted items that will be distributed to community organizations such as the Women’s Center, Harbor House and Room at the Inn. Others will make cards for veterans.

Author and motivational speaker Antoine Moss, known as the "Man of Inspiration," will deliver the keynote presentation at NMU at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21, in the Cadillac/Brule Rooms of the University Center. Admission is free. Moss will address "Three Steps to Becoming Unstoppable with Your Purpose and Mission in Life." He will combine his passion and personal stories with the dreams and goals set forth by Martin Luther King Jr. Moss is the author of Learn to Intern CEO Style, based on his professional experience from internships with NASA, the FBI and the U.S. Congress. More recently, he partnered with Les Brown, George Fraser and other influential leaders to write an Amazon No. 1 bestseller, Mission Unstoppable: Extraordinary Stories of Failure’s Blessings.

NMU’s 20th annual Drag Show will culminate the week of equality at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, in Vandament Arena. Admission is free for NMU students and $5 for others. There is no reserved seating. NMU’s revitalized student group, OUTlook, will host the event.

For more information, contact the NMU Multicultural Education and Resource Center at 906-227-1554, or the NMU Volunteer Center at 906-227-2466.

Update: Finlandia students to offer community service on MLK Day

On Monday, Jan. 18, Finlandia University students will not have classes; but Finlandia student volunteers will be conducting community service at churches, non-profits, and schools in Hancock, Houghton, Chassell and Calumet. Tasks range from chopping wood for local elders to hanging elementary student art displays.

After an 11 a.m. brunch in the Finlandia Café, at noon students will board buses that will take them to various community service sites. They will return to campus for a snack in the Finnish American Heritage Center at 2:45 p.m., followed at 3 p.m. by an educational panel featuring six Finlandia faculty members who will examine the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr., through history, philosophy, religion, art, and literature.

Save the Wild U.P.: MDEQ needs real leadership in 2016

MARQUETTE -- Grassroots environmental group Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) is calling on Governor Snyder to appoint an individual with proven experience in environmental protection to fill the leadership vacuum at Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), following Director Dan Wyant’s resignation. Wyant resigned, along with a top MDEQ public relations staffer, after a State Task Force blamed MDEQ for Flint’s water quality crisis.

"This situation is urgent and new leadership is critical," said Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP’s executive director. "The MDEQ needs a leader with an environmental track record, not a career administrator or an industry insider. The clock is ticking on a number of environmental permits currently under review by the MDEQ -- including a mine permit application for what could be Upper Michigan’s second sulfide mine."*

Maxwell added that the lack of MDEQ leadership means the task of defending clean water and wild places falls to grassroots organizations such as Save the Wild U.P., FOLK (Friends of the Land of Keweenaw), Front 40, and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

In the case of the Flint crisis, that task has fallen to ordinary citizens whose lives and health depend on their water supply, noted Kathleen Heideman, SWUP president.

"At the highest level, MDEQ leaders have repeatedly failed to protect water quality in Michigan. The MDEQ can’t go on treating our priceless rivers like sewer pipes, useful only for flushing away wastewater discharges," Heideman said. "I applaud the concerned citizens in Flint who spoke out in order to sound the alarm about their contaminated water -- that’s grassroots activism. These ordinary citizens are truly heroes. It’s clear that the EPA only got involved in Flint because of citizen efforts, while the DEQ tried to cover up the problem."

Steve Garske, SWUP board member, said the Governor needs to do more than apologize.

"Michigan visitors, residents, and wildlife alike depend on clean water -- for everything from habitats to recreation to drinking water," Garske said. "The Governor has apologized for the DEQ’s failure to ensure that the city of Flint had a safe water supply, for disregarding the concerns of local citizens and denying there was a problem. Now we hope he gets serious about reorganizing the MDEQ so that it works for the people of this state, instead of benefiting the big corporate polluters they’re supposed to be regulating."

According to Jeffery Loman, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community tribal member and former federal oil regulator, Dan Wyant was hand-picked as MDEQ director for the very purpose of benefiting industry at the sake of the environment.

"Wyant was totally incapable of managing the agency," Loman said. "Snyder needs to be held accountable for appointing Wyant, just as he should now be held accountable for the egregious mismanagement of Flint’s water quality crisis."**

SWUP's Maxwell summed it up: "Our message to Governor Snyder is simple," she said. "In 2016, Michigan deserves real environmental leadership."

UPDATE: In a recent email, Gene Champagne of Concerned Citizens of Big Bay told Keweenaw Now that experience with the permitting process for the Eagle Mine has made him aware of the need for house cleaning in the upper echelons of state government and the MDEQ.

"The 'Flint Water Crisis' does not surprise people here in the UP who have witnessed first hand the current culture, as imposed by upper management, the MDEQ, our legislature, and our governor," Champagne said. "Those who have followed the permitting process for the Humboldt Mill and especially Eagle Mine have witnessed data manipulation and non-compliance for developing and enforcing the law and rules set forth in Part 632 of our state's mining laws. Perhaps now those with the authority to do so will take a serious look at what has already been presented to them, both in Flint and the UP, and clean house at the MDEQ. The citizens of this state need to know that MDEQ is there to protect them and the environment. Currently the DEQ makes a mockery of the permitting process to the benefit of the applicant at the expense of our children and grandchildren. My heart goes out to the residents, and especially the children, of Flint. I also feel for those at the MDEQ who are trying to do a good job, only to be overturned and given orders from the upper echelons."

Founded in 2004, Save the Wild U.P. is a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to preserving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s unique cultural and environmental resources. For more information contact info@savethewildup.org or call (906) 662-9987. Get involved with SWUP’s work at savethewildup.org on Facebook at facebook.com/savethewildup or on Twitter @savethewildup.

Editor's Notes:

* See "Environmentalists criticize proposed open-pit sulfide mine near Menominee River; MDEQ to hold Public Hearing Jan. 5," posted by Keweenaw Now on Jan. 4, 2016.

** See a video from Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show on Dec. 19, 2015: "Flint toxic water tragedy points directly to Michigan Gov. Snyder." 
See also this excellent article on Truth Out: "Brain Damage: Children Suffer the Consequences of Anti-Regulation in Michigan."

Letter: Support curbside recycling efforts

By David Hall, member,
Copper Country Recycling Initiative

To Keweenaw Now:

Thanks for the article about recycling here in Houghton County.* This region -- for too many years -- has been far behind the curve regarding recycling. We say we love this place, but DO we? Here on the Keweenaw Peninsula we recycle a paltry 5 percent of our waste stream while the national average is 34 percent. Some cities in the USA are approaching a 75 percent recycling rate!

A decent curbside recycling service removes about 50 percent of the volume of our waste stream now going to the landfill, thereby DOUBLING its lifespan! Each 6-10 acre "Cell" in OUR landfill costs 3.5 - 4 million dollars to build and a new one must be built every 7 years or so. When a Landfill Cell is full it must be monitored for many decades into the future for toxic waste and pollutants they inevitably create. This future cost is very expensive as well. We can easily do better than we are currently doing! It is a political choice to be wasteful and not recycle. Let's change this scenario!

Houghton and Hancock are renegotiating their Waste Collection contracts this spring, and our city councils have an opportunity to include a curbside recycling service for every household in both cities within these multi-year contracts.

It is great that Hancock has a curbside recycling system in place, and those who worked many years ago to make it happen should be thanked for their hard work. The City Council should be thanked for considering a modern recycling program in their future waste hauling contracts, one that is more comprehensive.

Hancock's system will not change unless they want to have a private recycler; e.g., one Wisconsin company would distribute two bins to every household, one for garbage and one for all recyclables, and the recycling would be collected bi-weekly most likely. If you read the MTU report by Richelle Winkler's class, the cost of such a program may actually cost LESS than Hancock is paying now and it would collect a lot more recycling than does the current program where most residents do not use it and the recycling rate is poor.** 

Currently, all of the recycling collected in Hancock (and Houghton too) is trucked to a company in Wisconsin, and Hancock PAYS $70/ton to give it to them.

We are hoping for a more REGIONAL scale for the recycling system with both Hancock and Houghton joining in a good system involving every household. We feel if such a system is in place it can only grow to neighboring localities. Recycling is essentially a mining operation, and the greater the concentration of resources the more viable it is economically. It is an economy of scale.

I urge all of you who wish to have a recycling program here to write or call your City Council members and express your support for a CURBSIDE RECYCLING SERVICE to be included in the upcoming contracts. You must act now if you wish to enact change. Our elected officials need to know they have public support for a recycling program, one that is long overdue. This contact information is listed below. Your call or letter WILL make a difference. Thanks for taking action.

David Hall
Houghton

* See "Michigan Tech students publish report on waste management, recycling in Houghton, Hancock, Michigan Tech."

** See pp. 38-40 of the report, "Waste and Recycling Programs in Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, and Michigan Technological University."

Addresses:

City of Houghton
616 Sheldon Ave.
Houghton, MI 49931
906-482-1700
City Manager: Eric Waara
citymanager@cityofhoughton.com

City of Hancock City Hall
399 Quincy Street
Hancock, MI 49930
906-482-2720 [phone]
906-482-7910 [FAX]
City Manager: Glenn Anderson
906-482-1121
cell: 906-458-9101
manager@cityofhancock.net

(Inset photo: David Hall. Photo courtesy David Hall)

Michigan Tech students publish report on waste management, recycling in Houghton, Hancock, Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech Professor Richelle Winkler, third from left, with members of her Fall 2015 Sociology of the Environment class, who worked together to publish the report, "Waste and Recycling Programs in Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, and Michigan Technological University." (Photo © and courtesy David Hall)

HOUGHTON --Graduate students at Michigan Tech have published a report that brings together information from multiple sources about how waste and recycling are handled in Houghton and Hancock so that decision-makers and community members can make informed decisions about managing waste. They presented this information at a forum and community discussion at Portage Library on Dec. 9, 2015. Since then the report and an executive summary have been posted on line.*

The report, "Waste and Recycling Programs in Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, and Michigan Technological University," is the work of Michigan Tech Professor Richelle Winkler's fall semester 2015 Sociology of the Environment class.

"The purpose of this report is to describe and assess waste and recycling programs available to residents of Hancock, Houghton, and at Michigan Technological University," Winkler states in the introduction to the report. 

The report begins with an executive summary that points out the need for reducing waste in the cities of Hancock and Houghton (including Michigan Technological University) and describes the recycling and composting programs now in existence in this area. These include the following:

• the curbside recycling program in Hancock**
• the drop-off recycling center at Waste Management in Houghton (now charging $4 per vehicle)
• a new cardboard recycling program at the Houghton County Transfer Station in Atlantic Mine***
• a recycling program at Michigan Tech
• a Michigan Tech composting program (yard waste and some food waste)
• some yard waste composting in Hancock and Houghton
• the diversion of special wastes such as e-waste, appliances, tires, batteries, and oil from household trash through a variety of private systems
• a state-sponsored bottle deposit system that collects and recycles aluminum beverage cans and glass bottles.

Local recycling opportunities "below average"

The executive summary of the report also calls attention to the fact that recycling opportunities in this area are below average. Not only is Hancock the only community in Houghton and Keweenaw counties with curbside recycling, but recycling rates in Houghton and Hancock are below both the Michigan average and the national average.

"Recycling rates in Houghton and Hancock are about 5 percent of the waste stream and Michigan Tech recycles about 14 percent, which is below Michigan’s state average (15 percent) and even more below the US national average (34 percent)," the executive summary states. "Recycling rates are well known to increase dramatically when regular curbside collection programs are in place. Moreover, not all drop-off programs are created equal -- those located in less convenient locations, with less convenient hours of operation, and/or greater fees are less likely to be utilized as much."*

In addition, Houghton County does not provide for convenient disposal of hazardous wastes such as pesticides, solvents, and other chemicals.

Benefits of Recycling

The executive summary notes that local recycling offers several environmental benefits, including "reducing the amount of energy required to extract and process raw materials, reducing pollution associated with landfills (leachate and methane emissions), reducing carbon emissions that contribute to global climate change, conserving resources for future generations, and encouraging the development of systems and technology for using resources efficiently."

The authors of the report mention some economic benefits for the community, such as money saved through lowered garbage tipping fees and fewer plastic garbage bags needed for households, but add that the environmental benefits of recycling motivate people more to recycle and improve recycling opportunities.

Recommendations

They mention several recommendations for that improvement: making recycling easy, simple and cheap with expanded curbside recycling and more convenient drop-off sites and hours; partnering and coordination between Houghton County and municipalities; including businesses and schools in solid waste planning and recycling programs; encouraging composting; informing the public about hazardous and e-waste and offering drop-off sites for these; holding waste reduction and recycling discussions with community and university leaders; encouraging reuse, trading and sharing and removing disposable options; promoting Michigan Tech as a sustainability leader and community partner in helping municipalities meet waste management and recycling goals.

Notes:

* Click here to access the report. The executive summary begins on p. vii.

** Visit the City of Hancock Web site to learn about their curbside recycling.

*** The cardboard recycling center opened on Jan. 4, 2016. Click here for info.

Environmentalists criticize proposed open-pit sulfide mine near Menominee River; MDEQ to hold Public Hearing Jan. 5

Save the Wild U.P. joins the Front 40 environmental group in opposing the proposed "Back 40" sulfide mine adjacent to the Menominee River. (Image courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

From Save the Wild U.P.
Posted on savethewildup.org Dec. 21, 2015
Text and images reprinted with permission

MARQUETTE -- In November, Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) learned that Aquila Resources (Aquila) submitted a mine permit application to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for their "Back Forty Project" ("Back 40" in some sources, including MDEQ’s website). Aquila describes the proposed open-pit mine as "gold- and zinc-rich" but their investor materials list several other "metals of primary interest" including lead, copper and silver. The Back Forty, a volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit, also contains additional toxic metals, arsenic, corrosive sulfosalts, and radioactive elements including uranium. Aquila’s mine permit application has been deemed "administratively complete" by the MDEQ.

Several grassroots environmental organizations, including Save the Wild U.P. and the Front 40, with local property owners, have been deeply critical of the Back Forty proposal for years, contending that an open pit sulfide mine, with on-site processing and tailings, will pollute the adjacent Menominee River. Tribal natural resources, including archeological sites, are also threatened by any mining operation on the Menominee River, the largest watershed drainage system in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. According to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, "our origin or creation begins at the mouth of the Menominee River."

MDEQ to hold Public Meeting Jan. 5 in Stephenson

Concerned citizens are asked to review the proposed Mine Permit Application, now available from the MDEQ website.*

The MDEQ will hold a Public Meeting concerning Aquila’s Mine Permit Application from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at Stephenson High School, W526 Division Street in Stephenson, Michigan. Public comment is due Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Concerned citizens and other interested persons are urged to submit written comments by mail or e-mail until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Email comments to Joe Maki: makij3@michigan.gov or mail comments to MDEQ Back Forty Mine Comments, Office of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, 1504 West Washington Street, Marquette, Michigan, 49855.**

Steve Garske, biologist and Save the Wild U.P. board member, notes the Menominee is the U.P.’s largest river system. It has a watershed of 4,070 square miles with 2,618 square miles located in Michigan and 1,452 square miles located in Wisconsin (according to the Environmental Protection Agency) and more than 100 tributaries.

"It supports large populations of smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike, and provides spawning habitat for sturgeon," Garske says. "Nearby Shakey Lakes Savanna is one of the few intact savanna ecosystems left in the Upper Midwest and supports rare prairie plants and abundant wildlife. Mounds, garden beds, and other remnants of an ancient Native American village are also clearly evident. Aquila Resources couldn’t have chosen a worse place for a mine."

Watercolor painting of the Menominee River courtesy Save the Wild U.P.

Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP’s executive director, says she questions the wisdom of digging an open pit mine on the edge of a river.

"These metals are wrapped in an enormous amount of sulfides, so the risks to the U.P.’s clean water are real, unavoidable, and numerous," Maxwell says. "In describing the Back Forty project, Aquila doesn’t mention the sulfides and pyrites in their rock. With a sulfide mine on a riverbank, acid mine drainage is a real threat. Aquila has no experience dealing with acid mine drainage. Back Forty would be their very first project, anywhere."

According to Ron Henriksen, spokesman for the Menominee River Front 40 environmental group, "This is not a done deal. Even though Aquila’s permit was deemed 'administratively complete' by the MDEQ, the company must comply with Lake Township’s 'Mineral Extraction Ordinance' and 'Land Usage Permit.' Front 40 will continue to do what is necessary to ensure that a metallic sulfide mine is not allowed to impact our rivers, lakes, groundwater and lands."

Marla Tuinstra of Lake Township adds, "As a long-time Lake Township landowner and taxpayer, I am concerned that a foreign company can come in and dictate, through what appears to be a flawed permit process, what will happen to the area."

In opposing this sulfide mine proposal, Save the Wild U.P. cites numerous threats to the Menominee River watershed.

"Aquila’s press release never mentioned the Menominee River," notes Kathleen Heideman, SWUP president. "That’s a very bad sign. This project would literally undermine the Menominee River -- first with an open pit mine, and later with an underground mine, with milling and tailings proposed for the site as well. Furthermore, cyanide will be used in the processing, exponentially increasing the risks. I applaud all of the citizens who are fighting the Back Forty project, and defending Michigan’s clean water."

This photo shows how close the proposed open-pit sulfide mine could be to the Menominee River. (Photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

SWUP, Front 40 to hold informational forum Feb. 17 

Save the Wild U.P. and Front 40 will host "Don’t Undermine the Menominee River!" -- an informational forum reviewing the Back Forty sulfide mine proposal and what’s at stake. The forum will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 in the Shiras Room of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.

"We still have the opportunity to help make 'Pure Michigan' a reality, rather than just a catchy slogan," said Jim Voss, a resident of Lake Township.

* Click here for MDEQ information and links concerning the Back 40 Project.
** Click here for details on the public meeting and public comment.

Save the Wild U.P. to host Jan. 7 showing of Michael Loukinen's documentary "Winona: A Copper Mining Ghost Town"

Poster for Save the Wild U.P.'s Jan. 7 showing of Michael Loukinen's documentary Winona: A Copper Mining Ghost Town. (Poster courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

MARQUETTE -- Grassroots environmental group Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) will host a special screening of Michael Loukinen’s documentary Winona: A Copper Mining Ghost Town. The film will be shown from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, in the Baraga Conference Room located at 129 W. Baraga Street, Marquette. Note: $5 cover for the film screening.

Michael Loukinen, who serves on Save the Wild U.P.’s Advisory Board, has also made copies of the film for sale at the screening, with proceeds to benefit Save the Wild U.P.’s work.*

"You can dig out the heart of a community, but you can’t kill its spirit," said Chip Truscon, SWUP board member.

Winona, Michigan, a former copper mining town 33 miles south of Houghton is fast becoming a "ghost town." The town’s population has shrunk from an estimated 1,000+ in 1920 to perhaps 13 residents today. Noted documentary filmmaker and sociologist Michael Loukinen has created this beautiful, fascinating and elegiac film documenting the community’s history and demise.

"I really look forward to seeing our supporters at this screening of Winona," said Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP executive director and contributing photographer to the project.

"There’s a poignant human story here, but the film also acknowledges a dirty little secret -- when the mining boom ends, the U.P. is always left with struggling communities and collapsed economies, in addition to a polluted environment."

Loukinen is a retired professor of sociology at Northern Michigan University. He started by trying to teach using 35mm slide presentations. Gradually, he learned 16mm filmmaking, working with experienced filmmakers such as Tom Davenport, Debora Dickson, Kathleen Laughlin and especially Miroslav Janek (Czech Republic). Recently he has teamed up with digital cinema artist, Grant Guston. Most of his films are about the traditional cultures of the Lake Superior Region: Finnish Americans, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and wilderness workers (loggers, trappers, and fishers). He has also made three sociological intervention films concerning at-risk youth in alternative schools, adults with disabilities who are fighting for independent lifestyles, and the prevention of vehicular homicide. His films have won both academic and artistic awards and have been featured at film festivals across the country.

* To learn more about Save the Wild U.P., visit their Web site.

New Houghton County Cardboard Recycling Center to open Jan. 4

This map shows the approximate location of the new Houghton County Cardboard Recycling Center in Atlantic Mine.

HOUGHTON -- If you're a Houghton County resident but not a resident of the City of Hancock, which has curbside recycling, you can benefit from FREE recycling of CARDBOARD beginning Monday, Jan. 4, at the new Houghton County Cardboard Recycling Center located adjacent to the Houghton County Transfer Station in Atlantic Mine.*

Hours will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM HOUGHTON: Head west on highway M26 toward Atlantic Mine/South Range. One mile past the stoplight at Green Acres Road turn right onto Erickson Drive. The Recycling Center is on the right after about 0.1 mile. The address is 17808 Erickson Dr. Call (906) 482-8872 for information.

Acceptable materials are the following: corrugated cardboard; boxes made of paperboard (shoe, cereal, detergent boxes…); brown grocery bags and packaging; frozen pizza boxes; boxes with small amounts of tape, staples, plastic windows.

Note: All boxes should be free of food and flattened/broken down. Do not place recyclables in plastic bags.

Unacceptable materials: food; grease- or oil-saturated materials; paper products such as newspapers, magazines, junk mail; plastic or plastic bags; styrofoam.

The cardboard products you recycle will be sold to industries that use recycled cardboard to manufacture new products. The money from the sale of the cardboard will be used for operating costs at the Houghton County Recycling Center.

Cardboard and paper waste make up 41 percent of the municipal solid waste stream; in other words, cardboard is the biggest manufactured product in the waste stream by weight.

Recycling cardboard takes 24 percent less energy and produces 50 percent less sulfur dioxide than making cardboard from raw materials. Individuals who recycle will see a reduction in their costs for waste disposal. Waste Management is now charging for recycling, but at the Houghton County transfer station this cardboard recycling is free for residential users; commercial users must check with the office for rates.

One ton of recycled cardboard saves 390 kW hours of electricity, 46 gallons of oil, 6.6 million Btus of energy and 9 cubic yards of landfill space.

The Houghton County Cardboard Recycling Center is funded with a $90,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to Houghton County. The Copper Country Recycling Initiative and the Houghton County Board of Commissioners were instrumental in the development of this new cardboard recycling center.

Celebration Jan. 16 at Portage Lake District Library

Celebrate the opening of the Houghton County Cardboard Recycling Center at a special, fun-filled event planned for 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Portage Lake District Library. Lots of fun hands-on activities for kids are planned, including Making Paper, Garbage Pizzas, Recycling Machine, Making Forts, Waste-Free Lunch Safari, and more! A recycling display and information on plans for how to improve curbside recycling in Houghton County will be available, including information on how you can get involved.

Everyone is invited to enjoy FREE refreshments and cake. Several children’s recycling books and other prizes will be raffled.

*Editor's Note: Hancock residents are encouraged to take advantage of monthly curbside recycling, usually on the last Thursday of the month. Click here for details.

Peace Corps takes Michigan Tech grad student to Kyrgyz Republic

Peace Corps Volunteer Cole Bedford, left, is pictured here with a community member wearing a kalpak, traditional Kyrgyz headwear, standing in front of a Kyrgyz yurt. (Photo courtesy Cole Bedford. Reprinted with permission.)

By Monica Lester
Posted on Michigan Tech News Dec. 1 and modified Dec. 3, 2015
Reprinted with permission

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech has a worldwide footprint. Whether it is where students or faculty come from, where they have traveled or where they have worked, Tech has made an impact on the world and continues to do so. Take Cole Bedford, a Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) program graduate student in civil engineering at Michigan Tech, now serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Kyrgyz Republic, unofficially known as Kyrgyzstan, is located in Central Asia. It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east.

Kyrgyz Republic

"The Kyrgyz Republic is not where I had imagined myself serving," Bedford admits. After being barred from traveling to tropical locations due to the Peace Corps’ extremely rigorous medical requirements, Bedford had to turn down an invitation to Peru. Instead, he accepted an invitation to the Kyrgyz Republic. "I was originally pretty disappointed by the concessions I felt I would be making by accepting a post here, but now that I’ve been in Kyrgyz Republic for six months -- having experienced the generosity and enthusiasm of the people, the richness of the culture, and the awesomeness of the landscapes -- there’s nowhere I’d rather be."

Bedford is from Sturgis, South Dakota, and earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2013.

"I had wanted to be a Peace Corps volunteer since I was a kid and always planned on joining immediately after finishing my bachelor’s degree," says Bedford. "As I worked my way through undergrad, though, it became more and more clear that the kind of work I imagined myself doing 10 or 15 years down the road would require a master’s degree."

That meant Bedford was faced with two unappealing options for himself: either complete his master’s first and then join the Peace Corps, or leave for the Peace Corps and then have to come back to a classroom afterwards. Then he discovered the Peace Corps Master's International (PCMI) program and decided not only that it was the right program for him but that Michigan Tech was the best place to do it.

Peace Corps Master's International

"Tech’s program is one of the oldest, the largest, and, to my mind at least, far and away the best," Bedford says. "The faculty has experience doing just the kind of international development work that I hope to do myself. That Tech is a small technical school so much like my alma mater is just icing on the cake."

Michigan Tech offers PCMI programs in 10 departments. PCMI students combine a master’s degree with Peace Corps service. Michigan Tech has more students actively serving in the Peace Corps than any other campus in the country, and Tech students have served in 52 countries around the world.*

For his first three months in the Kyrgyz Republic, Bedford lived with a host family to learn the language and integrate into the local culture. Bedford found that language is his largest challenge. "I’m sure that language will be challenge for the duration of my service," he says, "but I’m always working on it, and it gets better every day."

After the introductory period, he was sworn into service and began his community work, which he’ll be doing for two years. He is now a health extension volunteer, living and working in the community to raise awareness about the need for health education. Along with community leaders and peer educators, Bedford teaches families and youth about basic nutrition and sanitation, prevention of noncommunicable diseases, reproductive health, and prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Peace Corps Goals

Bedford hopes to accomplish the Peace Corps’ three goals while overseas:

1)    To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2)    To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3)    To promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

He wants to be a part of helping communities recognize their own ability to maintain and develop water distribution infrastructure, much of which has been largely neglected since the republic’s independence from the Soviet Union.

"The Kyrgyz people are extremely capable, and I’m certain that with the right resources and technical knowledge, there is no positive change that they can’t make," says Bedford.

He also wants to show that as an American he really isn’t all that different from them, and he wants to share with his friends and family back home that the people in the Kyrgyz Republic are similar to them too.

"The most rewarding moments are those spent connecting with the people in my community," Bedford says. "It’s quite a thing to find common ground with someone whose background -- culturally, geographically, linguistically -- is so radically different from my own and then to build a friendship upon it."

After the Peace Corps, Bedford hopes to work on small-scale civil projects in little towns and help create real, tangible, positive change in those communities.

* Editor's Note: Click here to learn more about Michigan Tech's Peace Corps Master's International Programs.