UPDATED: Join nonpartisan Vigil for Democracy Nov. 1 in Houghton

This is a non-partisan Democracy event. No signs for any candidate, party, or partisan political issue permitted. Signs encouraging people to vote and reminding all that every vote must count are welcome! Meet at 5:15 p.m. (EST) Sunday, Nov. 1, in parking lot of Grace United Methodist Church, 201 Isle Royale Street, Houghton.

HOUGHTON -- A peaceful, short, nonpartisan, socially distanced "Every Vote Counts" Vigil for Democracy will be held at 5:15 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, November 1, in downtown Houghton, for those who are worried about a contested election. Come out to send the message that no matter who you vote for, each person's vote must count.

Meeting location is the parking lot of Grace United Methodist Church, 201 Isle Royale Street, Houghton. Gather at 5:15 p.m. Speeches at the Courthouse begin at 5:40 p.m. Those who prefer not to walk can meet at the Courthouse. See event map here. The vigil will end around 6 p.m. after brief remarks at the Houghton County Courthouse. Your participation is requested to show our local leaders that Every Vote Counts! Come out to be in community and to kick off election week on the right note.

Wear bright, reflective clothing or reflective tape; bring a headlamp, flashlight, or LED candle. Signs related to the message of the event are encouraged. (Please, no signs about candidates or parties.) Mask wearing and social distancing of 6 feet between households will be strictly required. We encourage those who consider themselves at high risk of COVID or who live with high-risk individuals to stay home. 

UPDATE: For those who cannot join the vigil in person Sunday, light a candle at 5:15 p.m. (EST) and join a livestream of the courthouse remarks at 5:40 p.m. at this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87003661494

You may call into the event on telephone if you are unable to connect via computer or the Zoom app:
US: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923
Webinar ID: 870 0366 1494 

More details on Facebook at: https://fb.me/e/fLkP1U90F

Webinar on "Keeping Disagreement Civil" to offer community conversation Oct. 27

Keweenaw Faiths United, along with Cooperative Campus Ministries, will host the webinar "Keeping Disagreement Civil," on talking with neighbors when we disagree, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Logo courtesy Keweenaw Faiths United)*

HOUGHTON -- As a community we disagree on matters of public interest. Stating our opinions and listening to the opinions of others are essential practices in a healthy community. As we all know, right now there are unhealthy conflicts in communities across the country. The Copper Country has wonderful examples of our community working together for the benefit of all. In the coming weeks, how will we keep our disagreements civil? Let's start by talking with one another.

Join this online community conversation webinar at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, as local law enforcement, clergy and lay leaders start the discussion on Keeping Our Disagreements Civil.

Panelists include Sheriff Brian McLean, Houghton County Sheriff; Chief Wayne Butler, Hancock Police Department; Chief John Donnelly, Houghton Police Department; Chief Brian Cadwell, Michigan Tech University Police Department; Sergeant Matt Djerf, Michigan State Police; and leaders of local faith communities.

Use this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NT0kliGERVC5VsNNWmKujA

* To learn more about Keweenaw Faiths United, visit their Web site or their Facebook page.

Rozsa Center to livestream Jazz in New Formations Oct. 23-24

The Rozsa Center will livestream Jazz in New Formations at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, October 23-24. (Poster courtesy Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts) 

The reality is that all music has been happening in "new formations" lately. Musicians all over the world are collaborating remotely, making videos and recordings with musicians they might not have otherwise worked with, in groups they might not have otherwise played with. Michigan Tech jazz students can relate. After a concert recorded remotely spring of 2019, these musicians wanted to find a way to rehearse and perform in person. Slit masks for mouthpiece access and bell covers that boast "MTU Jazz" have allowed them that opportunity.

More importantly, each big band was split into multiple bands to form smaller sized groups. This has offered the opportunity to explore the fun, danceable, and singable New Orleans brass band styles both past and present, as well as octet music composed by tenor saxophonist Benny Golson for his friend Dizzy Gillespie in 1957.

MTU's premier jazz ensemble, the Jazz Lab Band, will perform Miles Davis' iconic Birth Of The Cool album, originally written for 9 musicians. The performance will feature every member of the Lab Band rotating in and out of the line-up. The concert will happen live and in real time both nights of the Rozsa's usually close and cozy backstage jazz concert series. 

One thing that quarantine has made clear is that musicians need an audience. The show will be broadcast live, and it will have the energy of a live performance without having an in-person audience. The Rozsa Center invites you to join via live stream.

Stream on the Rozsa event page by clicking on the "View/Stream" button, or for a more interactive experience, visit the Rozsa facebook page and look for the Jazz in New Formations livestream.

Virtual Informational Session and Public Hearing on permit for L'Anse Warden Electric Company is Oct. 21; comment deadline extended to Nov. 4

This aerial photo shows the location of the L'Anse Warden Electric Company Generating Station in L'Anse, Michigan. The photo is taken from the Fugitive Emissions Control Plan for the facility. In the upper left, the location of the photo is shown in relation to Keweenaw Bay, where the town of L'Anse is located.

L'ANSE, Mich. --  The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Air Quality Division (AQD) will hold a Virtual Information Session and Public Hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, for the draft renewal of a Renewable Operating Permit (ROP) for the operation of the L'Anse Warden Electric Company, LLC, L'Anse. The ROP is for  the operation of a solid fuel, 324 million BTU per hour boiler to produce steam and to power an electrical generator. The generator is rated at 22.0 megawatts. The boiler has the capability of burning tire-derived fuel (TDF), railroad ties, wood chips, wood fines and bark, and natural gas.

This photo shows the location of the Fuel Aggregation Facility in relation to the Generating Station of the L'Anse Warden plant. See the Fugitive Emissions Control Plan for the facility.  

The boiler is controlled by a multicyclone followed by a three (series) section electrostatic precipitator. The draft permit is intended to simplify and clarify the facility’s applicable requirements and will not result in any air emission changes at the stationary source. The ROP public notice documents can be viewed on the AQD web page at: http://www.michigan.gov/air. Choose the "Permits" Tab, then "ROP Public Notice Documents." The responsible official of the stationary source is John Polkky, 157 South Main Street, L'Anse, Michigan 49946.

You may attend the meeting by going to https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o5K7BBTfSb-J8JBCNfis1w or you may join by phone at 213-787-0529 and use access code 881478#. Contact: Ed Lancaster, Air Quality Division, LancasterE1@Michigan.gov or 906-250-5124.

The public comment period has been extended to Nov. 4, 2020. Written comments on the draft ROP are to be submitted to Ed Lancaster, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Air Quality Division, Marquette District Office, 1504 West Washington Street, Marquette, Michigan 49855, or via e-mail to LancasterE1@Michigan.gov

Editor's Note: For background on the controversy surrounding the air pollution from this plant in the past search Keweenaw Now in the upper left corner of this page with the keyword "L'Anse Warden" for previous articles.

Ancient underwater tribal cultural site discovered in Mackinac Straits near Line 5

Jiimaan (Anishinaabek canoe) and trolling motor. (Photo © and courtesy Philip Hutchinson)

 

MACKINAW CITY -- On June 25, Judge James Jamo struck fear into the hearts of many in Michigan when he stated that the State of Michigan’s ability to fulfill its "duty to protect public trust lands" was compromised "as a result of (Enbridge’s) failures." The harsh reality of this statement inspired a small group of women to answer the call to protect water and land. Their discoveries may fundamentally shift what's allowable for Line 5 moving forward -- or at least that's the hope.

 

One of the most significant ancient underwater archaeological sites in the Great Lakes may have been discovered in the Straits of Mackinac just a short paddle west of Enbridge Line 5.
On September 23, 2020, a small crew headed onto the Straits of Mackinac in fog so thick they couldn’t see the Mackinac Bridge. Using a remote operated vehicle (ROV), the team explored an area just west of Line 5. Their video captured at least one submerged cultural site. This stone circle is consistent with other underwater and terrestrial finds near Grand Traverse Bay, the Alpena-Amberley Ridge in Lake Huron and on Beaver Island.

 

Potential cultural site observed with side-scan sonar in late summer 2020. Note circle of stones that may have been placed in this arrangement about 10,000 years ago, near the end of the Ice Age, when the area would have been above water. (Photo courtesy Terri Wilkerson)

 

If these other cultural sites are so well known, why hasn’t a full archaeological survey been done on the bottomlands of the Straits of Mackinac? Given the imminent danger Line 5 represents, water protectors call for the immediate halt to all oil flowing through Michigan and a complete archeological survey of the lakebed in the Straits.

 

Sovereignty enacted

 

Most of the individuals in this determined team of water protectors are Michigan tribal citizens. Investigating our ancient cultural sites is an enactment of our inherent sovereignty as indigenous peoples, as well as our reserved treaty rights. The treaties dispossessed us of most of our lands -- but not our rights, which were explicitly reserved in the treaties by our chiefs.

Despite their sovereign, treaty-protected rights, tribes have rarely been consulted or involved with decisions that impact their waters and historic territory. Consequently, tribes are increasingly turning to legal action to protect their rights and the environment in general. Tribal citizens are also engaging with environmental groups, Michigan citizens, and legislators alarmed by the growing threats to our natural resources.

In the June hearings regarding the latest damage to Line 5, Judge Jamo repeatedly asked why there hasn’t been an independent look at Line 5 and said he "clearly felt I did not have credible, reliable information." So, water advocate Terri Wilkerson started building support to gather just that. In September, Wilkerson hired a survey boat in preparation for getting an independent look at Line 5. While investigating the Straits bottomlands, the vessel’s side-scan sonar inadvertently revealed a potential  site.

 

Terri Wilkerson during the Sept. 23, 2020, exploration. (Photo © and courtesy Terri Wilkerson)

 

Three of this core group of female water protectors are tribal citizens -- Andrea Pierce and Robin Lees, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBBOI), and Kelly Willis of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. In Anishinaabe culture, women protect the waters. These women are not representing their tribes in any official capacity but are advocating as women empowered under ancient tribal protocols.

 

Wilkerson is a Pinckney resident -- mostly retired after 30 years as a real estate broker to focus on water advocacy, social justice, and making democracy work for everyone by helping to start a League of Women Voters chapter in Livingston County where she lives.

 

Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) on Jiimaan canoe. (Photo © and courtesy Adam Zwickle)

The ROV and sonar findings seem to show that Line 5 runs through precious, ancient cultural sites. Findings are now being reviewed by an underwater archeologist. Though these sites are now underwater, approximately 9,000 years ago the Great Lakes water levels were much lower, and evidence of human habitation encircles the northern tip of the Michigan mitt.

Circles. (Photo © and courtesy Fred Harrington, Jr.)

Jiimaan canoe

When side-scan sonar revealed the potential cultural site, the female water protectors reached out to Fred Harrington, Jr. Harrington is a Navy veteran, LTBBOI tribal councilman and citizen, and professor emeritus. He offered to use a community canoe named Jiimaan, which means "they are kissing" in the language of the Anishinaabek (Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi).

 

Fred Harrington on Sept. 23, 2020, a foggy day of cultural site exploration. (Photo © and courtesy Terri Wilkerson)

 

Paddlers "practicing" with the ROV and the Jiinaan. (Photo courtesy Terri Wilkerson)

This wooden watercraft was built in 1999 as an act of cultural sovereignty by members of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians community in the Petoskey area. It has been used for activism, youth education, and community paddles ever since.

A Jiimaan (tribal canoe) participates in the Sept. 3, 2016, Pipe Out Paddle protest against Line 5 near the Mackinac Bridge. (Keweenaw Now file photo © and courtesy Miguel Levy)

Scott Wyzlic, a Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians tribal citizen, assisted with towing and surveillance from his 21-foot fishing vessel, Inchworm. Scott’s Anishinaabe name is Ossokeh Ahninii.

Water protectors secured a letter of support from Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians for their efforts to get an independent look at Line 5.

Grave concerns about Line 5

Line 5 is a 67-year-old, anchor damaged, deteriorating pipeline that originates in Canada. As it takes a 645-mile shortcut through Michigan before returning to Canada with about 95 percent of the nearly 23 million gallons of oil it carries, Line 5 passes through more than 23 counties and over 400 Michigan waterways. However, the area where Line 5 crosses in the Straits of Mackinac is the most vulnerable to an oil spill. Here, for about 4.5 miles, Line 5 becomes two 20-inch oil pipelines which run under the water just west of the Mackinac Bridge.

This is the "worst place in the Great Lakes for an oil spill," according to Dr. Dave Schwab, research scientist at the University of Michigan Water Center, who has been studying water and currents for decades.

Even a small spill would likely impact 37 miles of shoreline. A large one could impact 722 miles of shoreline. This comparison shows 3 different spill scenarios and the ping pong nature of how water acts in the Straits. The Great Lakes supply the water to over 40 million people and are the backbone of Michigan’s tourist economy.

A contractor for the Coast Guard estimates that a clean-up of 30 percent of an oil spill here would be the best case scenario. This assumes there is daylight and waves of less than three feet, and no  ice as they are not fully prepared to handle an open water spill when the Straits are iced-over.

As Lester Graham of Michigan Radio recently reported, "Even if you shut the valves on either side, there’s close to 388,000 gallons of oil in each pipeline (of the 2 sections of Line 5 in the Straits). If both pipelines were damaged, you could see an oil spill nearly as big as the Enbridge Line 6B spill in the Kalamazoo River ten years ago. It was one of the biggest inland oil spills in the country."

Enbridge, Inc. is the Canadian Company that operates Line 5 because of an easement granted by the State of Michigan in 1953. The 12 Federally recognized Tribes of Michigan were never consulted nor did they give permission for the granting of this easement. Enbridge is responsible for the top two largest inland oil spills in the United States -- Line 3 which broke in 1991 near Grand Rapids, Minn., spilling over 1.7 million gallons of oil, and Line 6B that broke and contaminated the Kalamazoo River watershed in 2010 with over a million gallons of oil per the EPA. The Michigan spill spoiled 35 miles of river and shore badly enough that they were closed for two years. State and federal documents show that Enbridge has been in violation of the easement rules for years. On June 19, 2020, Enbridge was ordered to pay $6.7 million in fines for violating federal court order on pipeline safety. Enbridge has shown itself not to be trustworthy of protecting the Great Lakes.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has called for the shutdown of Line 5. She has also commented on the UP Energy Task Force report on alternatives to Line 5 for supplying propane to the UP.

Shutting Line 5 down is in Michigan’s best interest. Governor Whitmer campaigned on shutting down Line 5 but has yet to revoke the easement that allows its continued operation.

Comment period on Enbridge tunnel permits ends Oct. 19

Enbridge hopes to replace Line 5 with a tunnel to include a new pipeline under the bottomland of the Straits. Recently the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) held information meetings and public hearings on Enbridge's permit applications for their tunnel project, which would mean 5 to 10 years of tunnel construction while leaving the ageing Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinac.

A recent message from Andrea Pierce, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians citizen, asked Native and non-Native water protectors to oppose these permit applications -- under Part 303, Wetlands Protection; and Part 325, Great Lakes Submerged Lands, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended and the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit application -- by submitting public comments to EGLE by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, Oct. 19.

"We are asking that everyone contact EGLE, MPSC, your senator, congress representative and house representative to make a public comment asking to stop the Line 5 tunnel," Pierce writes. "Please CC: mpscedockets@michigan.gov   cc: governorsoffice@michigan.gov  and YOUR State Reps."

To submit comments on the these permit applications click here: https://www.michigan.gov/line5/0,9833,7-413-102021-537357--,00.html

Comments can also be sent by email to EGLE-Enbridge-Comments@Michigan.gov

NOTE: The recordings of EGLE online informational sessions and public hearings on the Line 5 tunnel application between Sept 8 and Oct 8 are now accessible on the EGLE Line 5 information page: https://www.michigan.gov/line5/ 

Inset photo: Andrea Pierce. (Photo © Steve Gutt and courtesy Andrea Pierce)

Houghton County Dems: Kasieta should suspend campaign after participation in phone harassment against County Clerk Kelly

[Editor's Note: This is the Houghton County Democratic Party's response to the facts that have emerged recently concerning the March 6, 2020, phone call received by Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk and Register of Deeds, who is running for re-election -- as reported by Kelly in the guest article we published yesterday, Oct. 15. It has been confirmed that Kelly's Republican opponent on the Nov. 3 ballot, Justin Kasieta, who at the time was the constituent representative for State Representative Greg Markkanen, was on this threatening call traced to Matthew Smith of Genesee County. Confirmation was made by statements Kasieta made to the Houghton County Sheriff's office as well as a statement released by his attorney.]

From Houghton County Democratic Party:

HOUGHTON -- Elected officials, their staff, and those who seek to become elected officials, must be held to the highest ethical and legal standards. No reasonable and decent person would think a 1 a.m. phone call implying harm to someone's pets is within any bounds of morality or law. Issuing threats to one's opponent in an election goes against the fundamental principle of peaceful elections. A nation committed to those principles cannot reward such behavior by electing to office anyone who does such things.

Because of his actions, calls for Mr. Kasieta to withdraw from the race are coming from all sides, including The Daily Mining Gazette. As people committed to fair and free elections, the Houghton County Democratic Party joins our voice to the rest of our community in calling on Justin Kasieta to do the right thing and suspend his campaign.

Jennifer Kelly has served Houghton County in various capacities for 20 years. While these events have already been discussed at meetings of the County Board of Commissioners, we call on the Board to formalize its responsibility to stand by their colleague and issue a call for Mr. Kasieta to withdraw from his race.

We also call on Representative Markkanen to reaffirm these principles of democracy by condemning the actions of his staffer. To remain quiet in the face of such a perversion of ethics is to be complicit. Unless Mr. Kasieta has kept all of these events from his employer since March -- an act which itself would be disqualifying for continued employment -- Rep. Markkanen has known about this situation for months and has said nothing as long as it was possible to remain silent. But now the facts have emerged.

As his constituents, we have a right to know: did Rep. Markkanen know about these events and continue employing Justin Kasieta while he ran against the county clerk he participated in threatening? Does Rep. Markkanen approve of his subordinate's actions? If not, let him say so, loudly and clearly. We call on him to make a firm statement repudiating any attempt to threaten a candidate's political opponents, and to immediately suspend Mr. Kasieta from any office of trust he might hold in Michigan's state government, pending the resolution of this investigation.

Also alleged to be on this call was Jake Putala, district representative for State Sen. Ed McBroom. We also call on Sen. McBroom to issue the same condemnation of any kind of harassment, and if additional information comes to light confirming Mr. Putala's involvement, for him to suspend Mr. Putala pending the outcome of the investigation.

Guest article: Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk/Register of Deeds tells her story

Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk/Register of Deeds. (Photo courtesy Committee to Elect Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk/Register of Deeds)

[Editor's Note: Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk and Register of Deeds, who has held this office for the past six years and worked for Houghton County for 20 years, is running for re-election as a Democrat. In March 2020 Kelly was the victim of a threatening phone call involving her Republican opponent, Justin Kasieta. Kelly was asked to keep silent about the incident for months during a county and law enforcement investigation. The story became public this week, and we are publishing, with permission, Jennifer Kelly's own account of the incident.]

By Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk/Register of Deeds
Published with permission

There has been a lot of talk about bullies lately, and in this election season, there are no shortage of them. As Midwesterners, we have been taught to treat people with respect, even when we disagree with our neighbors. We were taught that democracy involves differences of opinion and that thoughtful debate is the way through. As your County Clerk in Houghton County, I want to assure you that I will always fight bullies and I will always stand up for what is right -- especially after what has happened to me here in Houghton County one night, my home of 49 years.

On March 6th [2020] at 1:01 a.m., I received a phone call that would cement my commitment against bullies. "I am calling from TV 6 News, to film your home," said a voice I will never forget. Doubting very much that TV 6 would call me at 1:01 a.m., I asked who the caller was. "It is TLC Hoarders, Bitch." I am paraphrasing, but he went on to tell me that he has seen the inside of my home. I was shocked. Like many women who are threatened, I froze. Then he said, "I am going to make sure you are never re-elected you f_____g bitch." I panicked for a minute, but then I found my strength and told him I was going to hang up. Before I hung up he threatened to both "poison and kill my dogs and throw them in a dumpster."

I ran to my garage and to each door and locked it, made sure my father was safe and called the sheriff. I shut all my curtains and stood guard over my home and father until dawn. The sheriff called for a trooper to come to my house, but none came. The telephone company was able to retrieve the telephone number and the sheriff of this town was vigilant and traced the call to Matt Smith, in Genesee County, MI.* The detective researched Facebook and revealed that Matt Smith and Justin Kasieta were connected. The police report from Houghton County has Justin Kasieta’s confession of being on the call that night: The report says that Kasieta "was on a three-way call and listened to Smith call Kelly."

I was asked by police to identify the voice and it was the voice of Matt Smith -- a voice I will never forget for its evil intent. But what cemented Smith’s involvement was the fact that when the detective called Smith, he used the same phone number as was used to call me when he returned the call -- the same one traced in the call.

Detective Saaranen told me that Justin confessed and was willing to put together an agreement in order to keep his job with Representative Greg Markkanen.* At this point Justin retained an attorney, who proposed an agreement that he would confess to the crime and that he would withdraw from running in return for not pressing charges. This agreement was to be a written confession. But I never saw the agreement, and even though I have not seen it, it is more important for the truth about Justin to come out.

While the county investigated these two, I was asked to keep quiet while the county and state police investigated. Just yesterday, I was told I could share my story publicly.

But the story goes from two to three. Detective Saaranen reported to me that Justin was on the phone that very evening. The detective was the first one to confirm that Jake Puhtala, who works for Michigan State Senator McBroom*, was also on the call. It broke my heart to learn this, as I have known Jake and his family for years. This was not discovered until the Michigan State Police investigated further telephone records.

Kasieta’s confession is in the report. John Gleason, Genesee County Clerk, has seen Matt Smith’s confession as well.

"You’ve been had," Gleason said, of the many who are trying to cover up these bad deeds.

My case now sits on the desk of Attorney General Dana Nessel. I hope we can bring these three to justice -- for their own good and for our community. After seven long months I hope these individuals will be held accountable according to Michigan law.

Evil deeds should not go unpunished. Bullies should face prosecution -- because no election is worth our integrity. I remember when we all stood up for what we knew was right instead of blindly taking sides. We need to get back to that. Every Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and others deserve to live in a safe society. I will fight for that safety and integrity as long as I can.

There are heroes, too. County Clerk John Gleason is one. There are many others.

Editor's Notes:

* Matt Smith is a member of the Davison School Board and a candidate for the Genesee County Board of Commissioners.
Greg Markkanen is Michigan 110th District State Representative, who is running for re-election as a Republican. State Senator McBroom is a Republican representing Michigan's 38th Senate District.

Click here to see an interview with Jennifer Kelly by the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country. To learn more about Jennifer Kelly and her campaign, visit her Web site or her Facebook page. Some of Jennifer Kelly's achievements in her six years as Houghton County Clerk are the following:

•  Saved the County over $250,000 in the last 3 years by implementing free software upgrades in both offices and e-recording of documents in the Register of Deeds office.
• Implemented a free Veterans Program to thank our veterans by recruiting businesses to give free products and services to our veterans who have filed their DD214 discharge papers.
• Implemented a free Property Fraud Alert Program to protect Houghton County property owners.
• Trained 200 election inspectors each election year and ensured secure, lawful elections.

People of the Heart Water Walk, Oct. 10-12, to include distance participation in honoring water resources

This year People of the Heart Water Walkers will walk 90 miles on behalf of life's most precious resource, nibi (water), from the Sandpoint Lighthouse in Baraga to the Copper Harbor Lighthouse Oct. 10, 11 and 12. (Image © Isaac Murdoch and courtesy People of the Heart Water Walk)

BARAGA, Mich. -- The People of the Heart Water Walkers will host its second annual Water Walk to honor water resources from Saturday, Oct 10, to Monday, Oct. 12 -- Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Water Walkers will walk nearly 90 miles through the Keweenaw Peninsula along Gichigami. The route this year will be reversed from the previous year, beginning at Sandpoint Lighthouse in Baraga and concluding at the Copper Harbor Lighthouse at Astor Shipwreck Park, Copper Harbor.

On the first day of the 2019 People of the Heart Water Walk from Copper Harbor to Baraga, Laura Smyth of Calumet makes an offering to the water at Jacob's Falls, near Eagle River, Mich. (File photo © and courtesy Charli Mills)

This year, because of the rise in COVID cases in the region, distance participation is encouraged. A core group of walkers will undertake the main route. Others interested in doing this work for water may share their personal Water Walk experiences virtually through the group's Facebook page @peopleoftheheart or through Google sites at https://sites.google.com/view/people-of-the-heart-water-walk.

The Water Walk is conducted through Anishinaabe ceremonial protocol with traditional understanding of the natural environment. Anishinaabekweg from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) willl assist in the walk. In this walk, women lead the ceremony carrying a copper vessel filled with nibi, the Anishinaabe word for water. The water continually moves through the 1842 ceded territory throughout the day beginning at sunrise and into the afternoon. An eagle staff is carried beside them as protector.

The conclusion of the three-day event coincides with Indigenous Peoples' Day. This annual day of celebration -- which falls on Monday, October 12 -- honors the peoples, histories and cultures of Indigenous populations across the Americas.

Sponsors of the Walk include the Indigenous Peoples' Day Campaign of Upper Michigan, the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR), the Copper Harbor Improvement Association, and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

People of the Heart Water Walkers join those of all colors, faiths and philosophies to work together for life's most precious resource: nibi.

UP Energy Task Force to meet online Oct. 7

The Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force has scheduled its next online meeting for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, to discuss energy options in the U.P. and begin to formulate possible recommendations for its report.

Sarah Banas Mills, senior project manager at the Graham Sustainability Institute and lecturer at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, will discuss attitudes about energy in the Upper Peninsula and renewable energy options for the region. Following the presentation, there will be time allotted for public comments.

The meeting begins at 1 p.m. via the Microsoft Teams online platform. Registration is not necessary to attend. To participate, go to Michigan.gov/UPEnergyTaskForce and click on the meeting’s Teams link. Those who are only able to join by telephone can dial 248-509-0316 and use the conference ID 867 579 60 #.

Members of the public who wish to speak at the meeting are asked to send an email to EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov with "Request for Public Comment During October Meeting" in the subject line and your name. Members of the public who attend the meeting but who did not submit their names ahead of time will be allowed to comment. Each speaker will have a three-minute time limit.

Comments regarding the work of the UP Energy Task Force can be submitted to EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov.

The U.P. Energy Task Force must submit its report on overall U.P. energy issues and alternatives to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by March 31, 2021. In April, the Task Force sent to the Governor its recommendations on propane availability in the U.P. 

The Governor has asked the U.P. Energy Task Force to formulate alternative solutions for meeting the region’s energy needs -- with a focus on security, reliability, affordability and environmental soundness. The Executive Order also asked the Task Force to identify and evaluate potential changes to energy supply and distribution in the U.P., the impacts of such changes, and alternatives for meeting the area’s energy needs due to such changes.
 
Wednesday’s meeting is being held in accordance with Gov. Whitmer’s and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations designed to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Governor Whitmer releases Video urging masks, social distancing to keep schools, businesses open and protect workers; Western UP Health Dept. urges same COVID-19 mitigation strategies

LANSING -- Today, Monday, Oct. 5, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released a video on social media urging Michiganders, the legislature, the president, and Congress to do their part to protect families, frontline workers, and small businesses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also today, the Western UP Health Department issued a statement in response to the recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling against the Governor's executive orders, urging residents to be consistent in keeping core COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place while guidance that is more specific is developed.

"For the past seven months, I’ve been making the tough decisions that took us from the state with the 3rd highest cases of COVID-19 per million in March and April, to the 33rd highest in September. We have one of the best economic recoveries in the nation too. Studies concluded we saved thousands of lives," said Governor Whitmer. "But after the Republican Legislature sued to take away my executive authority, this past Friday the Michigan Supreme Court struck down the statute under which I issued executive orders to save lives and protect Michigan families, frontline workers, and small businesses.  

"As a result of the Court and the legislature’s action, our COVID-19 cases will very likely go up. There will be uncertainty, disruption, and possibly greater risk to our economy, more people quarantined, and more deaths.  

"The ruling does not mean that the orders I issued violated the law. Although I disagree with the conclusion, the Court held the law is unconstitutional, meaning the legislature did not have power to pass the law in 1945. In fact, the Court made clear that I interpreted the 1945 law correctly. And the ruling does not mean all of the protections we have put in place will go away. I have additional powers that I will use to protect our families from the spread of this virus."

Today, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon issued an Emergency Order under MCL 333.2253 restricting gathering sizes and requiring face coverings in public spaces. Under MCL 333.2253, if the MDHHS director determines that control of an epidemic is necessary to protect the public health, the director by emergency order may prohibit the gathering of people for any purpose and may establish procedures to be followed during the epidemic to insure continuation of essential public health services and enforcement of health laws.

"The CDC and public health experts agree that wearing masks and practicing safe physical distancing are crucial to slow the spread of the virus, protect our frontline workers, and keep our schools and small businesses open," said Governor Whitmer. "Michiganders, here’s what we need you to do: please take this virus seriously by wearing a mask when you go out, washing hands, and maintaining six feet of physical distance. Get a flu shot. Taking this action is essential to keeping our small businesses and schools open. COVID 19 didn’t stop being a threat because the court ruling, or because we’ve tired of it, or because the legislature left town.

"Let us not squander the sacrifice we have made to get to this point. We all have to do our part. You can protect the brave men and women on the front lines who are working every day to keep us safe. The health care workers and first responders, grocery store employees, child care workers, and all of the people who have been putting their lives on the line since day one."

Western UP Health Department responds to Supreme Court ruling 

The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department (WUPHD) has received a number of questions as to how the Court decision will affect any local organization or community plans and protocols. At this time, the WUPHD stresses the importance of consistency and keeping core COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place while guidance that is more specific is developed. At a minimum, these strategies include proper mask use, social distancing, frequent handwashing, and staying home if you are sick. The WUPHD will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available.

"COVID-19 is currently hitting communities hard here in the Western Upper Peninsula," said Kate Beer, Health Officer at WUPHD. "These outbreaks are affecting our elderly, our most vulnerable, and our educational and healthcare systems. WUPHD remains confident that our community will continue to practice basic public health protocols and help keep each other safe."

Statement from Governor Whitmer on Michigan Supreme Court ruling on emergency powers

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. (Photo courtesy michigan.gov)

LANSING -- On Friday, October 2, 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court conservative majority ruled 4-3 that Governor Gretchen Whitmer's executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are illegal without consent from the Legislature.* The Governor's orders remain in effect for at least 21 days; thereafter, many public health and other rules will continue under alternative authorities. This is the Governor's response to the ruling:

"Since the beginning of this crisis, I have done everything in my power to protect our seniors, small businesses, and first responders from the worst public health emergency in over a century. Thanks to the hard work of millions of Michiganders who sacrificed and did the right thing, we have saved thousands of lives and laid the foundation for a strong economic recovery. But COVID-19 still poses a clear and present danger to the people of Michigan, our economy, and our way of life.

"This virus has now killed more Michiganders than World War I. It is a novel virus for which there is no cure, and which has infected the President of the United States, members of the United States Congress, and Legislators across our state. This virus continues to take the lives of Americans every single day, and without a cure or approved vaccine, that will continue for the foreseeable future.

"Today’s [Oct. 2] Supreme Court ruling, handed down by a narrow majority of Republican justices, is deeply disappointing, and I vehemently disagree with the court’s interpretation of the Michigan Constitution. Right now, every state and the federal government have some form of declared emergency. With this decision, Michigan will become the sole outlier at a time when the Upper Peninsula is experiencing rates of COVID infection not seen in our state since April.

"It is important to note that this ruling does not take effect for at least 21 days, and until then, my emergency declaration and orders retain the force of law. Furthermore, after 21 days, many of the responsive measures I have put in place to control the spread of the virus will continue under alternative sources of authority that were not at issue in today’s ruling.

"I know this is hard. We all want this crisis to be over, and we all want life to return to as soon as possible. But the only way we will get through this is by pulling together as Americans and working as one nation to defeat this virus. That means wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, and maintaining six feet of physical distancing. Michiganders have grit, and there is no challenge we can’t meet.

"I want the people of Michigan to know that no matter what happens, I will never stop fighting to keep you and your families safe from this deadly virus."

* See this Oct. 2, 2020, Bridge Michigan article: "Michigan Supreme Court rules Whitmer lacks COVID-19 emergency powers."

After surge in COVID-19 cases, Governor Whitmer moves Upper Peninsula to Phase 4 of MI Safe Start Plan to Protect Families, Save Lives

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. (Photo courtesy michigan.gov)

LANSING -- After a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the Upper Peninsula, or MERC Region 8, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-192 moving the region back to phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan. The executive order will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, October 9, although given the surge in cases everyone should make this transition as swiftly as possible. The move to Phase 4 will require people who can perform work remotely to do so, require schools to enforce mask requirements with limited exceptions, and place limits on social gatherings and stores that match those in place in most of the state, among other changes.

"After seeing the increase in cases in the U.P. region over the past several weeks and consulting with medical experts, I have decided to take action to protect U.P. families and move the region back a phase. I know this is hard. I know it will be an adjustment. But we can’t let our guard down," said Governor Whitmer. "COVID-19 is still a very real threat to our families, frontline workers, and small businesses. Everyone should implement these changes as swiftly as possible. This virus doesn't care if you're rich or poor, a Republican or a Democrat, young or old. No one is immune. Right now the most effective weapon we have is pretty simple: it's wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth. It's washing your hands with soap and water. And maintaining six feet of physical distance from one another. Let’s all be smart and stay safe."

Although the Upper Peninsula had very low numbers from March through most of June, the region’s numbers began rising in late June, persisted at an elevated level through mid-September, and then began sharply increasing at that time, giving it right now the most concerning numbers in the state. The most recent case rate, adjusting for lag, has the region with 283 absolute cases per million and 5.1 percent positivity.*

"The governor is taking necessary action today to protect families, frontline workers, and vulnerable populations in the U.P. region," said Chief Medical Executive and MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun. "We will continue to monitor the spread and work together to fight this virus. With the 2020-2021 flu season fast approaching, we must also stay laser-focused on protecting ourselves and our loved ones. Get your flu vaccine, wear a mask, and maintain six feet of physical distancing. We will get through this together."

The governor’s order will implement the following changes in the Upper Peninsula:

• People who can perform their work remotely will be required to do so; 
• Social gatherings and organized events will be subject to the new Phase 4 limits in Executive Order 2020-183: indoor residential -- 10 people or less; indoor non-residential may allow more, depending on the size of the facility and subject to formulas in the order.
• Stores of less than 50,000 square feet must limit number of people in store, including employees, to 25 percent of total occupancy limits. Stores of 50,000 square feet or more must limit customers to no more than 20 people per 1,000 square feet of customer floor space, and allow 2 hours of week dedicating shopping time for vulnerable populations.
• Schools must require face coverings at certain times, including in the classroom, among other requirements.

"I along with other community members were given the opportunity to meet with governor Whitmer and share our challenges during this pandemic," said George Stockero, Copper Country ISD Superintendent. "Now, it’s on all of us to do our part to protect each other. Let’s get our numbers down by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing our hands frequently. Yoopers are tough, and we will beat this virus together."

*Editor's Note As of Oct. 1, 2020, Houghton County has 7.6 percent positivity. See Copper Country Strong update in our right-hand column.

Click here to view Executive Order 2020-192.

Hero City, Documentary Photography Exhibit, part of D80 Conference, opens in Rozsa Gallery

Ulaanbaatar, capital city of Mongolia, by Meghan Kirkwood. (Photo courtesy Michigan Technological University)

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech's Department of Visual and Performing Arts, the Rozsa Center, and Pavlis Honors College are excited to announce the fall gallery exhibition, Hero City: Documentary Photography by Meghan Kirkwood. The exhibit features a collection of silver gelatin and inkjet photographs of modern Mongolia.

The images capture the unique and storied history of Mongolia’s capital city, Ulaanbaatar, its transition through economic and cultural change -- and the rich and thriving culture that animates this young Asian nation. This exhibit is presented in collaboration with Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Honors College and the D80 Conference, where Kirkwood will give the keynote address.

The title, "Hero City," refers to the chosen name for this urban center before pressure from soviet activists led to its renaming, Ulaanbaatar (city of the Red Hero). Mongolia’s history is long and complex, and most recently marked by its transition from communism to democracy following the fall of the Soviet Union. This transition was guided by international agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Fund, but the nation’s swift entry into a market economy has brought many challenges for its citizens, in spite of optimism from outside economists who view the country as a "global growth generating" nation. Mongolia offers a prescient look at the disconnect between prescriptive policies and the cultural and political realities that limit their success. Kirkwood’s images seek to capture these tensions, and to draw attention to Mongolia’s vibrant culture. 

Photographer Meghan Kirkwood. (Photo courtesy Michigan Technological University)

Meghan Kirkwood is an Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Her photography has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and South Africa. She holds an MFA in Photography from Tulane University, and a PhD in Art History from the University of Kansas.* 

The exhibit opened Monday, Sept. 28, and continues through Saturday, Nov. 14. Works of art are also hung in several campus buildings and can be seen through a self-guided walking tour. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturdays 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. Walking tour hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Kirkwood will give her online D80 keynote address at noon on Friday, Oct. 2, and online gallery talk at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. Tour map, Zoom links, and more details to all related Hero City and D80 Conference events can be found on the Rozsa Center website here.

This program is partially funded/sponsored by the Visiting Professor Program which is funded by a grant to the Office of the Provost from the State of Michigan's King- Chavez-Parks Initiative.

* Learn more about Meghan Kirkwood and see some of her work on her Web site, meghankirkwood.com.

Local residents honor Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with vigil

By Michele Bourdieu
With photos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now

Local residents gather in Houghton on Sept. 20 for a vigil to honor Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away on Sept. 18, 2020. (Photos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- A group of local concerned residents gathered at the Miner's Statue Park in Houghton recently to honor the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG).

An admirer of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg displays her sign during the Sept. 20 candlelight vigil in Houghton.

It was a quiet candlelight vigil, disturbed at times by the noise of passing traffic. Nevertheless, Valorie Troesch, retired attorney and member of the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country (one of the event sponsors), thanked those who participated for their attendance and spoke about some of Justice Ginsburg's important accomplishments. 

"Right now, most of us are probably feeling a mixture of great sadness and also fear of what will happen next," Troesch said. "But tonight, I want to take a few minutes to dwell only on the remarkable life and career of Justice Ginsburg and how she made a difference for all of us. And I want you to hear her words rather than mine."

At the Miner's Statue Park in Houghton on Sept. 20, vigil participants listen to Valorie Troesch outline some of RBG's accomplishments.

Troesch pointed out that Ginsburg took on legal cases that would would contribute to achieving equality between men and women.

"Ginsburg argued that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution required equal treatment of men and women," Troesch noted. "And -- to make her point -- she argued that the 14th Amendment worked both ways for men and women. In 1971, she successfully briefed the case Reed v. Reed -- in which the US Supreme Court decided that an Idaho law saying that men must be preferred to women in appointing administrators for estates violated the equal protection clause. Then in 1972 she won another federal case that said bachelors -- men -- could not be prohibited from claiming a tax deduction for the care of aged parents, something that had been allowed only for women previously. The court cited the Reed case as the grounds for its decision. So you see, limited issues in these cases but they were building important precedents. That was the work of Ginsburg." 

In arguing gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court in the 1970s, Ginsburg won five out of six of them, Troesch said.

"In her first appearance before the court, she told the justices, 'I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.' Prophetic words in 2020," Troesch added.

Other highlights of RBG's life and legal work cited by Troesch include the following:

-- appointment to the US Court of Appeals by President Jimmy Carter in 1980;

-- nomination to the US Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993;

-- three Supreme Court cases in which RBG dissented with strong words.

Troesch noted one of RBG's dissents that has been quoted in the news accounts of her death last week: "In 2013, the Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act by deciding that voting issues based on race were no longer a problem and that states with histories of voter suppression would no longer be required to get federal approval before changing their election laws. Ginsburg wrote: '[t]hrowing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.'"

Troesch also expressed her own admiration of Ginsburg in this tribute: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the great jurists in our nation’s history. She was also an exceptional human being. She was able to do something many of us -- myself likely included -- could not do, and that was to be friends with the people with whom she had the most fundamental disagreements with on cardinal issues. She was best friends with Antonin Scalia, perhaps the justice most philosophically opposed to Ginsburg on the court. She wrote: 'Collegiality is crucial to the success of our mission. We could not do the job the Constitution assigns us if we didn’t -- to use one of Justice Scalia’s favorite expressions -- get over it.'"

Participants in the candlelight vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg gather with social distance at the Miner's Statue Park on Sept. 20, two days after the passing of RBG.

Participants in the vigil also shared their own thoughts and feelings about RBG with Keweenaw Now.

Hancock resident Miriam Pickens, who helped organize the vigil, said she was delighted at the turnout for this event honoring RBG.

"It was a quiet peaceful time to be present with others who also loved her and everything she represented. Her loss is a blow to democracy," Pickens said. "During these Covid-19 times, people are pretty stressed because when something terrible happens, especially on top of everything else, we can’t find comfort the way we human animals are meant to -- in the company of friends. It was really nice to be among the simpatico to mourn her loss. It was also important to take this time not to think about McConnell’s response but to purely focus on her legacy and her loss."

Paul Mitchell, lay minister, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, also commented on the vigil.

"I think this vigil was a chance for our whole community to pause amidst all the politics and the challenges of the pandemic to mourn the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg," Mitchell said.  "Her tenacity, wide ranging thought and eloquence in speaking her truth was spectacular. We were mourning her passing and celebrating her life. In the coming days I think she'll be our inspiration as we dive back into our social and political challenges."

Linda Belote and her husband, Jim Belote, of Hancock also attended the vigil.

"In spite of the pandemic, Jim and I had to attend this vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has single handedly done more to achieve equality for women in modern times than anyone else or any 2 other people together," Linda said. "The entire group was subdued and social distancing was really honored. I was  moved by the communal spirit that was present. Oh how I loved and will continue to love and admire the energy, intelligence and the spirit of Ruth B G!"

The participants attending the vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg wore masks or respected social distancing or both.  

Among the vigil participants was Elizabeth Flynn, co-director of the Elaine Bacon Literacy Program, who spoke of RBG's place in history as a hero.

"Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become an iconic hero, especially for women of all ages," Flynn noted. "She recognized dramatic changes in women’s position in society and supported legal action to reflect those changes. Such a loss. Her work will live on, though. Thinking of what she was able to accomplish gives me hope that others will follow her and lead out of these dark times."

In her talk to the group, Valorie Troesch added some words of inspiration for following RBG's example.

"Where do we go from here?" Troesch asked. "Joyce Vance, a law professor and former US Attorney, advises this: We should honor the life of RBG, American hero, by refusing to give in, refusing to back down, fighting for the civil rights of all people and demanding our leaders honor the rule of law. This is our fight now."

Inset photo: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Ballots for Nov. 3 General Election to reach Houghton County soon; State Voter Guide available

By Michele Bourdieu

Michigan census map showing Houghton County townships and cities of Houghton and Hancock. (Census map courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

HOUGHTON -- Voters in Houghton County wishing to vote early beginning September 24 will have to wait until their city or township clerks receive ballots that have been delayed because of some last-minute ballot changes by the State of Michigan.

Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly expects the ballots for the Nov. 3 election to arrive by tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 25. As soon as they arrive, Kelly said, she will make every effort to get the ballots to city and township clerks by tomorrow.

The clerks will mail absentee ballots to voters who have applied for them. These can be mailed back to the city or township clerk, but because of some mail delays experienced recently Kelly advises voters to hand-deliver their ballot or place it in the correct drop box.*

"I'm encouraging everybody to hand-deliver their absentee ballot to their clerk or put it in the drop box," Kelly told Keweenaw Now today. "If somebody wants to vote early in person, they will have to contact their township or city clerk to make arrangements."

If for some reason voters cannot reach their own clerk, Kelly is willing to have them bring the ballot to her office on the second floor of the Houghton County Courthouse, 401 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton, MI 49931. She will then arrange to get the ballot to their clerk. While township offices are now closed because of the COVID-19 epidemic, the two city offices have been open and township clerks are working.

From League of Women Voters:

Barry Elizabeth Fink, League of Women Voters of the Copper Country president, announced that the print copy of the State Voter Guide has arrived and is at the Portage Lake District Library.

"If you would like to help distribute copies to locations around the area, especially outside of Houghton-Hancock, please contact me barryfink@chartermi.net," Fink said in an email to voters.

The League of Women Voters nonpartisan Voter Guide for the Nov. 3 General Election can be viewed on-line here. It includes candidates' replies to questions on important issues.

"We hope to have the local Voter Guide available in early October," Fink added. "Visit www.vote411.org for information as candidate responses are received.

Members of the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country presented a Zoom meeting, "All About Mail-in Voting," including an informative presentation by Barry Fink and Valorie Troesch, on Sept. 22. If you missed this live presentation, it is now available on their Web site here. 

* Click here for the list of drop boxes in Houghton County. You must place your ballot in the correct box for your own city or township clerk.

Portage Lake District Library to host zoom meeting on Mail-in Voting Sept. 22, National Voter Registration Day

HOUGHTON - Portage Lake District Library will host speakers Valorie Troesch and Barry Fink from The League of Women Voters of the Copper Country in a zoom forum on mail-in voting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, National Voter Registration Day. Topics will include reasons you can have confidence in mail-in voting, advantages, and how-to information on obtaining and tracking your ballot.

Join this Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 885 7678 5816 Passcode:007036
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88576785816?pwd=bjlIdmV4Q3d5ZmtZZ1NqbmN6bWtaZz09

In addition, The League of Women Voters will be at the Portage Lake District Library from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to assist with voting and absentee ballot forms.

The League of Women Voters (LWV) encourages voters to utilize absentee ballots, which can be mailed EARLY or dropped off at your clerk’s designated drop box site, in order to stay safe during the pandemic. Voters should be aware that polling places have been exempted from the Governor’s mask order and poll workers are not required to wear masks. If you do go to the polls, wear a mask and use precautions.

The Web site VOTE411.org is working hard to make candidate responses and voter information available. Check it out.

LWV of the Copper Country is planning virtual candidate forums for the three candidates in the 110th District House race  and for the six candidates in the Houghton County Commissioners' Districts One, Two and Three. Candidate interviews for the two candidates for the Houghton County Clerk and four candidates in the Houghton County Sheriff race are also planned. Dates should be finalized soon.*

Michigan Tech, Finlandia hold Voter Registration Day events

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Houghton City Clerk Ann Vollrath will be on the Michigan Tech campus from noon to 3 p.m. at the Husky Statue helping students get registered and handing out absentee ballot requests. The hope is that students will check their registration status, make a voting plan, and get involved with enough time to fully participate in the November election.

Finlandia University is proud to be a National Voter Registration Day partner. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, FinnU will engage its community and register voters by hosting a voter registration table on Summit St. between Nikander and Wargelin. Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly will be on site to answer questions, and Finlandia faculty and staff will help FinnU community members register or check their registration. See details here.

*See the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country Web site for more info. If you would like to submit questions for the candidate events, please send them to tarynsmason@gmail.com, identifying which race you are submitting questions for, by Sept. 23, 2020. Click here for local Ballot Drop Box Locations.

Editor's Note:  Visit the Michigan Voter Information page if you need to know if you are registered to vote or if you need more information about voting in Michigan.

Gov. Whitmer orders flags lowered to honor Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

LANSING -- Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State Capitol Complex and upon all public buildings and grounds across the State of Michigan to be lowered to half-staff immediately on Friday, September 18, 2020, until interment, to honor the life and service of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away Friday.

"I am truly heartbroken at the news of Justice Ginsburg’s passing," Whitmer said. "Her intellect, her razor sharp wit, and her lifetime of service to our nation made her an inspiration to millions of Americans.

"I know there are a lot of women who are feeling worried right now about what this means for the future of our country. One thing I learned watching Justice Ginsburg’s fearless battles with cancer and injustice is that you never give up, and you never stop fighting for the values we hold dear as Americans. The best way to honor Justice Ginsburg’s memory is by making our voices heard at the ballot box this November. Register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and return it quickly. Let us turn our grief into action, let us choose hope over fear, and let us find the strength to build a stronger America for everyone."

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 15, 1933. She graduated from Cornell University before attending both Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School, where she ultimately completed her legal education. 
 
Before she was appointed to the bench, Ginsburg pioneered women’s rights working with the American Civil Liberties Union as founding counsel of the Women’s Rights Project. Her work with the ACLU led to the first U.S. Supreme Court decision in which a gender-based statute was struck down based on equal protection grounds.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.   

In 1993, Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton, becoming the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. While on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg was known for her active role in oral arguments and her powerful dissents.

Justice Ginsburg passed away on Friday, Sept. 18, at the age of 87 years old after battling metastatic pancreatic cancer.

The State of Michigan recognizes the duty, honor and selfless service of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by lowering flags to half-staff. Michigan residents, businesses, schools, local governments and other organizations also are encouraged to display the flag at half-staff.

To lower flags to half-staff, flags should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The process is reversed before the flag is lowered for the day. Flags should remain lowered until interment.

Senator Debbie Stabenow: Statement on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Friday night, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow released the following statement on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg:

"Tonight we have lost an incredible voice for justice. As a lawyer and professor, Justice Ginsburg broke barriers for women. As a Justice of the Supreme Court, she helped build a better nation for all Americans. Justice Ginsburg spent her lifetime working to protect our people and our democracy. We must honor her legacy by continuing her fight.

"My heart goes out to Justice Ginsburg’s family and friends. She truly was a national treasure."

Call for Actors: Auditions for "Miasma" to be Sept. 20, 21, 22 at Rozsa

HOUGHTON -- Auditions for Eric Samuelsen’s play Miasma, a story of enduring love’s struggle with selfish desire, will be held by appointment: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, on the Rozsa Stage; 7 - 10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, and Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Rozsa room 120 (Choir Room).

Please enter through the Rozsa Stage Door next to the loading doors. Email amsouthg@mtu.edu for Rehearsal Appointment. Auditions will be by "cold" readings. Callbacks are planned.

When you come to auditions, please wear a closed-tight mask. Use hand sanitizer when you come in and when you leave. Observe social distancing within the audition space. This first round of auditions will need you for about 30 minutes. The cast consists of Claire, who wrangles her feisty and stubborn father Ben. Ben holds the power of the family purse over his wife and children. His sons abandoned him and depend on Claire to speak for them. His other daughter, Beth, is his favorite; she follows his pursuit of wealth. Ben has left his wife, Liz, who weeps for the old West, in favor of Liza, a strong woman, who knows what she wants. Jorge, the ranch manager, is trapped between the family and the illegal aliens who work in Ben’s enterprises. (2 men, 4 women)

The play will be captured on video in Covid-19-compliant recording studios and spaces. The production will be streamed from the Rozsa Center facilities at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 10 through Dec. 12.