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contents February 2022 No. 394
Publishers
Jane Hutchens James Larsen II
Managing Editors Joseph Zyble and Jonny Bahk-Halberg
Calendar Editor Carrie Usher
Graphic Design Jennifer Bell Knute Olson
Proofreader
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City Notes
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On Campus
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Feature
Highlights of important happenings in the area News from U.P. Universities/Colleges Joseph Zyble Chief Caretaker
22 New York Times Crossword Puzzle Playing the Hits (answers on page 59)
24 At The Table
Katherine Larson
Beans or Peas?
27 Sporting Life
Joseph Zyble & Jonny Bahk-Halberg
Sled Dog Races
31 Arts
Katherine Larson Musically Minded
34 In The Outdoors
Jackie Stark
Rising, Shining
Laura Kagy
39 Lookout Point
Kristy Basolo-Malmsten
Dick Armstrong
41 Lookout Point
Pamela Christensen
43 Gift of Water
John Smolens
Circulation
Chief Photographer Tom Buchkoe
Marquette Monthly, published by Model Town Publishing, LLC, located at PO Box 109 Gwinn, MI, 49841, is locally and independently owned. Entire contents copyright 2022 by Model Town Publishing. All rights reserved. Permission or use of editorial material in any manner must be obtained in writing from the publishers. Marquette Monthly is published 12 times a year. Subscriptions are $65 per year. Freelance material can be submitted for consideration to editor@marquettemonthly.com. Events can be submitted to calendar@marquettemonthly.com. Ad inquiries can be sent to jane@marquettemonthly. com or james@marquettemonthly.com.
(906) 360-2180
www.marquettemonthly.com
About the cover artist John French is a Marquette County artist who creates primarily using oil paints. In 2019, John was awarded “Best in Show” at the Lake Superior Art Association Members’ Show for his painting titled “The View.” To learn more about John and his work visit http://artofjohnfrench.com.
Gilchrist Visits
Heavenly Objectives All Waters Meet
44 Back Then The Cowboys
Larry Chabot
46 Lookout Point
Kathleen Carlton Johnson
Centennial Celebration
48 In The Outdoors
Scot Stewart
52 In The Outdoors
Sam Eggleston
Porcupines
Caving Comforts
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Coloring Page
Noquemanon Trails
The Gathered Earth
55 Poetry
Matt Maki How to Use a Map
56 Back Then
Adam Berger Waubojeeg’s legacy
58 Home Cinema
Leonard Heldreth New takes on familiar genres
60 Superior Reads
Victor Volkman
A Hundred Huskies Seasons
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Out & About
Carrie Usher February events and music, art and museum guides
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city notes Beyond BOW hosts Sugarloaf snowshoe event
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sunrise snowshoe up Sugarloaf Mountain, hosted by Beyond Becoming an Outdoors Woman, will take place beginning at 6:20 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19. Participants will meet at the trailhead about 5 miles north of Marquette (must have a Recreation Passport or Michigan State Day Pass to park). Location details will be made available to participants after registration. Participants will snowshoe from the trailhead to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Once on top, leaders will boil water and provide options for coffee, tea or other hot drinks. Sunrise for that day is 7:46 a.m. After the sun rises, participants will follow the same route back down. Visit Michigan.gov/BOW for registration materials for this and other Beyond BOW workshops.
Marquette County white pine wins Michigan Big Tree Hunt
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Marquette county tree was the winner of the Big Tree Hunt of Michigan sponsored by Releaf Michigan. This is the 15th Biennial Big Tree Hunt. Releaf Michigan sponsors the hunt and maintains records of each species of Michigan’s largest trees. Some trees are then nominated to the national list of largest trees in the nation. The Michigan Botanical Club maintains data for the state
record book. Nicholas Hansen, a U of M student, was hiking in the McCormick Wilderness in western Marquette County in June 2021 when he noticed a huge white pine. He stated it was the biggest white pine he had ever seen, even larger than the old-growth trees at Hartwick Pines State Park. He contacted the Michigan Big Tree Hunt who turned it over to Ted Reuschel the state coordinator. As a volunteer verifier, Ted contacted Byron Sailor to go and find the tree, take measurements and determine if the tree qualifies for the record book. There are several foresters around the State that volunteer for these assignments. To be ranked in the Big Tree Register, trees are given a score by adding together several measurements. The final tally for the largest white pine in Michigan had a circumference of 188 inches (approximately 5.9 feet diameter), 155 feet tall and a crown spread of 63 feet.
Children’s Museum hosts new, temporary exhibit
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he new temporary exhibit “Winter Woods Wonder” will run through March at the U.P. Children’s Museum. The exhibit features a small forest of evergreen trees surrounded by snow and icicles. Kids can explore the “Great Indoors” by testing their igloo building skills, “skating” on an indoor rink in socks, and playing “campfire”
While hiking in the McCormick Wilderness in Marquette County, a University of Michigan student noticed a huge white pine and entered it in the Big Tree Hunt of Michigan competition where it won. Pictured are a group of volunteers near the tree who measured it for the competition. (Nancy Sailor photo)
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Bradford Veley is a freelance cartoonist, illustrator and farmer in the U.P. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and at www.bradveley.com
with pretend S’mores. Kids can also explore two winter-themed sensory tables as part of the exhibit.
New applicants sought for Habitat for Humanity
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arquette County Habitat for Humanity is seeking new applicants for their New Construction Program for 2022. With rising rent and home prices, housing affordability is a key issue facing many households in Marquette County. Becoming a Partner Family with MCHFH is one way to realize homeownership in an affordable way. This program is for low-to-moderate income households and is open to both families and individuals. The process from application to move in can take around 1218 months or longer. If selected, each adult in the household is expected to contribute 250 hours of sweat equity, or invested time, into the project by working alongside MCHFH staff and volunteers to construct their home. Upon completion, the Partner Family purchases the home with an affordable mortgage. Keeping home sizes and materials modest, utilizing volunteer labor, and proceeds from ReStore sales help to offset the cost of construction to achieve an affordable mortgage. For more information on the New Construction Program or
how to apply, call the Habitat main office at (906) 228-3578 or stop in the office at 2354 US 41 South, Marquette. Visit www.mqthabitat.org/ new-home-construction for details and applications are also available.
U.P. small businesses receive $100K in grants
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our U.P. businesses are among 28 in the state that will receive funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Match on Main program to support job growth and economic development, including Good Times Music (Houghton), Ore Dock Brewing Company (Marquette), Co-Ed Flowers and Gifts (Sault Ste. Marie), and Superior Culture (Marquette). Each business received $25,000 for a total of $100,000 awarded to the Upper Peninsula.
U.P. Blood Center in critical need of donations
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he U.P. Regional Blood Center is still experiencing a critical need for all blood types. The U.P. Regional Blood Center has collection sites in Marquette, Hancock and Escanaba and is the primary supplier of blood to 13 U.P. hospitals. Visit the center’s Facebook page at UPRBC906 or website at http://www.mgh.org/blood for more information. For hours and
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then & now
scheduling call Marquette at 906-4491450, Hancock at 906-483-1392, and Escanaba at 906-786-8420.
Electric Porsche sets record with help of Eagle Mine
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The Savings Bank building in downtown Marquette in the early 1900s.
team of three drivers was recognized by Guinness World Records for setting a new benchmark for the greatest altitude change ever achieved by an electric car. Navigating from the lowest point they could access in America by car, to one of the highest – a vertical distance of three miles – they traveled over 1,400-miles between the two, pausing only for both humans and the car to momentarily re-charge. Those two destinations were deep within the Eagle Mine and the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado. The lowest point in America is Badwater Basin in Death Valley, at 282 feet below sea level. To go lower than that, you must go underground. After passing several safety tests, the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo was deemed safe to drive a path normally reserved for specialty mining vehicles, and began its record-breaking journey 540.8 meters (1,774.4 feet) below sea level, at the deepest point of Eagle Mine’s excavation. The team of record-breakers covered a total of 15,889 feet straight up, 1,413 miles along the ground and covered it in 33 hours and 48 minutes.
Poetry contest seeking submissions
The Great Lakes Poetry Festival is looking for poems about the Great
Lakes Area in a broadside format to be hung in the Travel Marquette Gallery for the month of April. The broadside must be 11 feet by 17 feet, printed on light foamboard. The imagery put with the poetry can be royalty free imagery, your own creation, or someone else’s visual art. If you are collaborating with another artist, their name must be included in the submission with an optional bio. The poet submitting their work must include their bio (100 words max) and can include their website and social media links if they wish. Submit a .jpg for approval to GreatLakesPoetryFest@gmail.com by February 21 to be considered.
Marquette Choral society taking new members
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oin the Marquette Choral Society as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary by performing Carl Orff’s renowned work “Carmina Burana” All voice parts are needed and an audition is not required. Rehearsals began on Jan. 24 in room 250 in the Thomas Fine Arts Building, located on the campus of Northern Michigan University. Registration is $65 which includes membership and music. Registration will take place at 6 p.m. February 7. Masks are required for all participants, as required by Northern Michigan University’s mask policy. Marquette Choral Society is a mixedvoice, adult choir of approximately 100 singers from a four-county region in the Upper Peninsula. MCS strives to engage, enrich and inspire the region through the art of choral
The Savings Bank building at the intersection of Front and Washington streets recently.
Photos provided by Superior View Studios, located in Art of Framing, 149 W. Washington St., Marquette. www.viewsofthepast.com
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Eagle Mine workers helped a crew of three drivers set a Guinness world record with an electric Porsche 4S Cross Turismo. The vehicle traveled from 1,774 feet below sea level in the depths of the mine to 14,000-foot Pike’s Peak in Colorado, a vertical distance of just over three miles. The 1,413-mile trip was traveled in 33 hours and 48 minutes of driving time. (Courtesy photo)
Did You Know...
... when curling became a popular sport in the U.P.?
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urling was first introduced to the Upper Peninsula at Sault Ste. Marie in the late 19th century and was the rage of the community, but it never really established itself across the region until recently. Today the sport is popular in Calumet, Escanaba and other U.P. communities. Submitted by Russell M. Magnaghi, history professor emeritus of NMU and a U.P. author and historian.
music. The ensemble was founded in 1971 by Dr. William Dehning and is currently led by musical director Dr. Erin Colwitz. The chorus will present “Carmina Burana” at Kaufman Auditorium at 7 p.m. April 23 and at 3 p.m. April 24. Tickets are available for advanced purchase at nmu.universitytickets.com and at the door. Visit facebook.com/MarquetteChoralSociety, marquettechoralsociety.org, or email choralsociety906@gmail.com for more information.
Inaugural Meijer Winter Games set for Feb. 25-27
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fficials with the Michigan Sports Alliance announced that registration is open for the Meijer State Games of Michigan – Winter Games sports hub in Marquette. The inaugural event will be held Feb. 25-27 and is open to all ages and ability levels. The traditional winter sports festival will feature eight sporting events at six venues as well as an opening ceremony Feb. 25 presented by Northern Michigan University. Winter Games sports will include cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, ski and snowboard and ski jumping. Registration rates vary between sports and can be found on each sports’ webpage. Visit stategamesofmichigan.com/marquette-winter-games for more information on registration, sports rules, and venue locations. All registered athletes and spectators will receive free admission to the 2022 opening ceremony presented by Northern Michigan University. The opening ceremony will be held at Marquette Mountain Resort and will feature a parade of athletes, lighting of the cauldron and entertainment. Current sponsors of the Meijer State Games of Michigan – Winter Games in Mar-
quette are Meijer, Travel Marquette, Northern Michigan University, Great Lakes Sports Commission, UPHP, SAIL Disability Network and the Peninsula Fiber Network.
Keweenaw Mountain Lodge provides trails at no cost
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he Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor maintains 10km of cross country ski trails and over 3.5km of dedicated snowshoeing trails. This trail system is free to use by anyone using either cross country skis or snowshoes. Leashed dogs are welcome. No use of the winter trails without skis or snowshoes is allowed. All trail users must come inside the main Lodge and sign a waiver at the Outdoor Activity Center (OAC). The waiver is only required to be signed once per season. The OAC has snowshoes and Altai Hok skis available for rent on a first come, first served basis. Please see www.keweenawmountainlodge.com or call (906) 289-4403 ext. 4, for a grooming report, to reserve snowshoes or skis, or with questions about the trails.
Two U.P. downtowns gain historic designation
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ov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced that the downtown commercial districts of three Michigan communities have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, including Ishpeming and Negaunee. The three communities together encompass 135 buildings and structures, of which 100 are considered to contribute to the historic character. The Ishpeming Main Street Historic District contains all of the buildings on both sides of Main stretching from Front Street to Ready Street, along with a few adjacent buildings on both Front and Ready.
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Notable in this district are the several buildings constructed of Lake Superior Red Sandstone, a distinctive building material used in many buildings in the Upper Peninsula, which was quarried locally. Among the buildings included, the district contains the oldest surviving commercial Italianate-style buildings, the high style 1891 Anderson Building, and Jackson’s Hardware, with its 1963-built attention-grabbing blue mosaic tile and blue and red enameled panel front and mounted lettered diagonal typeface bearing the store name, overlaid atop an 1880’s constructed building. The Negaunee Downtown Historic District includes much of the traditional downtown core of the city, stretching from West Peck Street to the north, Rail Street to the south, Teal Lake and Pioneer Streets to the east, and Tobin Street to the west. This district contains more than just commercial buildings, as several distinctive downtown landmarks contribute: Negaunee City Hall, Cliffs Iron Company Office Building, the Vista Theater, two former railroad depots, two churches, and two former schools among them. As in nearby Ishpeming, the use of locally-quarried Lake Superior Red Sandstone is a character-defining feature of many
of the buildings in the district.
New Marquette playground in need of donations
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he Playground for All Committee and the Community Foundation of Marquette County are offering the community opportunities for lead sponsorship and legacy gifts as well as naming options in its initial phase of fundraising for the all-inclusive rebuild of the Kids Cove playground in Ellwood A. Mattson Lower Harbor Park. The Kids Cove conceptual design has been completed by the landscape architectural and engineering firm. The proposed all-inclusive playground has eight unique play zones, two family friendly gathering areas, an artistically creative entrance area and an ADA family restroom which is directly accessible from the playground. All of these elements were identified as being important during the planning process. The estimated cost to build the new playground is $1.3 million. During this initial fundraising phase, the Committee and the Community Foundation is offering the community sponsorship lead/legacy gifts and naming opportunities. Committee members are available to sit down with any individuals or business interested in donating. The
Negaunee’s Downtown Historic District, seen here, along with the Ishpeming Main Street Historic District, were two of the three downtown business districts added to the National Register of Historic Places recently. Both downtown areas feature buildings made of locally-quarried Lake Superior Red Sandstone, a distinction shared by many vintage buildings in the U.P. (Photo courtesy of the state of Michigan.)
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current funding gap for project completion is $820,000. The Playground for All Committee and the City of Marquette have partnered with the Community Foundation of Marquette County to raise funds for this project. The Community Foundation of Marquette County, a Michigan 501 (c)3 Non-Profit Corporation, is the fiscal agent for this project. Visit kidscovemqt.com to see and read about the new playground. Individual conversations can be arranged by emailing the Playground for All chair, Nheena Weyer Ittner at nittner24@gmail. com or Zosia Eppensteiner, CEO of the Community Foundation at ceo@ cfofmc.org. Current plans are to begin construction of the playground in the spring, with a projected completion in the summer of 2022.
Superior Health Foundation adds to board
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eghan Lane of Wakefield joined the Superior Health Foundation board of directors at its January meeting. She will represent Gogebic County and the western Upper Peninsula. Currently the director of the Great Start Collaborative and Early Childhood Specialist for the Gogebic Ontonagon Intermediate School District, Lane oversees the parent liaisons and the Great Start Collaborative for both counties to ensure that every child is born healthy and is developmentally on track from birth to 8 years of age. She also serves as the cheerleading
advisor for the Wakefield-Marenisco School District. A Wakefield native, Lane earned a master’s degree in early childhood studies: administration, management and leadership from Walden University in 2020. She holds a bachelor’s degree in media production and new technology from Northern Michigan University. “It’s an honor to join the board of directors of this great orgaMeghan Lane nization - the Superior Health Foundation,” Lane said. “Its mission and vision align with my profession, as well as my personal beliefs to help promote health awareness throughout our communities in the Upper Peninsula.” Away from work, Lane enjoys snowshoeing, going to country music concerts, spending time with her family, going to the beach and traveling. Lane and her husband Mark, the principal and athletic director at Wakefield High School, live in Wakefield. They are parents to three boys.
Heinonen named CEO for UP Health System-Portage
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P Health System-Portage recently announced that Ryan Heinonen has been named as permanent chief executive officer. He has served as the hospital’s interim CEO since October.
Work is expected to start soon on an all-inclusive rebuild of Kids’ Cove playground in Marquette’s Lower Harbor. Organizers are looking for sponsors for the project, with completion set for summer 2022.
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A Copper Country native, Heinonen began his career at Portage as a staff registered nurse in 2010. He has held several leadership roles over the last ten years, most recently being promoted to Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) in May 2019. During his tenure as CNO, Heinonen was responsible for strategic growth and development of key service lines, quality and patient safety, survey readiness, and compliance. Under Heinonen’s leadership, Portage has earned six consecutive Leapfrog A grades, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Ryan Heinonen Rating, American College of Cardiology (ACC) Chest Pain Center Accreditation, and several other quality awards and achievements.Heinonen earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing, a master’s degree in nursing administration, and a master’s degree in business administration from Grand Canyon University, in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Railroads of Marquette County, yesterday and today
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he Marquette Regional History Center will host a reception at 5 p.m. February 9 for its new exhibit, “Railroads of Marquette County: Yesterday and today.” Railroads were a central part of Marquette since its earliest development. Trains were an everyday sight around the city and downtown, crossing Front Street with ore cars, pulling into the depot to pick up and drop off passengers, or hauling logs from Alger County. Many Marquette families relied on the railroads for their livelihoods. Multiple railroads were headquartered in the city of Marquette. As iron mines on the Marquette Range opened in the 1840s, railroads developed to haul the iron ore. As mining expanded, so did the number of tracks and ore docks. Soon passengers, iron ore, timber, and other freight were all shipped to or from Marquette County. The railroads connected Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the rest of the country. Learn more about the development and changes in this vast network. Learn where the tracks ran, what they carried, and their destination. Look at how working on the railroad has changed over the de-
cades and how it is part of this region today. This exhibit will feature select hands on elements as well as maps, artifacts, and photographs.
Porkies artist-in-residence program seeking applications
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pplications are now being accepted for the Porcupine Mountains Artist-in-Residence Program for 2022 spring, summer and fall and winter 2022-2023 residencies. The program is open to artists and artisans whose work can be influenced by the unique northern wilderness setting of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The Artist-in-Residence Program offers writers, composers and all visual and performing artists an opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the Porkies and to express it through their art form. Each year, artists are selected for residencies lasting a minimum of two weeks. They are given the use of a rustic cabin located on the Little Union River and, if requested, a three-night backcountry permit so that each may live in and explore the park’s 60,000 acres of natural beauty, ranging from stunning vistas to 90 miles of rugged backcountry trails. The program is open to all art forms except those that may be inconsistent with the mission of the park. Selection is based on artistic integrity, ability to reside in a wilderness environment, the artist’s ability to relate to and interpret the park through their art medium and a willingness to donate an original, finished piece of art inspired by their stay in the Porkies. Artists will also be asked to share their experiences with the public through a demonstration or talk during their residencies. Visit Porkies. org/Artist-in-Residence for application materials. Applications for the 2022-2023 season must be received by Feb. 14. Selected artists will be notified by phone in mid-April, and will be posted by April 22 on the Friends webpage and on Facebook at Friends of the Porkies.
Zero Degrees Art Gallery now a nonprofit
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fter 12 years as a for-profit organization, Zero Degrees Galley (ZDG) has been recognized as a non-profit by the State of Michigan. The gallery board of Directors had its first meeting as a non-profit corporation under the new leadership of Marlene Wood. Marlene is an oil painter in the galley and replaces Nor-
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Norm Hefke, past chair of Zero Degrees Gallery, passes the gavel on to new gallery Chair Marlene Wood. Standing behind the gavel passing are Julie Highlen, Ben Bohnsack, Bruce Nix, and Alice Holcomb. (Courtesy photo)
man Hefke, a woodturner, who held the position of galley chair for the past six years. The Galley hopes to be further recognized as a charitable organization, with 501(c)(3) status. The gallery will increase its activities related to promoting the visual arts in the local community through demonstrations, art instruction and discussion both at the gallery and other locations. Zero Degrees Gallery is a community based art gallery with 41 contributing artists located at 525 North 3rd Street in Marquette. The Gallery is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
Public comment open for state climate plan
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he initial draft of a statewide plan to position Michigan as a national leader in slashing greenhouse gas emissions and securing associated economic and job-creation opportunities is open for public input and comment through Feb. 14. The draft MI Healthy Climate Plan builds on progress the state, utilities, and numerous local communities are making toward Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s goal of achieving economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. It was developed with input from a wide swath of Michiganders and the expertise of the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions (Climate Council). The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is developing the plan through the state’s Office of Climate and Energy. Public comment on the plan is open through Friday, Feb. 14. Two virtual listening sessions
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were also scheduled. One took place in January, and the second is from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 8. Register at https:// bit.ly/3zYkU9a to attend the February listening session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you do not have internet access and would like to join by phone only, use the following phone number: 636-651-3142, and use conference code 374288. Pre-registration is not required to attend the meeting. Individuals interested in participating can use the link above at the start of the event.
U.P. receives more than $300M in federal rescue plan
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he Michigan Department of Treasury distributed more than $319 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to more than 1,650 Michigan communities. Every county in the Upper Peninsula was on the receiving end of the funding, with more than $30 million being distributed across the region. The money can be used to relieve the effects of the pandemic and improve economies and infrastructure.
Village of Calumet awarded $250,000 restoration grant
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ollowing last May’s devastating Fifth Street Fire, the Village of Calumet is preparing to rebuild with a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The Michigan Enhancement Grant will be used to reduce costs and provide information needed by a potential developer, who will ultimately
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have final say in what the new structures will look like. Additionally, site work will be completed to address issues that were not part of the scope of the initial environmental cleanup, as well as environmental assessments, title work, and a site survey.
Copper Country Senior Meals receives grant
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enior Meals has been awarded a grant from the Portage Health Auxiliary to purchase a heated meal transport system. The heated meal containers will allow more seniors to have access to hot, home-delivered meals. They will also allow for the delivery drivers to spend more time with the seniors, while maintaining food-safety standards.The containers connect directly to the delivery vehicles to maintain temperature. This will let the routes be expanded while still maintaining food safety standards, which will also allow the program to extend into previously unreached areas. The auxiliary is a volunteer-run organization that operates the Guilded Rose gift shop at UP Health System-Portage. All profits go back to the community through grants and scholarships awarded by the Auxiliary, like
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The Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced a settlement has been reached with Verso Corp over violations at the company’s Escanaba mill in which a “black liquor” substance discharged into the Escanaba River killing many fish. (Michigan DNR photo)
this one given to Copper Country Senior Meals.
Suit settled over Escanaba River contamination
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he Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy recently announced a settlement with Verso Corp. over National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System violations at the company’s Escanaba
February 2022
Mill. The permit violations concern a “black liquor” release to the wastewater treatment facility at Verso’s paper mill on Aug. 6, 2020, which resulted in fish being killed in the Escanaba River downstream of the mill. The mill generates black liquor – a high-strength organic pollutant – as a byproduct of its process of turning pulpwood into paper pulp for the mill’s craft paper-making process. Typically, black
liquor is concentrated and burned as an energy source. Under the settlement, the Ohio-based company will pay more than $244,000 in civil penalties and natural resource damages and will make spill prevention and containment improvements to its facilities to ensure protection of the Escanaba River and Lake Michigan. The river empties into Lake Michigan south of the mill. Failure to comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits can result in significant fines. Under the Clean Water Act, the NPDES program controls point-source discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States. Verso operates under the tenets of a permit to discharge treated wastewater to the river. After anglers reported dead fish in the river, staffers from EGLE’s Water Resources Division and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division investigated the site of the fish kill, which covered an approximately 3-mile section of the Escanaba River, extending from Dam No. 2 to the river mouth. When the partially treated wastewater from the plant reached the river, oxygen was drawn from the water, starving the ecosystem of dissolved oxygen. This consequent-
ly killed numerous fish representing at least a dozen species.
UPHP announces new CFO
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pper Peninsula Health Plan announces Jaime Houghton as Chief Financial Officer. Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) CFO Leslie Luke announced her retirement effective December 21 this past fall, leaving the position of Chief Financial Officer vacant. With extensive accounting and finance experience, Jaime Houghton brings invaluable knowledge and leadership to the CFO position. Originally from Wisconsin, Houghton is a University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point alumni. She moved to the Upper Peninsula in 2006 and earned her CPA designation in 2007. She has been with UPHP since 2017 and has served as Controller, responsible for the day to day management of financial reporting and accounting processes. Jaime has many accomplishments during her time at UPHP, including being the 2020 Leadership Award winner for ‘Valued Employees and Volunteers,’ that acknowledges a manager/supervisor who exemplified commitment to valuing team members or volunteers. She has also led a UPHP 5k Training Program for fellow staff, showing her commitment to the company beyond the Finance department. In her role as CFO, Jaime Houghton will report to the President and CEO of Upper Peninsula Health Plan, Melissa Holmquist, and will now oversee the Claims Administration, Accounting, and Risk Adjustment departments.
UP Notable Books hosts 14th author event
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he Crystal Falls Community District Library in partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association has scheduled author events with winners of the UP Notable Book List. The 14th event is with Jane Kopecky whose groundbreaking history of the lives of conscientious objectors who were confined in a remote camp in Germfask, Michigan was previously untold. The events are open to all U.P. residents free of charge. The event will take place on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10. Those interested in attending should contact Evelyn Gathu by email at egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us, or by phone at (906) 8753344 prior to the event.
Honey Bear Classic returns
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he Honey Bear Classic will return for its 33rd year, celebrating the
unique beauty of the Big Bay Pathway with a nine-day fundraising event for all ages and interests. This year for the safety and comfort of pathway visitors the classic will be a hybrid event. The event kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 5 and runs until Sunday, Feb. 13. The extended event allows participants to enjoy the trail during the week and / or join the in-person Honey Bear Celebration taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12. There will be a bonfire and weenie roast at the trailhead. Participants can choose to ski for fun, self-time, or snowshoe for a chance to win door prizes. Registration for the event is online, or in person for the live event. All proceeds help to support the grooming and maintenance of the Big Bay Pathway which is part of the Noquemanon Trail Network. Register online. Donation/ registration envelopes are also available at the trailhead. Visit runsignup. com/Race/MI/BigBay/HoneyBearClassicFundraiser to register for the event, and visit noquetrails.org/calendar/honey-bear-classic-fundraiser for more information.
UP Health System pediatric therapy headquarters opens
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P Health System – Rehab Services announced the expansion of pediatric therapy services and a successful move to a newly renovated, centrally located location for the communities it serves. UP Health System – Rehab Services offers a full spectrum of pediatric therapy services – including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy – in a pediatric-family-friendly environment. The new location is open and is ready for patients. UP Health System – Rehab Services pediatric therapy can be reached at 906-225-5900 and is located at 555 County Rd. HQ, in Marquette, MI. Visit MGH.org/Our-Services/Rehabilitation for more information.
Federal judges appointed
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ichigan’s U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters announced the Senate has confirmed the nominations of Judge Shalina Kumar and Judge Jane Beckering. Judge Shalina Kumar was confirmed to be the U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Judge Jane Beckering was confirmed to be the U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of Michigan. Judge Kumar will be the first federal judge of South Asian descent in Michigan.
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on campus Lake State lists words, phrases that should be banished By LSSU Marketing/Communications
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f you’re going to turn to the vernacular to make yourself known, be sure you’re accurate and concise. Avoid error in and exploitation of everyday language. In short, do the opposite of what the public and the media did this year. The irked and the amused from around the country and across the world sent that mock-serious message in their entries for Lake Superior State University’s annual tongue-in-cheek Banished Words List. LSSU announces the results of the yearly compendium on Dec. 31 to start the New Year on the right foot, er, tongue. Common parlance dominated submissions for the past 12 months. More than 1,000 of the 1,250-plus nominations of words and terms for banishment for misuse, overuse, and uselessness for 2022 were colloquial. The No. 1 offender: “Wait, what?” These two four-letter words should not go together under any circumstances, according to many nominators and the contest judges from the LSSU English Department, because the two-part halting interrogative is disingenuous, divergent, deflective, and other damning words that begin with the letter d. “Most people speak through informal discourse. Most people shouldn’t misspeak through informal discourse. That’s the distinction nominators far and wide made, and our judges agreed with them,” said Peter Szatmary, executive director of marketing and communications at LSSU. “Also, seven of the 10 words and terms that LSSU banished last year reflected real-world concerns about COVID-19, while three could be categorized as quotidian. This year, as the global pandemic persists along with adaptations to it, the inverse occurred. Seven of the 10 words and terms to be banished are more conversationalbased, with the other three applying to the coronavirus,” he added. “One possible takeaway from all this about the act and art and science of disclosing something is the more things change, the more things stay the same. At the very least, it’s complicated.” LSSU has compiled an annual Banished Words List since 1976 to uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging avoidance of words and terms that are overworked, redundant, oxymoronic, clichéd, illogical, nonsensical—and otherwise ineffective, baffling, or irritating.The Banished Words List has become such a cultural phenomenon that comedian George Carlin submitted an entry that made the annals in 1994: “baddaboom, baddabing.” This year, nominations came from most major U.S. cities and many U.S. states, on top of Norway, Belgium, England, Scotland, Australia, and numerous provinces in Canada. Here are the list of the banished words and terms for 2022: 1. WAIT, WHAT? Most frequently found in text or on social media, this ubiquitous imperative question is a failed “response to a statement to express astonishment, misunderstanding, or disbelief,” explained a wordsmith. “I hate it,” added another, because the command query is an inexact method to convey the utterer’s uncertainty or surprise. “I don’t want to wait,” either, continued the second
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impassioned nominator. Misuse and overuse. 2. NO WORRIES Nominated by writers nationwide for misuse and overuse, this phrase incorrectly substitutes for “You’re welcome” when someone says “Thank you.” A further bungling relates to insensitivity. “If I’m not worried, I don’t want anyone telling me not to worry,” a contributor explicated. “If I am upset, I want to discuss being upset.” Despite its meaninglessness, the term is recommended to emailers by Google Assistant.
3. AT THE END OF THE DAY Twenty-plus years after original banishment of this phrase in 1999, the day still isn’t over for this misused, overused, and useless expression. “Many times things don’t end at the end of the day—or even the ramifications of whatever is happening,” observed a sage. Others consider “day” an imprecise measure. Today? Present times? Banishment in 1999: overused synopsis of a conversation or debate, often by politicians and pundits. 4. THAT BEING SAID Nominators cited this phrase as verbal filler, redundant justification, and pompous posturing. For instance, “however” or “but—even “that said”—does the job as a transition instead of the wordiness. “Go ahead and say what you want already!” demanded one entrant. That being said, its usefulness is certainly in doubt. As a commentator philosophized, “At the end of the day, if you will, it already has been.” 5. ASKING FOR A FRIEND Misuse and overuse through deceit—because the friend is a ruse. This cutesy phrase, often deployed in social media posts in a coy attempt to deter self-identification, isn’t fooling anyone. Paraphrasing one sage, “Once used to avoid embarrassment, as in, ‘Do you know a good proctologist? I’m asking for a friend.’ Sometimes an occasional sitcom joke. Now an overused tag with
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absolutely no relationship to its antecedent.” 6. CIRCLE BACK Treats colloquy like an ice skating rink, as if we must circle back to our previous location to return to a prior subject. Let’s circle back about why to banish this jargon. It’s a conversation, not the Winter Olympics. Opined a grammarian, “The most overused phrase in business, government, or other organization since ‘synergy’”—which we banished in 2002 as evasive blanket terminology and smarty-pants puffery. 7. DEEP DIVE “The only time to dive into something is when entering a body of water, not going more indepth into a particular subject or book,” admonished a petitioner. Another stipulated that people who float the phrase aren’t near pool, lake, ocean, or sea; thus, rather than dive deeply, they flounder shallowly. An editing whiz wondered, “Do we need ‘deep’? I mean, does anyone dive into the shallow end?” 2022 Banished Words and Terms Deriving from COVID-19 Matters: 8. NEW NORMAL Overused catchall for ways COVID-19 affects humankind—and banishment finalist last year for similar reasons. “Those clamoring for the days of old, circa 2019, use this to signal unintentionally that they haven’t come to terms with what ‘normal’ means,” a monitor elucidated. “After a couple of years, is any of this really ‘new’?” another speculated. Banished in 2012 for imprudence, defeatism, and apathy stemming from societal missteps. 9. YOU’RE ON MUTE People switched from inperson exchanges to virtual meetings to follow the social distancing protocol of COVID-19, and the unwitting deafening silence happens on both sides of the camera. Overuse and uselessness, then, due to ineptitude. A discerning submitter encapsulated the issue: “We’re two years into remote working and visiting. It’s time for everyone to figure out where the mute button is.” Or as a quipster summarized, “Hello? Hello?” 10. SUPPLY CHAIN Word-watchers noticed the frequent, unfortunate appearance of this phrase toward the end of this year as the coronavirus persisted. “It’s become automatically included in reporting of consumer goods shortages or perceived shortages. In other words, a buzzword,” concluded one analyst. “Supply chain issues have become the scapegoat of everything that doesn’t happen or arrive on time and of every shortage,” noticed another. The adverse result: overuse ad nauseam. “Say what you mean and mean what you say. Can’t get any easier, or harder, than that,” said LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley. “Every year submitters play hard at suggesting what words and terms to banish by paying close attention to what humanity utters and writes. Taking a deep dive at the end of the day and then circling back make perfect sense. Wait, what?” For more about the Banished Words List and to nominate a word or term for banishment for 2023, go online to lssu.edu/banishedwords.
Former NMU skier makes U.S. Olympic biathlon team
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illiam “Jake” Brown, a former Northern Michigan University student-athlete, has qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in biathlon, a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. In 2015, Brown was a member of the Wildcat Nordic ski team while attending graduate school pursuing a master’s degree in exercise science. He was coached by Sten Fjeldheim and Shane McDowell. He went on to finish his NCAA career at the U.S. Nationals as an All-American with a top-five finish. “Success breeds success, and thanks to them (Fjeldheim and McDowell) I was able to finish my NCAA skiing career as an All-American in Steamboat Springs, Colo.” said Brown. For more information on Brown and his achievements, visit https://www.teamusa.org/us-biathlon/athletes/Jake-Brown.
William “Jake” Brown is shown in competition in a photo from his website.
Finlandia University named a best value school For the fourth time in five years, Finlandia University has been named a Best Value College by University Research & Review. “We are incredibly proud of this award because it reflects the diligent and passionate and personalized work being done by our employees every day, and showcases how our tight-knit campus community fosters these efforts,” said Anthony Schwass, Finlandia’s Dean of Enrollment. “The definition of value includes the importance, worth, or usefulness of something… Finlandia’s repeated status as one of the very best showcases our inherent drive to achieve excellence.” The 2021 rankings are based on seven performance indicators: “Is a school affordable and in line with similar schools?” “Do students like, support, and recommend the school?” “What’s unique about the institution?” “Are students overloaded with debt?” “What’s the student loan default rate?” “How long does it take students to graduate?” and “What percentage of enrollees get a degree or credential?” FinnU was recognized among nearly 8,000 colleges and universities for its affordability, student support, and quality faculty and staff. “Every meeting, every strategy, and every project we work on always has student success at the core. This is the reason our staff and faculty provide current and prospective students with a quality of attentiveness and service unmatched by other institutions – because they always come first,” Schwass said. FinnU also has multiple scholarships that allow students to continue their education at an affordable level. Most recently announced was the Lake Effect Scholarship, a needs-based scholarship that allows eligible commuting and on-campus living students to enjoy the benefits of cost-sharing education. Meaning, commuting students will have tuition reduced to $2,500 per year, earning their full bachelor’s degrees for $10,000.
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Brigitte LaPointe-Dunham is the chief executive officer of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. (All photos courtesy of Brigitte LaPointe-Dunham)
CHIEF CARETAKER
New KBIC leader values teamwork, success Story by Joseph Zyble
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rive and determination are words that immediately come to mind to describe Brigitte LaPointe-Dunham. The 36-year-old, who has served as chief executive officer for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community for just over six months, is used to success and always, always aims to win. Though the challenges are many and formidable, her goal is to transform the KBIC into a vibrant, healthy community, one that could serve as a role model for other reservations. To say LaPointe-Dunham knows the KBIC would be a massive understatement. The KBIC is in LaPointe-Dunham’s blood; it is fundamental to her identity, her past,
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her present and always. Born a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, she was raised on the reservation along with four siblings by her single mother. “My mom was really just trying to make ends meet. We moved 17 times back and forth between housing projects in Baraga and L’Anse, and for a while in Houghton when she worked for Michigan Tech,” LaPointe-Dunham said. She credits her mother’s example as a major factor for the success she has achieved in her own life. “The way she raised us gave me a sense of resiliency in watching her be so strong in everything she went through,” she said. “My mom
established good values, meaningful values like the importance of education, having a good career, taking care of yourself, representing yourself in a professional manner.” While serving as a Native American outreach coordinator at Michigan Technological University, LaPointeDunham’s mother would bring her to work on occasion. “I remember my sister and I being at these college fairs sitting with her as she was trying to get Native Americans to enroll at Michigan Tech. It was a really good thing for me to see. It really was great. My mom was a great model and she still is today,” LaPointe-Dunham said. Though raising five children, her
mother was able to earn a nursing degree and was eventually hired by the KBIC health clinic. This brought welcome stability to the family. LaPointe-Dunham was able to complete her high school years all at Baraga High School, where she excelled. U.P. high school sports enthusiasts will likely recall the name Brigitte LaPointe. She scored more than 1,000 points playing high school basketball as a member of the Baraga Vikings, earning all-conference, allU.P. and all-state honors. She chose Finlandia University in Hancock for college even though the smaller division school didn’t offer athletic scholarships. “I was lured to the seniority on the team. There were like six seniors and I knew how special it was going to be to have so many great players to look up to and learn from,” she said. However, she did receive scholarships, but they were for excellence in academic performance. One major scholarship she received was from the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program awarded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “I was very proud of receiving it because it was a very prestigious, very competitive award,” she said of the program intended for outstanding students in minority groups. “That was huge to receive and it helped me immensely in college.” On the court, her team won their division’s 2004 national championship. Something she will remember forever. Off the court she earned an associate degree in physical therapy, and then went to Northern Michigan University where she earned a bachelor degree in sports science. Her mother’s insistence on the
importance of education really stuck. “Education is power. That’s the way I look at it, especially as an indigenous female. I was always told growing up that education is the one thing people can’t take away from you,” she said. “I feel like I’m a life-long learner and I constantly encourage the younger generation to take on that role. It keeps life interesting and fun, makes you less vulnerable, and it opens up personal and professional opportunities.” She later earned a master’s degree in exercise science from NMU. In 2020 she earned another master’s degree in management strategy and leadership from Michigan State University. LaPointe-Dunham’s early career saw her working for a few years as a physical therapist, a women’s
LaPointe-Dunham was on the women’s basketball team at Finlandia University in her college years. Though the school did not award athletic scholarships at the time, she received several academic scholarships.
basketball coach at Northern Michigan University, and then as director of the KBIC’s Tribal Employment Rights Office. “That was a great experience. I was very young in a director role. I got a lot of work experience, learned a lot about our tribe, but I left there to finish my degree. And I was young. I wanted to see more than Baraga,” she recalls. In 2015 she was hired by Upper Peninsula Health Plan, the region’s Medicare and Medicaid managed care organization. As its first ever corporate marketing manager, her role was to raise public awareness of the organization, improve knowledge of the services it offered, and to make it approachable for people. “They were launching new Medicare products and struggling with communities recognizing who they were and what they did. They were kind of flying under the radar,” she said. “One of my greatest accomplishments there was guiding UPHP through a re-branding process. They manage care for over 50,000 U.P. residents who rely on them to make smart decisions about their health care. The re-brand showed the human side of an insurance company. “We emphasized that there are real, local people behind each call or communication. We described it as neighbors helping neighbors. You’re not going to talk to a machine or to someone you can’t understand; it’s going to be someone local,” she said. After the successful campaign, she was promoted to director of strategic initiatives expanding her responsibilities, including traveling to Lansing on occasion to meet with state representatives, senators and lobbyists to advocate on behalf of the people served by UPHP. “UPHP really opened my eyes to
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learning more about organizational structure, decision making, guiding teams, empowering employees, and how to treat people,” she said. Having been around tribal government growing up—she had a grandfather who had served as CEO and chairman of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in the 1980s and a grandmother who was the first ever chairwoman to lead a council—the chance to serve as CEO was a dream come true, but also bittersweet. “I was hemming and hawing at first when I saw the position open. I had a great set up here in Marquette. I loved my job. I loved my life, everything, but there was that yearning to get back and this felt like perfect timing,” she said. She cites UPHP leaders Dennis Smith and Melissa Holmquist as important mentors in her professional development. “I told them when I was leaving that they instilled everything I never imagined I could be as a professional as well as personally. I went in with low confidence and came out with a lot of confidence just because of the way I was treated and respected as an employee,” she said. Her first day of serving as CEO of the tribe was July 12 last year. An early challenge for her was learning about the multitude of agencies and programs the KBIC depends on to operate. “There are tons of different funding sources we go through—the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Indian Health Services—many different funding sources we rely on. Managing all of that and understanding where everything comes from has been difficult,” she said. Beyond the basics she wants to
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LaPointe-Dunham stands in front of the Michigan Capitol in Lansing where, as a member of U.P. Health Plan, she met with legislators and other officials to advocate on behalf of U.P. residents who rely on Medicaid and Medicare.
enhance the best parts of life on the reservation and reduce the negative aspects of it. “Growing up on an Indian reservation you have close relationships with your family and friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, they’re always around. You have a sense of belonging. You’re drenched in your culture,” she said. “Knowing our culture is essential to our sovereignty as a nation.” Unfortunately, across the country socio-economic difficulties tend to cloud Native American communities and the KBIC is no stranger to these. “There are things that are common like drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, low standards in education, and low employment,” she said. These struggles result in part to a legacy of subjugation and years of cultural repression by the U.S. government and others. “It’s a real thing, that intergenerational trauma is passed down from generation to generation. It’s instilled in our families even if we don’t realize it,” she said. “My ancestors were forced into those boarding schools and there was the genocide. It’s passed down. We still feel it; we’re saddened by it. Recent generations would hide the fact that they were Indian because it wasn’t good to be Indian in society.” In addition to historically ingrained wounds, KBIC members continue
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to encounter intolerance, she said. Though more hidden these days, it presents real obstacles that continue to adversely affect tribe members. “Systemic racism exists and the KBIC has been trying to tackle it on many levels—our education department, health department, social services—it’s something that is a priority to overcome,” she said. Preparing members to succeed in the workforce is another big challenge. “We have so many people without skills because they never took the opportunity to develop their skills, so they don’t qualify,” she said. “We need to understand what we can offer so that they can be successful when applying for jobs, so they can make ends meet.” This priority ties in with another goal of making KBIC a premier employer in the region, which she said means more than just good compensation and benefits. “I want to win in the workplace. I want the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to be the best place to work in Baraga County and the surrounding area. We need to create a sense of pride and understanding that you’re working to help a community; it’s meaningful, important work,” she said. “When people come to work for us I try to establish the fact that if you are not working for something that’s important, you lose your meaning for work.” Promoting good physical and
mental well-being is another goal. She noted that while the pandemic has adversely affected everyone, youth and elderly seem to have been hit the hardest. “Our youth have seen less physical activity because of isolation. Activities were shut down so I’m really trying to ramp up our youth services and get them more active,” she said. “We also need to support our elders who have also been devastatingly affected by isolation. They are our story keepers; they keep our culture alive.” Improving housing and infrastructure is another important priority. “We live in a beautiful area and we need to take advantage of that. We need to clean up our housing and provide more efficient housing for our members,” she said. “We need good lighting, safe neighborhoods, sidewalks so children have a path to school.” By 2025 she wants KBIC to be a fully accessible reservation with such amenities as defined trails and parks that are safe for those with disabilities and special needs. Improving communication (both internally and external), updating and automating accounting and other processes, enhancing overall operations between the government and tribal businesses, are a few of the other goals she is working toward. Being CEO has been a larger responsibility than she could have imagined, but she is impressed with and thankful for the team that she has joined. “I am surrounded by great people in the workplace. Our directors are amazing, passionate people who understand what we need to do to make our government work and run efficiently. I’m so excited to lead them and to see where we are going,” she said. While there have been a few sleepless nights for the young CEO, who feels the responsibility of caring for 1,200 or so people who live on the reservation, she also has a life outside of the office. She and her wife of six years, Mariah, are foster parents to Brigitte’s niece who “is an amazing four-year-old girl.” She and Mariah, who is the assistant director of athletics and
the women’s basketball coach at Finlandia University, balance careers and family life, and they make time to support causes that
The LaPointe-Dunham family is pictured with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in August 2021.
are important to them. For example, both have been invited to speak and attend LGBTQ events on occasion. “I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community. My partner and I have been together for over a decade now and we take the opportunities to advocate and take action for others who may not have a voice,” LaPointe-Dunham said.
“Now more than ever it’s important to have visible leaders who identify as LGBTQ. It can serve as a comfort
for those who are afraid to speak out or confide in others because of how they identify. “My wife and I are both in leadership positions. It’s important to us to be out there and let people know it’s ok; most people are accepting out
Brigitte (left) and Mariah LaPointe-Dunham perform in costume at the 2018 Dancing With The Stars - Marquette County Style fundraiser for U.P. Home Health and Hospice. The LaPointe-Dunhams were the first LGBTQ couple to participate in the event.
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there. Everyone won’t be accepting, but at the end of the day, you have to have a backbone and you are who you are,” she said. In 2018, Brigitte and Mariah were the first LGBTQ couple to participate in the “Dancing With the Stars-Marquette County Style” competition, a fundraiser that supports U.P. Home Health and Hospice. Their performances were dedicated to empowerment of women and supporting the LGBTQ community. Spending time with her family is important to LaPointe-Dunham. Speaking of family, an interesting fact about LaPointe-Dunham is that she has an identical twin sister in Marquette, Cheryne Clements, who along with her husband owns and operates the Marquette Fitbody Boot Camp. She also enjoys cooking, weight training, time with the family pets (a dog and two cats) and traveling. LaPointe-Dunham also coaches fifth and sixth-grade girls basketball at Baraga School. She says it’s a way to keep kids active and to give back to the sport that has given so much to her. LaPointe-Dunham is interested in tradition and was pleasantly surprised to learn that in many Native American traditions people who don’t fit comfortably into one gender or the other are called “twospirited.” It is an ability that allows a person to see through the eyes of both genders. “Two-spirits are considered caretakers of the community,” which was not lost upon the young CEO who aspires to improve life on the reservation. “It’s a very special gift.” She also likes to study the tribal constitution and code, and aspires to become a “walking, tribal government encyclopedia,” she says laughing, though she is serious about learning it all. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community may face a lot of challenges, but in Brigitte LaPointeDunham it has a dedicated caretaker at the helm, one who knows what it takes and is driven to succeed. MM About the author: Joseph Zyble is an award-winning journalist and editor. This will be his final issue serving as an editor at Marquette Monthly. However, he still plans to submit occasional articles.
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No. 0123
PLAYING THE HITS
Reprinted from the New York Times
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79 ____ Lilly (pharmaceutical giant) 80 ‘‘Jeez!’’ 82 Actress Garr 85 Beach shaper 86 Only player to win the US Chess Champion ship with no losses or draws 88 Darling 91 Harbor helper 92 ____ story (tale of a car company’s bankruptcy?) 93 CHAN__E __PPEA__ANCE TO CONCEA__ __ __D MISLEA__ (No. 1, 1968) 97 Islamic spirit 99 Brand of insecticide strips 100 Madhouses 101 TITTLE-TATTLE (No. 16, 2011) 103 Opposite of post105 Airline posting 109 Furnace for calcium oxide production 110 ENT I CEMENT (No. 1, 1983) 114 Big club in Las Vegas? 115 The final word 116 Give a lift 117 Know-it-all 118 ‘‘____ Como Va’’ (Santana hit) 119 Female Olympian of note 120 Palindromic battlers 121 Place of worship whose 3rd, 4th and 5th letters are appropriate DOWN 1 One of eight in a stick of butter: Abbr. 2 Jolly laugh 3 Dec. 24 and 31, e.g.
Answer Key To check your answers, see Page 59. No cheating!
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Minor accident Mary ____ Evans a.k.a. George Eliot Opposite of paleoMemo abbr. When doubled, Hawaiian food fish 9 Pique 10 Terk in Disney’s “Tarzan,’’ e.g. 11 Opera with the aria ‘‘Ave Maria’’ 12 Naval engineer 13 Air traveler’s accumulation 14 Quint’s boat in ‘‘Jaws’’ 15 Enclosure for a bike chain and sprockets 16 180 17 Arthur who invented the crossword puzzle (1913) 18 Overgrown, say 24 Kind of terrier 26 Young chicken, e.g. 30 Actress Tyler 32 Move barefoot across a scorchingly hot beach, maybe 33 Shock’s partner 34 Throw ____ (rant and rave) 36 No longer frozen 37 Kind 38 Crop up 39 Chafe 40 Out of gas, informally 41 Internet ending that’s also an ending for inter44 Part of the brainstem 45 Chatter 46 Greek letter that might follow ‘‘z’’ 48 Affix, in a way 50 Eyelashes 51 Ketchup brand 52 ‘‘One ____-dingy’’ (Ernestine the operator’s catchphrase on ‘‘Laugh-In’’) 55 Arch type 56 Landlord’s due 57 Petrol unit 58 Surgically remove 60 Unearthed 61 Mi, in a C major scale
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at the table
Chickpeas are a welcome addition to the table in any season.
Beans? Peas? Garbanzos are delicious no matter what they’re called Story and photo by Katherine Larson
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hy are they called “chickpeas” when they aren’t peas and have nothing to do with chicks? Why are they called “garbanzo beans” when they aren’t beans and who the heck knows what a garbanzo is? The answers are found deep in the labyrinth of etymological development, too complex for details here. But those who remember their high school Latin may recall that the orator Cicero got his name from cicer, which is what his contemporaries called chickpeas, while those fluent in Basque may recognize “garbanzo” as a warped combination of the words for “dry” and “seed.” Neither peas nor beans, chickpeas fall within the family of pulses or grain legumes, a family that also includes lentils. And chickpeas are extraordinarily eco-friendly; it takes just 43 gallons of water to produce one pound, compared with 216 gallons
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for soybeans and an appalling 368 for peanuts. They also contribute to soil quality by fixing nitrogen in the soil. As for nutrition, here too chickpeas excel. They are high in protein, dietary fiber, folate, iron, phosphorus, and a list of more vitamins than can fit here, along with being exceptionally rich in essential amino acids. Most of all, they taste good. They especially taste good if you cook them yourself rather than buying them in cans. I can hear the groans already: who has time to do this? Why bother? And I sympathize. I myself used to be a working parent of small children, and well do I remember how convenient cans could be. So I wouldn’t suggest this if it didn’t make a real difference. It does. Moreover, while time is involved, that time doesn’t involve the cook. Here’s how: on Saturday afternoon or evening, put a bunch of dried chickpeas into a bowl and cover them with
water so that there’s maybe a couple knuckles’ worth more water than chickpeas. Forget about them. (If you start during the daytime, don’t be surprised if you hear the chickpeas make a little popping noise. This is the sound of each chickpea’s two embryonic leaves, called cotyledons, absorbing water and so moving apart a bit. At night you’ll sleep through it, unless you’re at camp with your bunk bed three feet from the kitchen counter.) Sometime on Sunday, maybe after lunch, drain the soaked chickpeas and put them in your crockpot along with enough water to cover them by, again, another couple knuckles’ worth. Turn the crockpot on high and go about your business. Four hours later they’ll be done. If you don’t have a crockpot, the stovetop works well too, simmering the chickpeas in an uncovered pot for about two hours. It would be best, however, if you were to stay available during that time. If you use a crockpot, feel free to, say, go watch (or play) hockey. Drain the chickpeas and use them right away, or divide them into freezer containers of a size that suits your eaters’ needs and freeze them for future use. The next time you want chickpeas, pull out one of those containers and — ta-da! — you’re all set to go. How much? One pound of dried chickpeas, by this method, makes about one and a quarter pounds of cooked, providing enough for two meals, each of which could feed four. Multiply or divide as you wish. The kind you make yourself have a wonderfully nutty, savory flavor, and their texture is pleasant to the bite. But canned chickpeas are far better than no chickpeas at all; please don’t let my enthusiasms drive you away from them altogether. So what do you do with those chickpeas now you made them, or now that you opened the can? In the summer, it’s hard to beat a salad of cooked chickpeas, a bit of salmon or lake trout (canned is fine), and a little chopped celery and onion, lightly sprinkled with your favorite dressing. If you’re making snacks, fried chickpeas sprinkled with spices — maybe crushed fennel seeds and red pepper flakes, or perhaps rosemary and garlic — are hard to beat. But it’s not summer right now; winter’s winds howl around us and snow lies thick on the ground and we want a
full meal. Here are a couple of hearty dishes that will slam the door on the penetrating cold, and taste good besides. The first one is a great way to introduce skittish eaters to the delights of chickpeas: who doesn’t like parmigiana? And it’s a terrific make-ahead recipe, so it too can occupy part of Sunday afternoon then be available in a jiffy for that frazzled Thursday night. To serve four, you’ll want about 10 ounces of cooked chickpeas — the amount you get from cooking half a pound of dried chickpeas or, if necessary, one can’s worth drained and thoroughly rinsed to get rid of as much of the slime as possible. First, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Take a medium eggplant, about a pound’s worth, and slice it crosswise into half-inch-thick circles. (If your eaters will be intimidated by a whole circle of eggplant, there’s no reason the circles can’t be quartered.) Brush olive oil on a sheet pan, brush olive oil on both sides of each slice, place them on the pan and salt them lightly, then put them in the hot oven for about 20 or 25 minutes till lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside. While the eggplant is roasting, make sauce: Sauté a chopped onion in a little olive oil. Add chopped garlic (I use four cloves, but that’s my family’s taste) and dried herbs — basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, if you like a little crushed dried red pepper — plus a couple tablespoons of tomato paste for a minute’s more sautéing. Then add tomatoes. If you were able, last summer, to slow-roast chopped fresh tomatoes until lightly caramelized and then store them in quart-size freezer bags, congratulations! This is the time to pull out one of those bags and add the contents to the pan. Otherwise, a can of tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, can be chopped up and used instead. Let everything simmer together for about half an hour. Then add your chickpeas and about two tablespoons of grated Parmesan or one tablespoon of nutritional yeast and stir everything together, tasting for flavor (salt? pepper?). Back to the eggplant. Alternate layers of tomato/chickpea sauce with layers of eggplant in a lightly oiled oven-safe dish. Sprinkle more Parmesan on top or, to make it vegan, toss dried breadcrumbs with a little olive oil and more nutritional yeast and use that instead.
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“
...a wonderfully nutty, savory flavor, and their texture is pleasant to the bite.
At this point you can wrap the dish up and put it in the fridge to bake later. Or you can bake it now (30 minutes at 350 degrees) and then eat it. Or you can bake it now, let it cool, wrap it up and put it in the fridge, and reheat it later. All work well. I serve mine with some pasta (rotini for preference) or a crusty bread. It’s delectable. The second recipe involves North African flavors for those who enjoy a little pungency. Again it is a superb make-ahead dish; in fact, it will taste better if you make it ahead and let the flavors meld together in the fridge for a day or two. And again you’ll want about ten ounces of cooked, or one can of thoroughly rinsed, chickpeas. First, though, the vegetables. There’s a lot of chopping — a great opportunity for Zen-like meditation if you want quiet, or for kitchen jollification with a willing helper. To be chopped: one large or two medium onions; one jalapeño pepper; four cloves garlic; one inch fresh ginger; one fennel bulb; two carrots; one parsnip; and one turnip. Plus, later, spinach or chard and a quarter-cup of dried apricots. Start with the onions and pepper and sauté them in a several tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the garlic, ginger, and spices: about a teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and paprika, plus a pinch of cayenne and salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring, until they release their fragrance, maybe two minutes. Clear a spot in the middle of the pan and add a squirt of tomato paste, letting it darken another minute. Stir everything up and add the fennel, carrots, parsnip, and turnip. Sauté everything gently, then barely cover the concoction with liquid — water is fine, but vegetable or chicken broth works well too. Bring it all to a simmer, partially
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cover the pan, and let it simmer for about half an hour, until all is tender. Stir in the cooked chickpeas. Now you can let it cool and put it in the fridge for up to a week. Or you can keep on going, if you prefer. When you’re ready to eat, heat it all up again. Add the chopped greens and the chopped dried apricots, plus a couple tablespoons of preserved lemon (see below). Let everything simmer for five minutes, then serve over rice or couscous, garnished with cilantro or Italian parsley if you like. The flavors are superb, and the whole dish is redolent of good health. Oh, yes, the preserved lemon: if you don’t have a fancy jar of this stuff from Trader Joe’s, here’s a terrific household hack. When you have a spare minute in the kitchen, slice open a whole lemon, remove the seeds, and chop it up finely, peel and all. Stir in half a tablespoon of sugar and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and let it sit, covered, at room temperature for three or four hours. This will last in the fridge for a week or more. The portion that you don’t use in your chickpea stew is scrumptious, tucked between the skin and the meat of a whole chicken or chicken parts and then roasted with some potatoes… Chickpeas have a long and honorable history in feeding humans. Archaeologists have even found them buried beneath Jericho in the West Bank, so deep that they predate any pottery — maybe 10,000 years ago. If you haven’t yet joined the party, now’s your time. MM About the author: Katherine Larson is a writer, teacher, and former lawyer, with a special passion for food justice.
sporting life
The 13th running of the Copperdog 150 races will be held the weekend of Friday, March 4, to Sunday, March 6. (Brock It, Inc. photo)
COPPERDOG
Dedicated volunteers help make sled dog race great By Joseph Zyble
O
n a late-winter’s eve, the streets of Calumet will come alive with spectators from near and far who’ll join in a festival-like atmosphere to celebrate and cheer on racers and their teams at the start of the 2022 Copperdog 150. This will be the 13th year for Michigan’s northernmost sled dog competition, which will be held Friday to Sunday, March 4 to 6. The
starting line celebration begins early Friday evening with the intermittent release of teams beginning at 7 p.m. This year’s competition is expected to host some 50 sled dog teams primarily from the Midwest, but several teams will travel from states including Oregon, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, one from Maryland and another from Ontario, Canada.
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Volunteer dog handlers keep the dogs steady near the starting line during the 2019 Copperdog 150. (Photo by Brock It, Inc.)
The Copperdog offers three options for racers to compete in: the premier 150 race (approximately 122 miles), the Copperdog 80 (72 miles), and the Copperdog 25 (about 14 miles). Kelly Probst, assistant race director, said organizers are expecting a more typical year than last year’s event, which was held before COVID vaccines were made widely available. “Just like everything else, COVID was a huge issue for Copperdog. We vacillated for weeks on should we or should we not do the race. Almost all of the other races were canceled,” she said. Recognizing that sled dog racing is a socially distant sport by nature, the board of directors for the Copperdog elected to move forward with last year’s race minus the community celebration aspect. “We worked hard with our local health department and followed all the rules set by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and pulled off an event that was legendary. It was simple and fun. The racers were thrilled to be able to race. For most, it was their only race of the season,” Probst said. This year will see a more traditional starting line celebration as hundreds of people are expected to gather downtown. There will be music, bonfires, food and beverage vendors, and more. Tons of snow will be hauled in and packed down on Fifth Street to convert into part of a one-mile “snow road” for mushers to get a fast start. “It is awesome. People are four rows deep along the length of Fifth Street. They line the fence to be close to the
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teams as they head out. It is extremely high energy, electric,” Probst said. In addition, many of the downtown businesses remain open during the starting celebration for shopping, dining and so forth. Once the last sled dog team is out of the gate, a fireworks display will light up the skies above Calumet. As mushers begin the 150 course Friday evening, they’ll travel east to Gay, then will follow snowmobile trails back west to Eagle Harbor. Day two sends the mushers along a trail that winds its way up to Copper Harbor. On Sunday, the final leg of the race takes the teams back to Eagle Harbor in the final dash to the finish line. The shorter Copperdog 80 is held Saturday and Sunday, and the Copperdog 25 is a “sprint race” that is held in Copper Harbor on Saturday. Prizes for the winners include an $18,000 purse for the winner of the Copperdog 150; $6,000 for the winner of the Copperdog 80; and $2,000 for the Copperdog 25 winner. Geri Minard is a 22-year, veteran sled dog racer who has competed in more than 50 races in her career and has traveled for events in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Maine. The Newberry resident has competed in each of the three events offered at the Copperdog, and will race in the sprint competition this year. One special aspect of the Copperdog for Minard is the spectacular, rugged beauty of the trek through the Copper Country. “The trail system has gone over Brockway Mountain in the past. It’s a
RACES RETURN
UP200, Midnight Run, Jack Pine 30 are back this year By Jonny Bahk-Halberg
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o big changes are forecast for the annual UP200, Midnight Run, and Jackpine 30 sled dog races set for this month. And that’s a good thing, organizers say. Organizers have had to deal with unpredictable conditions since the first UP200 in 1990, according to Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association President Darlene Walch. “We’ve had too much snow, too little snow, blizzards -- more than one -- over the 30 years we’ve been doing this race.” she said. But 2021 was the first year that the event was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “We are looking forward to having the races return and having things as close to normal as possible,” Walch said. According to Walch, 18 sled dog teams and drivers are registered for the UP200 so far, 14 teams for the Midnight Run, and 11 for the Jack Pine 30. She said more racers are expected to sign up before the races begin. The UP200, a 230-mile race run by 12-dog teams, starts at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18th, from the center of downtown Marquette at the intersection of Fourth and Washington streets. The total purse top racers will share is set at $32,500. From Marquette, sled dogs run east along the Lake Superior shoreline before heading inland south and east to a rest stop at Wetmore. Teams then head northeast through the U.P. wilderness to the Lake Superior shoreline at the Grand Marais Checkpoint, where they again get some rest before heading back to Marquette. Mushers and dogs will finish back in Marquette on Sunday. “We’d been doing some re-routing the last couple years (before last year’s cancellation), but the trails this time are more like they were a few years ago now,” Walch said. “We’re back to normal.” This year’s UP200 will be the 32nd running of the UP200, after last year’s cancellation, and spectators can expect to see a full field of competitors. Registered racers this year are coming from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine, New Hampshire, Alaska, Colorado, and one from Quebec, Canada, even with the tightened Covid border restrictions. One musher even listed an address in Florida, according to Walch. The UP200 is a qualifying event for this year’s 50th running of the famed long-distance Iditarod trail sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska in March. The Iditarod race covers a 938-mile tundra route which teams take from eight to 15 days to travel. Back in the U.P., the Midnight Run also starts from downtown Marquette 30 minutes after the last UP200
A scene from the 2018 UP200 in downtown Marquette. (Photo by Carly Antor)
contender has hit the trail Feb. 18th – but not before 8:30 p.m. This 82-mile race is run by teams of eight dogs and is usually faster than the UP200. The route runs from Marquette east to Chatham, where dogs and drivers get some food and rest before heading back along the same route to Marquette, with a finish at the Ojibwa Casino east of Marquette. Midnight Run racers compete for a share of a $12,575 purse. The Jack Pine 30, run by six-dog teams, starts from Gwinn’s First Baptist Church on North Billings Street at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19th. This 26-mile race follows trails north through forest trails to Sands Station, where it turns southeast and takes a loop before returning along the same route. Spectators can watch the start and finish of this shorter race in just a few hours, with an awards ceremony tentatively set for 2:15 p.m. back at the First Baptist Church. Top finishers in the Jack Pine 30 will share a total purse of $1,310. A five-day weekend of events starts on the Thursday, Feb. 17th with UP200 and Midnight Run musher meetings and a pre-race banquet at the Holiday Inn in Marquette. The UP200, Midnight Run, and Jack Pine 30 racing action will run Friday the 18th, Saturday the 19th,and Sunday 20th, with an awards breakfast set for 8 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 21st, also at the Holiday Inn. Walch offered a few suggestions for those wondering about the best place to watch the racers. “The downtown start is a great place to get in on all
the hoopla,” she said. “But it’s really nice to watch the teams go by along the trail; you can get more of a realistic view.” For those who want to get a look at the racers along the race route, the Mush Bus is back this year, and will take spectators on Saturday Feb. 19th to the Grand Marais check point for the afternoon, leaving from Marquette with a stop in Munising. Details on how to reserve a seat on the bus are at UP200.org. For those who want to watch along the race route on their own, Walch had a few more tips: First, spectators need to dress warmly no matter where on the race route they’re watching from. “It is a winter race after all.” She also strongly recommended that all race viewers follow Covid protocols as far as vaccinations and distancing; “Don’t come if you’re sick, obviously.” Another thing Walch reminded spectators about was to stay well clear of race trails. “Stay off the trails,” she advised. “It’s not a safe place to be.” Getting that perfect photo may seem important, but not if it interferes with the competition. And leave your pets at home, Walch said. “Definitely don’t bring your animals: dogs, cats, ferrets, whatever. Animals can cause a lot of chaos with the dog teams.” Finally, Walch advised, “If you take photos at night, please don’t use your flash. You know what that can be like to have a camera flash go off in your eyes. It’s really distracting for the racers and the teams.” Besides being a tradition that audiences from all over the U.P. and beyond have come to enjoy, the UP200 and other associated sled dog races bring financial benefits to the region. “These events are very important from both an economic and a cultural standpoint,” Walch said. “An economic survey in 2020 showed that it brings an additional $2 million in benefits into Marquette and Alger counties.” But perhaps as importantly, “It’s just a fun event,” Walch said, adding that there are still plenty of opportunities for people who want to volunteer to help with the races this year. For more details about the three local sled dog races, all the events, how to get involved, and other information, check the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association’s website, UP200.org. About the Author: After more than two decades working with universities in Seoul, writer/editor/teacher Jonny Bahk-Halberg brought his family back to his favorite place in the Western Hemisphere – the shores
of Lake Superior. He can be reached at jonny@jonnybh.com
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pretty awesome experience to view Lake Superior on a dog team from atop the mountain,” she said. Tom Bauer, a resident of Tapiola in Houghton County, got into the sport to give his very active dogs exercise. He enjoyed the activity and his first competitive race was the very first UP200 held in Marquette in 1990. Since then he has raced all of the U.P. races, including each of the Copperdog races multiple times, and has competed in events in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario. “As I got into racing, and adding more and more dogs, up to a 10-dog team, it was more fun because you could go farther and longer. Did some camping with the dogs.” Bauer, who owns Otter River Sled Dog Training Center and Wilderness Adventure, said the Copperdog is special, not only because of the close proximity for him, but also because it is truly a community effort and a labor of love. “It’s run by a lot of people who have become my friends and family,” Bauer said. He’s one of many people who support the Copperdog in a variety of ways. For his part, Bauer was
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among those who recently provided sled dog rides as part of a fundraiser for the Copperdog. In late February he’ll operate a dog team for training Copperdog volunteer crews about how to keep sled teams and others safe at road crossings during the race. Minard was also impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of volunteers and board members. “They’re a group of very passionate people who take great pride in putting on a premier sled dog race. A number of these people have become very good friends of my husband and I,” she said. The Copperdog 150 events could not happen without the collaboration of communities throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. Probst said volunteers are mainly local, but some also travel from Wisconsin, lower Michigan and even further to help out. “It is 100 percent powered by volunteers, from the board of directors and race leaders, all the way down to the dog handlers,” Probst said. “It takes approximately 600 volunteers to pull off a race. The board works year round, but race weekend would not happen without all the volunteers who
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sign up to help,” she said. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks: parking, road crossings, timing, dog handling, trail crew, and more. A volunteer dashboard can be found on the organizations website, copperdog150.com, where anyone can sign up for available positions. “Every year we meet our volunteer expectations,” Probst added. “It’s humbling. We love our volunteers.” The Copperdog 150 is a lot of work but it also helps out the local economy and gives people something to look forward to in the later part of winter. Probst got involved as a volunteer dog handler in 2010. She held several volunteer positions over the years, eventually joining the board, and last year was invited by her brother, Race Director John Bryant, to be the assistant race director. “We are the first brother-sister race director team for Copperdog. It is a family affair,” she said, noting that her husband is on the timing crew and her kids help assist with dog handling at the finish line in Eagle Harbor. There seems to be no shortage of interest in the sled dog sport. Bauer’s business lent support to a fledgling sled dog club at
Michigan Tech several years ago and it has grown steadily. He is also busy teaching the sport and has 63 dogs, the number needed so they can all get proper rest when not training with customers. Bauer would likely continue to keep a sled dog team even if there were no competitions. “There’s nothing more satisfying and contemplative than running down a trail in winter with 10 dogs in front of you away from the noise,” he said. “It’s just a peaceful time.” Minard also makes sled dogs a priority: “I love the physical activity, the outdoors and dogs. Dog mushing is the perfect blend of all three,” she said. “It’s an incredible experience to be on the runners of a team of dogs where there is mutual trust between you and your fourlegged best friends. The dogs are our family and I wouldn’t trade our lifestyle for anything in the world.” For more information visit www. copperdog150.com or go to the organization’s Facebook page. MM About the author: Joseph Zyble is a writer, editor and long-time amateur euchre player who lives in Negaunee.
the arts
Northern Michigan University student and Marquette native Caitlin Palomaki conducts the Arts Chorale at the university.
MUSICALLY MINDED
Student sings, plays, conducts and teaches music By Katherine Larson •
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Photos courtesy of Caitlin Palomaki
ratitude tumbles forth from Caitlin Palomaki for all the many teachers and mentors on her way. Most of all, her mother. “She was my first real teacher. She was adamant that music would be a part of our lives,” and music is now at the core of Palomaki’s. A senior at Northern Michigan University, Palomaki hopes to build a career blending music education with performing her own craft. She’s well on her way. Superior Arts Youth Theater provided the anchor throughout her childhood. “I’ve been participating since 2008,” when she herself was just eight. “I found so much joy there. Choir felt like home, but Youth Theater was where I really fit.” And where she continues to fit: Palomaki’s first leadership experience came at the invitation of SAYT director Jalina McClain. “We’ve always been close, and when I aged out of the youth theater she asked if I would start working on music direction with Sara Parks as my mentor,” she said. The result was SAYT’s summer 2019 performance of Into the Woods Jr. “It was amazing. I loved working with children of those ages,” five to fourteen. “They accomplished so much, and they were, rightfully, so proud of what they
accomplished.” The leap from Into the Woods Jr. to The Full Monty, a raucous adult musical involving six unemployed steelworkers who decide to present a striptease act, seems like a big one, but Palomaki accomplished it that same fall. “I was just in my second semester of formal music classes at Northern, and it was really intimidating trying to teach my peers. Thankfully, Dr. [Erin] Colwitz and Dr. [Barbara] Ranier helped me get past that selfdoubt. They emphasized that I knew what I was talking about, and shouldn’t be afraid to
share it with others,” she said. With a pause for the pandemic, Palomaki’s work in musical theater will blossom again in March 2022, leading Seussical the Musical for SAYT. This time the age range will span kindergarten through twelfth grade, and the music is far more complex. “There are basically two harmonies in Into the Woods Jr.,” she explained. “Seussical uses the full harmonic spectrum, and it’s beautiful. I didn’t want to take that richness away from them, so I taught it in its full depth. “They nailed it!” Palomaki said, “It’s amazing to see what kids can do. When you believe in them, they believe in themselves.”
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In the meantime, Palomaki was working on learning and making music herself. Jan Brodersen, recently-retired choir director at Marquette Senior High School, was “so special. She engaged and challenged us. She allowed us to stretch for what we wanted to do, and taught us how to do it,” she said. Aiming for and achieving the Michigan School Vocal Music Association’s Honors Choir helped. “I’m a bit competitive, and that drove me to work harder and helped me fine-tune my voice,” she said. At NMU, Palomaki started formal voice lessons, first with Robert Engelhart and now with Rebecca Patterson. “It’s been amazing. I’m learning technical aspects of singing, including all the connected anatomy—muscles, body parts, everything involved” in making the sound emerge. This work and Colwitz’s encouragement led Palomaki to audition for UPstarts in 2020. “Dr. Colwitz helped me realize how important it was for me to exercise my own craft, not just teach it,” Palomaki said. UPstarts, a program of the Pine Mountain Music Festival, accepts by audition artists from the Upper Peninsula, ages 16 to 30, who are pursuing careers in music. Marquette singers Curt Rogan and Liz Grugin were accepted, along with Palomaki, for what became performances in summer 2021 events. Palomaki is still aglow from the experience. “Because of the pandemic, we had to wait a whole year to perform. In fact, for me, the UPstarts concerts were my first time back on
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stage since Covid-19 started. It was awesome to be in front of live audiences, singing. And it was really awesome to perform with other young musicians from beyond Marquette. We’re not a large town, and it’s hard for me to assess my own competence. But UPstarts taught me that I do have something to offer,” Palomaki said. She felt particularly honored to work with Miles Mykkanen, a tenor with New York’s Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. “We don’t really have operatic studios here in Marquette, and I learned so
Caitlin Palomaki sings and plays the keytar on Christmas Eve as a member of the Worship Team at NorthIron Church.
The Lyra Eight is a college vocal ensemble that includes Caitlin Palomaki; she is pictured at far right. The ensemble performs selections from a variety of genres and recently sang carols at the grand opening of the new Beacon House in Marquette.
much” as she prepared and performed her own operatic aria, “Quel guardo, il cavaliere” from Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. When it comes to conducting, Palomaki counts Colwitz as her biggest mentor. “Dr. Colwitz started a program of student choral conducting at Northern—every year she picks two students. For the last two years Curt [Rogan] has done it for the University Choir and I’ve done it for the Arts Ensemble. We help with administration and then conduct at least one work per semester in concert. Dr. Colwitz mentors us through the whole process of how to teach through conducting. It’s awesome.” Colwitz also chose Palomaki as her student pit conductor for NMU’s December 2021 production of Elf the Musical. Colwitz, who serves as president of the Michigan chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, was similarly instrumental in enabling Palomaki to take a master class in October 2021 with Bridget Sweet, a professor of choral music education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Caitlin Palomaki performs at a vocal recital accompanied by piano.
This event took place in an auditorium full of music teachers, “big names in the choir world,” Palomaki explained, “The people who directed the honors choirs I sang in were in the
audience!” She was asked to conduct a middle school-level honors choir whom she had never even met before, and then Sweet critiqued her conducting. “It
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was fifteen minutes of critique, but it was so intense and taught me so much—to go beyond the beat, to use my whole body. A fantastic learning experience.” Palomaki’s musical world is not all competitions and performances. A year ago, she was thinking about how much she had loved singing in octets in high school. “With one or two people to a part, the voices blend and harmonize so beautifully,” she said. So she approached fellow music majors and ended up forming an octet, The Lyra Eight. “We got together and started choosing music and rehearsing. It’s a real group effort. We put on our first concert in September 2021,” and they planned holiday music in December as well. Palomaki hopes for a career that pulls together all these strands—the conducting and the performing, the singing and the teaching. Hers is a talent to watch. MM About the author: Katherine Larson is a writer, teacher, and former lawyer who loves music.
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in the outdoors
A thousand shades of orange, red and yellow coalesce to paint the skies and dance among the ripples atop Lake Superior during this sunrise. (Photo courtesy of Carole Pence)
RISING, SHINING A tale of two sunrisers By Jackie Stark
A Sunrise With Bugsy
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he temperature was in the single digits as Bugsy Sailor walked down the beach at Clark Lambros’ Park in Marquette the morning of January 11. Clad in full snow gear – snowpants, warm jacket with the hood pulled up over a knit cap, boots and two sets of gloves -- his face was the only part of him exposed to the wind. Even then, it was just his cheekbones and clear blue eyes squinting against the unrelenting gusts of wintry air. The frozen beach cracked underneath his feet as he headed down along the shoreline, looking for the best place to set up his tripod, a
camera hanging from a strap around his neck. The sound of the lake pushing up on the ice and receding again with each wave formed a loud rhythm, punctuated by the whipping of the wind as it rose and fell to its own, more sporadic beat. The sky was grey that morning. It was clear this was not going to be a classically beautiful sunrise. “This is a photo that I’ve gotten a gazillion of them, I’ve seen a lot that look just like this,” Sailor said, raising his voice to be heard over the elements to explain that day’s photograph would likely include the sky and water split in the middle by the horizon. “A lot of those photos are
just split in half, I always love them. That’s the reality of it. I’m not always looking for something with a view.” Most people living in Marquette have seen the majestic sunrises over the lake from their bedroom windows, their backyards and streets lit up in brilliant oranges, pinks and purples, but few make it a point to get up out of bed and truly see it – to be at the place where the land ends and the water begins to watch it happen in real time as an intentional act. That day, as the grey sky simply became lighter with the rising of the sun, it was Sailor’s 1,107th such pilgrimage. “If you just Google ‘sunrise photography,’ all you’re going to see is the oranges and the pinks and the purples. You’re not going to see the greys, which has its own beauty and experience,” Sailor said, warming up in a local coffee shop after getting his January 11, 2022 sunrise photo. “I’m very much a fan of inclement weather and encourage people to get out in the cold and the rain and the snow – so long as you dress appropriately it’s not bad.” Sailor is no stranger to inclement
weather and hasn’t let that or illness or any of a myriad of reasons stop him from continuing his sunrise journey – a journey that truly began nearly a decade ago, with an annual tradition to watch the sun rise on January 1. “It was six or seven years before realizing, ‘I really enjoy this thing I do, but I sure don’t do it from one January to the next.’” Sailor said. “So, 2019 came around and I was like, ‘What if I made it a New Year’s Resolution to watch every sunrise in 2019?’ That’s how it started.” Sailor said he never expected to continue past that first year – in fact the anxiety of sticking to his resolution brought mounting concern as the days waned in 2019. “That first year was a lot of pressure because that was the mission – one year. And it seemed so daunting,” he said. “Those last few of the year, it’s like panic sleep, what if my alarm doesn’t go off? But I accomplished what I set out to do. Now, I’m doing it a little lighter on my feet … a little more relaxed in it, but still very invested in the process and in that routine.” For the first year of his new daily
activity, Sailor uploaded his sunrise photographs to a dedicated website, yearofthesunrise.com. Then, the daily routine that was born from a New Year’s resolution led into the first global pandemic in 100 years. At the start of 2020, he figured he’d continue taking sunrise photos as long as he felt like it, and then the world turned upside down and he found himself simply looking for something to do. So he began posting sunrise photos on his social media channels (@BugsySailor on Facebook and Instagram). “My mindset has changed. The first three years I did for myself,” Sailor said. “Now I’m moving to a mindset that I’m doing this for the people now.” Sailor said he hears from people who look forward to seeing his daily sunrise photos (he also now includes short videos of the lake since he’s posting daily on social media). Some people just like to see the photographs, while others find a deeper meaning in the images. He told the story of someone who had lost a loved one, reaching out to him to let him know his photographs gave
them some sense of comfort as they grieved. It’s clear to Sailor that what started as a project meant to help improve his own life has now taken on a larger form. But it has also left the lasting impression he hoped it would. “It absolutely has affected me, which was part of the intent. It’s absolutely my meditation now,” Sailor said. “It’s my moment of solitude in the day, my moment to reflect, my moment to start the day on the right footing. I think it’s allowed me to be more calm, to be more aware and present with whatever challenges life throws at you.” It also allows him to live out his own worldview of “wanting to put some joy into the world.” “The motto of all of this has been ‘The sun still rises,’” Sailor said. “And mornings like today, grey, so common throughout the winter – but the sun still rises.” Visit yearofthesunrise.com to see Sailor’s full slate of 2019 photographs, or visit the gallery wall located in his business – UP Supply Company, located on Washington Street in downtown Marquette.
Every morning, even in winter, Bugsy Sailor tries to capture the sunrise, whether bright and colorful or shades of gray. (Jackie Stark photo)
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The sun rises behind Marquette’s iconic landmark, the old ore dock. (Sunrise photos on this page courtesy of Carole Pence)
A Sunrise With Carole
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or so many people, calling the Upper Peninsula home means finding a way to be outside. In a place that holds 29 percent of Michigan’s total land area, but just 3 percent of its population, it would seem time spent outdoors is what most UP residents crave. When it comes to Carole Pence’s need to be outside, she’s found what she’s looking for – and it’s not too far from her front door.
“At McCarty’s Cove, there’s something about that place, right where you walk down to the beach and you’re in that area, it’s like there’s a soul connection,” Pence said. “You get a sense that, ‘Gosh, there’s been hundreds of other people who have done this exact same thing. They’ve stood here and they’ve sensed that power and that presence.’” It’s a place that Pence finds herself almost every single morning, watching the sun come up over the lake, and
A spectacular sunrise over Lake Superior as viewed from Marquette
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feeling that sense of calm that comes with knowing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. “I do believe that there are moments when you’re at the beach and the sun is beginning to rise and the brilliant color explodes, and you’re just simply blessed with seeing God’s artistry,” she said. “It’s so lucky when you catch it.” Pence attempts to catch that moment of artistry every day, from the grayest of winter mornings to the most spectacular displays of summer sunrises, with a photo. She then posts that photo on social media as a way to lift spirits during a difficult time. “When Covid hit, I made a decision to create a positive intention every day, so people on my social media would have a good day during Covid, to show people beauty,” she said. This daily habit of hers brought her to McCarty’s Cove yet again one January morning, accompanied by her friend, retired Marquette Area Public Schools teacher Karen Bacula. The pair often walk the beach together. They first met more than 20 years ago on a Sister City trip to Japan. With no contact in the interim, they ran into each other on the beach during a sunrise. “We both started walking the beach, and one day we were like, ‘Wait a second,’” Bacula said with a laugh, as she told of the story of when they recognized each other. They’ve been walking the beach together ever since, with no hard plans to meet. Each just knows it’s likely the other will be there, down at McCarty’s just before the sun rises every morning. “Sometimes we don’t even cross paths, depending on busy mornings or weather,” Bacula said. For Bacula, the sunrise walks are a great way to experience something in a new way. “That’s the beauty of coming down here. Every day is a different thing,” she said. “Sometimes when you think the sun is going to be big and brilliant, it’s nothing. Other days, you’re like, ‘It’s calm, not much going on’ and something happens.” Most mornings the sunrise watch is a community event for Bacula and Pence, walking along the beach to watch the sun greet the lake. A community event that also involves plenty of other sunrise club members, including Marquette resident Dan Barrington, who appeared around the corner as they strolled the beach that January
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On a chilly winter morning, Carol Pence and Karen Bacula await the sunrise at McCarty’s Cove in downtown Marquette. During the Covid pandemic, Pence attempts to capture a moment of “God’s artistry” every day and post it on social media to lift others’ spirits. (Jackie Stark photo)
morning. They greeted each other with a friendly smile and began to walk together, talking about what the beach has looked like at this time of year in years past, the way the rocks and sand change depending on the temperature and precipitation. And, on a more narrow timescale, just the changes along the beach from the day before, how much ice has accumulated on the sand, the balls of ice that were there the day before but had disappeared by this particular morning. Barrington has been interested in the sunrise for decades, but only recently was able to start making it a point to see it from the beach. A recent retiree from RTI Surgical, Barrington worked the early shift and would often watch the sky from work. “There’s a window that faces east on that side of the building so I would go there … I could see the sunrise and I’d always be thinking, ‘I wish I was down there,’” Barrington said. Now, his weekend sunrise trips have turned into nearly daily ones, where he sometimes runs into Pence or Bacula or other daily sunrisers, who get to share unique experiences together. Bacula and Barrington recalled one morning when they were surprised to find butterflies all lined up at the water’s edge. “It was like they’d come this far and they were like, ‘No, we’re not going any farther,” Barrington said. They also remembered a more recent day when they stumbled across
some wildlife that was out of place for the season. “This fall, Dan and I were seeing birds we shouldn’t have been seeing down here,” Bacula said. “There’s this random thing, we watched it on the beach for a half hour.” That community feeling extends outward for Pence, who uses her daily sunrise photos to help bring that moment to others. “I think everybody has to find where they connect in the world and I connect through my pictures and the lake,” Pence said. “I think it’s just something that I’m very lucky to have recognized, that this place is special and it’s something that I can really express my sense of peace and faith… “You can’t do this 800, 900 or a thousand times and not get a sense that the world is so much bigger than what we are.” So every morning, as the sun rises, offering the day’s first beginning, it calls to people with a moment that’s mundane enough to be a daily occurrence, but spectacular enough to pull people to the Lake Superior shoreline day after day after day to see it happen all over again. MM About the author: Jackie Stark has lived in the U.P. since she was 11. An avid reader, she also loves gardening and has been talking about learning to play the guitar for 14 years.
lookout point GILCHRIST VISITS Lt. gov. says state working to support U.P. businesses By Kristy Basolo-Malmsten
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roadband access throughout Upper Michigan. Better access to emergency services in rural areas. Faster, more thorough maintenance of U.P. infrastructure. Sound like pipe dreams? Not to Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, who made his third trip to the U.P. in the last six months. His mission in January was to learn more about the challenges faced by small businesses, rural government and others trying to make a living in the vast Upper Lt. Gov. Garlin Peninsula. Gilchrist “One of the best parts of this job is that it is my responsibility to make it into every community in the state of Michigan,” Gilchrist said. “I’m thankful for the opportunities to connect with people all across the Upper Peninsula.” Growing up in Detroit, Gilchrist had been to Michigan Tech once when he was in high school, but his first real exposure to the U.P. was as an adult. He has made six trips to the U.P. during his tenure as the lieutenant governor, visiting 12 of 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula. Gilchrist was making stops to talk about the Office of Rural Development that was created in early January. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive establishing the Office of Rural Development within the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Office of Rural Development will focus on all rural matters, provide guidance on pressing issues in rural Michigan, and offer insight on how the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration can invest in thriv-
ing rural communities, many of which are found in the U.P. “What I’m struck by is that the people in the U.P. get things done,” he said. “They have the ingenuity to make things happen. Also, that people take care of one another here in a way that I really appreciate and respect.” Creation of the Office of Rural Development will help Whitmer and Gilchrist address the challenges and opportunities faced by rural communities such as those in the Upper Peninsula. “That office is really about how we can optimize our services and resources in the public sector to be able to deliver to communities what they need to realize full economic potential,” he said. Because the office is new, the administration is able to shape what the office becomes. Capitalizing on the potential that is in rural Michigan communities will be key, Gilchrist said. “We want to help people who say, ‘I have an idea,’” he said. “Then let’s make it happen. We’re not interested in doing everything for people, and no one is asking for that. But we want to position our communities for success, foster partnerships and provide infrastructure. I’m excited about what this could mean.” Gilchrist said exact details of the Office of Rural Development are still in the works, but a presence will be felt throughout the U.P. by employees who are from rural Michigan and understand its challenges. “We have talented and ambitious people in Michigan,” he said. “One of these things we’re hoping is to make sure there is an opportunity to help find better matches for people with the jobs they want to have and the businesses they want to start.” The complexities are magnified because of the current pandemic state of the country. However, Gilchrist said
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pushing forward with plans for making Michigan a viable option for those who grow up here to be employed, and to attract others to live here is key for Michigan’s future. Gilchrist identifies with the need to retain Michigan’s homegrown pool of talented professionals in a variety of industries. A graduate of the Detroit public schools who got engineering degrees from the University of Michigan, he too felt he had greater opportunities elsewhere. “I left the state,” he said. “I was gone for nine years. I was a software engineer, and felt I had to leave the state to be successful. My perception was that I had to go to the west coast to do it.” Gilchrist worked for Microsoft in the Seattle area for four years, and then worked for MoveOn.org in Washington, D.C., before returning to Michigan to raise his family. “We need to change the perception so people can see a path for whatever they want to pursue here in Michigan,” he said. “This means investing in building strong communities that are attractive to live in—places where people are excited to live.” He said this means figuring out how to strengthen the magnetic pull of the U.P. and its communities for people to be able to stay or people to be able to come. “Thousands of talented people come through our U.P. universities every year,” he said. “We have an opportunity to retain more of them in the Upper Peninsula. We want you to have your first job here, to do your first thing.” Gilchrist is excited to work on a talent retention strategy, not just for the Upper Peninsula, but for the whole state of Michigan. “We have so much to offer, both Michiganders and the nation,” he said. “How can we tell Michigan’s story in the most compelling way so that people can see themselves in Michigan’s present and Michigan’s future? I welcome the opportunity to figure that out… to help people realize the potential that is here, and how this can be the place they can call home and build a family.” Gilchrist talked about the physical beauty of the area being a pull, as well as trail systems and unique small businesses, such as the ones he visited. “Once Michigan gets its hands on you, we don’t let go,” he said. “We want to find a way for people to live here, and feel like it’s a viable option
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Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II attended the Noquemanon Ski Marathon at Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming on Jan. 22. He is shown here greeting Marquette skier John Gillette. (Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor)
and that they’re not making sacrifices to live in such a beautiful place.” While the exact tasks of the Office for Rural Development are still to be fleshed out, Gilchrist made it clear that a top priority will be connecting Michigan’s communities. He is focused on the challenge of getting affordable, high-speed and high-quality Internet access for everyone in rural Michigan. “Thanks to some federal resources that we have uniquely available to us in Michigan, we have a chance to connect everyone who is not currently connected,” he said. “Better connected communities are more attractive to live in. They raise incomes, they make farms more efficient and offer better educational experiences, even outside of the pandemic setting.” This could be a game-changer for all kinds of industry, he said. And figuring out how to bring broadband to all corners of a state as vast and varying as Michigan could mean great strides for applications throughout our country. During his October visit to the U.P., Gilchrist met with representatives of Highline Internet, which is making progress in this area. “It is remarkable the speed at which Highline has built our gigabyte-level Internet access, leveraging federal resources,” Gilchrist said. “We’re going to get at least $100 million more to connect the state of Michigan.” He said he hopes that money will
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go to accelerate projects that are already happening, but also to serve as an incentive for Internet providers and other businesses to reach the communities that have not already been reached. “These dollars can serve as a challenge to the innovators,” Gilchrist said. “Our geographic profile as a state is unique, but access to high-speed, high-quality Internet in rural communities is a national problem. We want to see more options and more opportunities for success with this.” Gilchrist noted that President Biden has made rural Internet access a priority with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and that it has been a priority of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow for many years, so the ball is already rolling in Michigan. “I know that it’s a good bet to bet on the ingenuity of Michiganders,” he said. “And when we figure it out, there’s an opportunity for that to reverberate nationally.” Gilchrist sees the Office of Rural Development playing an important role in making sure available resources are used in the most needed places. “We’re very excited about what this means,” Gilchrist said. “It’s a representation of our administration’s commitment to rural Michigan, and we’re eager to set up this office in the right way.” During his visit, Gilchrist felt it was important to connect with health care professionals who have been working in a dangerous situation for many
months, and to make sure they could voice concerns over what they need to do their jobs effectively. “On this trip in particular, we wanted to express tremendous gratitude to the health care professionals who make our hospitals tick,” he said. “Their professionalism, courage and tenacity are inspiring over this last 20some months.” Gilchrist stopped at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital in Manistique and OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba. At Schoolcraft Memorial, he thanked the frontline workers for their dedication, and toured the facility to learn about the current building expansion. In Escanaba, he met with frontline workers, and recognized those who were working the drive-thru COVID-19 testing in below-zero weather. He also was able to tour the emergency department and the COVID-19 center where monoclonal antibody treatments are administered. Along the way, he also visited the MDOT office in Newberry, Lake Effect Art Gallery in Manistique, Beaver’s Lures in Escanaba and Iverson Snowshoes in Wetmore. Gilchrist, who describes himself as a two-time recovering entrepreneur, was interested in the challenges and victories of small businesses in the area. He enjoyed meeting with people who have realized their ambitions, and hearing their stories. “I think there are even more people who have their idea for their first business, and I want to let them know that the state of Michigan can meet them and help them make that into a reality,” he said. Gilchrist made a stop at the Lake Effect Art Gallery in Manistique during this visit. In 2021, Lake Effect Community Art Center was approved for a Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Local Small Business matching funds grant program. Getting connected with opportunities like this grant is something the new Office for Rural Development may be able to help communities with. MM About the Author: Kristy Basolo-Malmsten was the Marquette Monthly editor for more than a decade, as well as the owner of God’s Country U.P. Outdoors Magazine. She has a master’s degree in writing from NMU, and lives in Ishpeming. Her day job is as the Senior Center director in Negaunee.
lookout point
HEAVENLY OBJECTIVES Shiras Planetarium reopens after COVID closure, raising funds for needed updates By Pamela Christensen
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alileo, the father of modern astronomy started studying the stars in 1609 and today’s billionaires have created their own space race. In 1969, Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew landed on the moon. Even though mankind has conquered space, there is still a fascination with the heavens. Becky LaBrecque and Jacob Phillips of the Shiras Planetarium may not be astronauts, billionaires, or space travelers, but they help people of all ages reach for the stars through educational and entertaining programs. The Shiras Planetarium was established in 1965 during the height of the space race with funding from the National Defense Act. This funding allowed purchase of a star projector and later, the Shiras Institute provided funding for the planetarium facility. LaBrecque and Phillips carry on the tradition of state-of-theart equipment and informative programs that planetarium fans have come to expect over the past 57 years. LaBrecque serves as director of the planetarium, a very small part of her regular teaching day at Marquette Area Public Schools. In addition to the planetarium, she teaches science courses and supervises the school’s
maker space. When the planetarium was first opened, the facility had one or two full-time staff members dedicated to planetarium operations and programming. With the assistance of Planetarium Assistant Phillips, also a MAPS employee, the two part-time staff provide shows for the public as well as programs for MAPS classes and visiting school districts. Shiras Planetarium reopened on December 16, 2021, with a variety of star and laser shows. The facility had closed on March 7, 2020, due to Covid-19. Planetarium staff did not realize how much their programs were missed by the public. The initial calendar of events grew as shows were quickly sold out. During the final two weeks of December, 14 shows were presented to over 1,000 visitors. Shows included the December Night Sky astronomy program, laser shows highlighting the music of Pink Floyd, Prince and Lizzo. The most popular shows in December were the six Holiday Magic laser shows that combined holiday music and vibrant laser lights. The Holiday Magic shows sold out almost as quickly as they were added to the schedule. “We released the December show schedule and almost immediately the Holiday Magic show sold out. We added another show to
meet demand, and the demand was there. We kept adding shows until we could not add any more. That helped us realize how much people love the planetarium and how excited they were about our reopening”, said LaBrecque. The role of Shiras Planetarium in educating today’s students cannot be overlooked. Planetarium staff book programs and tours for MAPS students and those from other Upper Peninsula schools during the school year. Unfortunately, the planetarium equipment is in desperate need of an upgrade. The current star projector, a Minolta MS-8 star projector was purchased in 1992. This system required the use of 20 additional slide projectors to create the most realistic and customizable star shows. In 2004 a Konica Medial Globe full dome color digital star projector was added to the planetarium. This state-of-the-art unit made the slide projectors obsolete and allowed for the use of digital media. It also allowed for the projection of the star field on the planetarium’s dome and the ability to create immersive scenes that transported the audience into space. At that time, the Shiras Planetarium was the nation’s only planetarium using two star projectors working in tandem. It was considered one of the most modern and well-
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equipped planetariums in the country. In 2015, the Konica projector failed. Technical support, repair and replacement parts were impossible to secure, and the planetarium staff was forced to return to a single projector-the Minolta MS-8. This projector, the backbone of star shows, is now 30 years old. Recognizing the important role the Shiras Planetarium plays in the region, LaBrecque has started planning for an ambitious capital campaign to replace the antiquated digital projection system. Replacing the old star projectors will offer improved technology and expanded programming capabilities. The price to upgrade is expected to be $600,000. Almost $400,000 of this funding has been raised through grants and donations over the past several years. Michigan Representative Sarah Cambensy was instrumental in helping MAPS secure a recent educational enhancement grant of $250,000 to upgrade the system. The Shiras Institute has pledged $100,000 toward the project too. “Funding for the improved system would allow us to do so much more. We could zoom the audience to the stars and planets. We could provide an immersive experience and travel throughout the solar system. The educational possibilities are endless, and this new equipment would not only expand our traditional planetarium offerings but provide so many educational opportunities to Upper Peninsula students and the general public,” says LaBrecque. A barrier-free entrance to the planetarium was completed in 2018. This investment was a welcome addition to the facility that had limited access prior to completion of the project. The seating capacity of the planetarium was reduced to allow space for those using a wheelchair. The current seating was installed in the 1960s and needs to be upgraded. Access for those with disabilities and failing seating has reduced capacity to 50 seats and 5 wheelchair spaces. New seating is estimated to cost approximately $60,000. LaBrecque feels the planetarium offers family friendly programs at a reasonable price. Star show ticket prices are $2 for a child and $3 for an adult. Star shows offer entertainment and educational components. A popular program is Campfire Under the Stars which starts with a quick tour of the planetarium followed by a story and introduction to the planetarium equipment and an abbreviated star show. This program is geared for families with younger children as a first introduction to the
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facility. Longer star programs require a longer attention span, and 8 years and over is the recommended age for these programs. Difficulties with the star projectors have not ended the innovation offered by the Shiras Planetarium. In 2018, LaBrecque dipped her toes into laser shows. The facility owns eight lasers. Initially, they rented prepackaged shows to gauge audience interest. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the laser offerings have expanded from music themed shows to 360-degree films. MAPS students have even created their own laser shows using student-created graphics and music. LaBrecque integrates the lasers with her Science for Inventors class and the MSHS Maker Space. “We start with students selecting a song they love and developing a show around that song. Students use virtual reality, light, sound, and music to create a show that is meaningful to them. Once they get started, the sky is the limit. They can use the lasers for virtual reality, video games, movies, and laser shows. Students have created some amazing projects integrating what they have learned in their classes”, says LaBrecque. Tickets for the laser shows are $10 each. Ticket revenue is used for upgrading and repairing equipment, purchasing supplies and content and toward the capital campaign. The Shiras Planetarium website www.shirasplanetarium.org provides information about the facility and its programs. Donations to the capital campaign can be made through the website or by check sent to Marquette Area Public Schools. A schedule of programs can be found at www.shirasplanetarium.org/ shows/. Tickets can be purchased via the website. Tickets are not sold at the door. The Shiras Planetarium also has an active Facebook account that posts the latest news, schedule of events and gives information about scheduling tours for students. MM About the author: Pam Christensen moved to Marquette 30 years ago when she accepted the position of library director at the Peter White Public Library. She served in that post for over 24 years. Most recently, she was Foundation Manager for the West End Health Foundation, finally hanging up her formal work shoes in May 2021. She and her husband Ralph are in the process of making an off-grid cabin in Nisula their second home.
gift of water All Waters Meet by John Smolens
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n July, Lake Superior’s pastel horizon remains forever out of reach. Though I trim the genoa and harden the main on the Mary B, sailing so close to the wind that the stays and shrouds whistle, I never reach the earth’s rim. There are no boundaries, no edges, only the soft arc where water meets sky. A summer afternoon on the Lake is like sailing away from time. Who hasn’t paused to watch the sun and the moon rise above the Lake? In such moments we can sense the earth turning, a blue timepiece spinning through the celestial sea, an intricate dance of orbiting bodies in perpetual motion. Stargazing scientists suggest that the universe never ends, a notion that is difficult to grasp but I have come to believe it, to accept that we live in a firmament that is part of an eternal cosmos and that our mortality is a necessary contribution to the infinite. When my wife Patricia (Reesha, to friends) was dying of a brain tumor, she spent months in hospice care, confined to a hospital bed, looking out our den windows toward the Lake. I am convinced that she died in stages: repeatedly she went away and she came back, and while away she journeyed out there—wherever there is—and found that it was neither dark nor threatening, that it provided no reward or judgement. Her coming and going was necessary preparation, and when it was time she was ready to go. These days, there is little else I take comfort in, but that is enough: out there beyond the Lake lies eternity and it is not to be feared but embraced. Four years before Reesha died, my mother suffered a massive stroke, which confined her for months to a hospital bed near my sister’s home in Oregon. The last time I sat with my mother she told me what we should do after: spread her ashes on the Lake. The summer days we sailed out from the Lower Harbor reminded her of the
years she spent on Cape Cod. I suggested we could take her to Nantucket Sound, where our father had gone 26 years earlier. She shook her head: The Lake. You don’t want to be near him? I will be, she said. All waters meet. All waters meet gave me a new definition of geography, of distance, of how one thing relates to another. From my den windows I can see where my mother and Reesha are, due east of the rocks in McCarty’s Cove. They are there, yes, but they are everywhere that there is water. They went in on the same day, August 4, four years apart, both days filled with sun, myriad variations of blue, and light breezes. When you pour ashes into the Lake, they turn colors; in the cases of both my mother and wife it was a luminous turquois, which spread and shifted, moving with the mystery of smoke as it drifted down into the darkening water, translucent particles flickering as though alive, finally released in their element. We
Water Preservation • My brother in California is adamant about conserving water. His advice: buckets: Use them in the bathroom, the kitchen, outdoors, anywhere that water flows. Reuse the water wisely. • Purchase bottled water only when necesssary
chose August fourth because it is my brother’s birthday, so on both occasions we returned to my house and commemorated his new year. When it is my turn, my surviving family know where to take me, how to set the sails, how to return and once again celebrate. Latitude and longitude provide certainty and solace. My mother loved to collect seashells on Cape Cod; Reesha to collect beach stones anywhere. You only need hold such a stone in your hand, rounded smooth, to appreciate the inexorable force of water; it is beautiful not just for what it is but for what has been worn away. A beach stone may be the one true manifestation of time. Lake Superior is a relatively young body of water, the result of the most recent glacial age. But what is important is that the Lake was always meant to be; for us it always will be. We are fortunate to live on the shores of eternity. We can see its horizon, and on a summer’s day we can set sail for that place where water meets sky, knowing we can never reach it.
MM
About the Author: John Smolens, NMU professor emeritus, has published 12 books, including Cold, Out, Fire Point, The School Master’s Daughter, Quarantine, and Wolf’s Mouth, a Michigan Notable Book selection. In 2010, he received the Michigan Author Award from the Michigan Library Association. His most recent novel is Day of Days.
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back then
Oversized Dallas Cowboys players had a tough time fitting in NMU dorm rooms and their student-sized beds. (Illustration by Mike McKinney)
THE COWBOYS
Fledgling NFL team held a training camp at NMU By Larry Chabot
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n the summer of 1962, David Blomquist and his wife Mary Lou had just returned from their honeymoon and were livein managers of Carey Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University. Who were their first occupants? Not students, not teachers, but the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. This momentous event, a first-andonly for the U.P., originated when Cowboys vice president Gil Brandt decided to train the team at colleges because they were always open during the summer. He was turned off by the newly created team’s suffering at a college in a western state, where the temperatures hit a scorching 100 degrees during practices. The
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experience at a Midwestern school the Cowboys’ second year was even worse: unscreened windows, bats in the dorm rooms and dimly lit buildings. “So I checked out Northern Michigan University,” said Brandt, “because I knew their coach, Frosty Ferzacca, from our time at Marquette University in Milwaukee. I asked him about the weather, and he assured me that the summer was beautiful, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s every day. Well, at one practice, the temperature was 36 degrees! And there was little grass on the practice field so I had to buy $86 worth of sod.” The big news broke about the illustrious visitors in a banner headline in the Mining Journal in
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June. When the first players and coaches arrived July 12th at the Marquette County Airport, they were greeted by a delegation led by Mayor James Smith and Brandt’s old friend Frosty Ferzacca. The rest of the team flew in a week later. Some players reported late because they had to have off-season jobs to augment their relatively low salaries and skimpy training pay. With the entire group now on the ground in Marquette, the host city was inspired to mount a full-scale welcome, complete with a parade winding through the city from the college to city hall, where players were available to sign autographs. A public plea for convertibles brought enough loaners to provide each
player with a ride. The Holmgren dealership in Ishpeming quickly sent over two cars. The colorful parade featured floats, Dick Lutey’s vintage automobiles, the Ishpeming Blue Notes, the Marquette City Band, a Jobs Daughters entry, and excited football fans from all across the U.P., all led by American Legion Post 44’s color guard. Dignitaries were welcomed by Mayor Smith and Chamber of Commerce head Robley Morrison. A proud Mayor Smith called the city’s welcome “one of the most colorful events of the year.” Back at Carey Hall, the Blomquists welcomed players, coaches, and staff. They were designated by the college to be “house dad and mom” to the
Cowboys, and later to incoming students. The weighty entourage ate, met, and slept in Carey Hall, stuffing themselves at the never-ending buffet prepared by Dining Services Director E.L. Larson. At every meal, rookies were required to stand and sing their school fight song. Dave Blomquist, at Northern to pursue a master’s degree while his wife Mary Lou worked toward her bachelor’s degree, said that the school had a big problem fitting the huge players on the beds in that allfemale hall. Only three players were under six feet tall; most were 6’3” or taller, with the heaviest at 276 pounds. So new beds were ordered. One night, the Blomquists were visited by a few Cowboys, who had heard that this all-female dorm had door and window alarms as security measures. Were they still, ahem, activated, the players wanted to know. When assured that the alarms were de-activated, the boys snuck off to the North End Tavern, at that time considered the go-to bar in the area. Star quarterback Don Meredith went in another direction; a Marquette resident who stopped at a local hotel for a drink found himself at the bar standing next that most-famous Cowboy. Head coach Tom Landry had brought his son, Tom, Jr., to training camp, which made him a prime target for some player mischief. Arming him with a flashlight, shovel, and noisemaker, they sent him into the woods to hunt for snipes, promising him $35 for every snipe he captured. It’d be no problem, they assured him, because the snipes would seek him out. Of course, there were no such critters. The snipe hunt practical joke had been pulled off for years against unsuspecting hunters, as far back as the 1840s. Where to practice? The college field was off-limits because of possible damage from the heavy pros, so practices were run on various open spaces inside the campus. As mentioned earlier, a team official had to buy sod. The practices were a big draw for the public - including high school coaches and players - who ringed the field. Local community groups could hardly pass up the chance to lasso some Cowboys as speakers. Coach Landry, in his remarks, said Marquette provided one of the finest training camps, and Don Meredith claimed that the players appreciated what he called “the cooler
temperatures.” Vice President Brandt drew a laugh when he stated that “the roomy dorm rooms eased problems like snoring.” One of the Cowboy rookies was Dave Manders of Kingsford, who had been an all-state football player and then a star at Michigan State. Dave Blomquist knew Manders because they had worked together at Grede Foundry in Kingsford. Their job was throwing pig iron ingots off railroad cars. Dave could barely lift them while Manders tossed them off easily. After three days as an undrafted walk-on, Manders left the practice field and called home from the Blomquist apartment to notify his family about his decision. That wasn’t the end of Dave Manders and the Dallas Cowboys. He called them the next year, was invited to camp, made the roster, and went on to a great career. Among his highlights were being team captain, a powerful force on the offensive line, and a key member of the squad that won two division titles and a Super Bowl. After practice on August 4, the Cowboys flew to Minnesota for a scrimmage with the Vikings, having flown out of Sawyer Air Force Base because the very heavy boarding party required a longer runway. They also flew from Sawyer to Dallas for a preseason match against the defending league champion Green Bay Packers, who whipped them 31-7. Although team brass liked the Marquette area and generally enjoyed their time here, they found the
A scene from the training camp for the Dallas Cowboys at NMU in 1962. (NMU Archives photo)
weather to be too cold and the site too remote, so they moved their camp to Southern California where they practiced for over 20 years. Head coach Tom Landry led the team for 29 years, which included 20 straight winning seasons and two Super Bowl victories. The former World War II bomber pilot was a sartorial inspiration on the field, always clad in suit and tie, topped by his famous fedora hat. The constant travel took its toll over those many years. Gil Brandt said that he and Landry figured they had spent two full years of their lives on the road, staying in dozens of dorm rooms during all of those training camps. In Dave Blomquist’s opinion, “the Cowboy organization, thanks to Tom Landry, treated the people in Marquette with great respect, realizing that they were guests here. They were all gentlemen.” Quarterback Don Meredith, known as “Dandy Don,” played nine years for the Cowboys, later gaining acclaim as a movie and TV actor and as a commentator on the Monday Night Football show with the irrepressible Howard Cosell and where he often burst into song. The Cowboys only won five games during that 1962 season but by 1967 were playing in the league finals against Green Bay (where they lost again to the Packers). Dave Blomquist was later superintendent of schools at St. Ignace and Kingsford, and taught education administration at Northern Michigan University until his retirement. Mary Lou, who served as secretary to Tom Landry and Gil Brandt during the training camp period, had a career in counseling and social work. Michigan’s home state team, the Detroit Lions, are not known to have held training camps in the U.P., although they summered in nine different Lower Peninsula cities. The hockey Red Wings, however, were often in the Sault Ste. Marie area, and played a “road game” at Marquette Branch Prison in 1954 against a team of prison staff and inmates. The Wings led 18-0 after one period, after which no score was kept. MM About the author: Larry Chabot has written more than 160 mostly historical stories for the Marquette Monthly over the past 23 years. He also authored U.P. history books about World War II and the Civilian Conservation Corps.
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lookout point
Dinosaurs of ice and snow appear to roam the grounds of Michigan Technological University’s campus during a past Winter Carnival held there. 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the annual winter festival. (MTU photo)
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Michigan Tech’s very first winter carnival held in 1922 By Kathleen Carlton Johnson
M
ichigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival, held Feb. 9 to 12 this year, is well known by almost everyone living in the U.P. Perhaps you have been a participant or fortunate enough to walk past the snow sculptures built by students on campus. The statues are built on cold days and evenings in Houghton, when students take advantage of the abundant local snow and February temperatures keep them from melting. It’s that time again when Mother Nature dresses the North Country, particularly the Copper Country, with an abundance of the white stuff. The locals have learned to live with it and
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even celebrate the coming of chilly weather, a condition that will last ‘till the spring thaw. A warm scarf around your mouth and neck, you peer out in amazement at the many statues and fantastic settings, all made from the gift of the North: snow. Your breath freezes in plumes of misty vapor as you say to a friend, “Amazing.” The first Winter Carnival was held in 1922. The name stuck, since the first several carnivals of the early ‘20s had a circus theme. The event has changed over the years. It originally was held as a dance, hockey games and parades, all locally-based events. As time went on, more diverse activities were added to the events. In 1934 the celebration was
handed over to MTU’s Blue Key National Honor Society, which is still responsible for it today. Blue Key is a student-run club that stresses excellence in academics, leadership, and community service. It was not until 1936 that snow statues appeared in the program. The university students, local clubs and schools were asked to participate. In 1962 organizers started the flare pageant downhill at Mont Ripley ski hill, an event greatly anticipated by locals. It is held even today. Unfortunately, from 1940 till 1945, the Carnival was put on hold due to the War. But everything was back on for 1946, and the event has become more exciting and diverse with events and happenings. This year is unique because it is the 100th anniversary of the Carnival. During this chilly time, some of the activities taking place are snow soccer, snow volleyball, broomball, tug-of war, a human dog sled competition, curling, and a beard competition. But perhaps the most notable activities, besides the snow statues, are the crowning of the Snow Carnival Queen competition along with the hockey games, with MTU facing Bowling Green this year. Students are the mainstays of the Winter Carnival. “This year, we are trying to reach out for more diverse groups and students to participate,” said Rachel May, a senior in civil engineering and a member of the Blue Key executive board. Students can get involved in many different ways, May said. There are the larger clubs such as the Greeks taking part as well as the MTU dorms, and now this year, smaller groups may also participate. The university and the townspeople work together to make the event a success every year, said May. “We can’t do this by ourselves,” she said. “We need the town as well to help us get this Carnival accomplished.” Students are supplied with scaffolding and water sources to help bring their statues to life. There are monthly statues, that is, statues that take some time to create, and there are all-nighters, sculptures built from scratch in 24 hours. Shivering students pack the snow into forms that sit for a few hours and then sculpt out and add to the image they are making.
They use all kinds of tools for this, an iron, for instance, to smooth out lumps in the design or pots of hot water to make a cavity they need for their statue, even Jell-O to color letters they have molded out of snow. Since it can get to way below freezing at night, getting these statues constructed is a labor of love. Many frozen fingers and toes have gone into the assembly and final sculptures. Other students make hot chocolate to keep the builders warm and on task. ROTC makes pancakes, and this year, there is a food truck serving hot chili. The pep band provides deep-fried Twinkies. It is a fantastic event, one of a kind in the Upper Peninsula and nationally famous. One of the unique groups on campus that make an exciting addition to the Winter Carnival is the Newman Club, connected to St. Albert the Great Catholic Campus Ministry at MTU, which builds a chapel made of ice and snow. They hold mass in the chapel for several days during Carnival. Everyone is welcome to attend. The snow-building students’ energy, patience, and dedication are almost as incredible as the statues themselves. In these times of COVID, we can be outside breathing cold, clean air, so it’s a real plus this year to come and experience Michigan Tech’s Winter Carnival. There are places to stay while you are visiting the carnival, but it would be wise to book accommodations early if you plan to spend a few days there during Carnival time. There are things to see and do in the Houghton area, such as skiing at Mont Ripley or just walking the main street and visiting the many welcoming shops. And there are great accommodations as well as rooms, but they do go quickly for winter carnival. An MTU Winter Carnival 2022 schedule of events can be found at www.mtu.edu/carnival/2022. Videos with information about the annual winter celebration can also be found on YouTube. MM About the author: Kathleen Carlton Johnson is an author and former teacher who resides in the Copper Country. Her work has appeared in Aji, Kinder, Phoebe, The U.P. Reader, and the Keweenaw Sentinel, to name a few publications.
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in the outdoors
PORCUPINES Prickly herbivore is often
found hiding in the treetops Story and photos by Scot Stewart “You can fight a porcupine and win, but if other folks get a look at you, they may think it is a bad idea to mess with porcupines,” - Neal Knox
T Porcupines, usually active at night, are rarely seen and little known.
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he North Woods is full of interesting and beloved mammals. Deer have long been enjoyed for their grace and beauty, and as a game animal. Bears, bobcats, and wolves have their fans and detractors, as game animals, for their fur and their important place in forest eco-
systems. Chipmunks, squirrels, cottontails, snowshoe hares, raccoons, and skunks are as much as a part of the backyard as the forest, have the cuteness factor going for them along with everyday acceptance as a part of the way things are. Moose hold a very special place in the order because of their size and rarity. But there are also other animals, which because of their rarity, shy behavior, or nocturnal nature are rarely seen and little known. The North American porcupine is one of those mammals. A large rodent
A porcupine’s special survival adaptation -- its quills -- make it an almost impossible target for predators.
(only the beaver is a bigger rodent in North America), it can measure up to three feet long from the tip of its nose to the end of its stubby tail. Male porcupines weigh an average of 25 pounds, although some have been known to weigh up to 36 pounds. There are 58 species of porcupines living on five continents, with only Australia and Antarctica having none. U.P. porcupines spend the majority of their time in treetops, feeding on the tips of branches and the inner bark of trees. Their penchant for chewing their way around a tree trunk eating and girdling trees has frequently put them at odds with landowners and foresters. In summer they feed on ground plants like wildflowers, clover, and even early spring plants like skunk cabbage. Porcupines are mostly solitary animals, only seen together with others during mating season or when mothers are raising their young. Because they spend so much time in the forest canopy, there is little room for more than one adult to feed in most trees. From late fall to mid spring their feeding is mostly in treetops, but a fair amount of time is spent sheltering in tree cavities and other places, like hollow logs, small caves in rocks and other sheltered spots where they can conserve heat and energy when winter temperatures and wind chills are severe. They may even share a large hollow together in winter. Mating occurs in late summer and early autumn and can follow vocal and involved struggles between males. Courtship can also be vocal and include dance-like movements by the male who may also spray urine over the female. Pregnancy lasts about 210 days, resulting in a single
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youngster, born fortunately with soft, moist quills. Their quills harden soon after they are born, and young are able to follow their mothers up and down trees after only a few days to feed on the surrounding vegetation. When they do move in search of better feeding sites they often do so at night, occasionally crossing highways and crossing paths with motor vehicles. It is that unfortunate view of porcupines that people most frequently see, the losers of those highway battles, along the side of the road. Today they are best known as a North Woods animal, but their range extends across all of Canada and Alaska, except for the tundra, and southward in the Rockies to the Mexican border. In the east, their range slants southward from central Wisconsin to southern Pennsylvania, though it once stretched to the southern part of the Lower Peninsula and along the Appalachians down into the southern U.S. “You can pet a porcupine, but what’s the point?” – Joe Rogers Porcupines are herbivores, spending most of their time in trees, where they are safest, and in the wintertime the place where they can find the most food. On the ground they are slow movers and mostly rely on their quills to protect them while plodding along. Quills are the porcupines’ special survival adaptation, with up to 30,000 hollow needles covering their head, back, flanks and tail. These natural spikes make it extremely difficult for predators to kill porcupines. When threatened, they will raise the quills up, essentially having their defenses at the ready and making themselves
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look larger at the same time. Quills on their faces are the shortest, and the longest ones are on their tails. While porcupines cannot throw their quills, they can wave their tails back and forth, casually tossing loose quills off to the sides. Inexperienced wild animals and persistent attackers like large dogs may try bite at them, only to receive a face full of quills, forcing them to back off. The two to
“
Peoples for a variety of purposes. They are dyed and woven into sheaths for knives, for pouches and bags and for decorating moccasins and clothing. The softer guard hairs which conceal a porcupine’s quills have been used to make headdresses. Modern studies have made use of nature’s quill design to make critical changes in hypodermic needles and surgical staples. Because of porcupines’ lack of speed, they occasionally fall prey to coyotes, wolves, bobcats, lynx, and cougars, evidenced by the discovery of porcupine quills inside their bodies and in their droppings. Foxes and great horned owls are also believed to be predators, but both probably prey mostly on young porcupines. Porcupines have virtually no enemies in the trees, but their most serious threat does come from another tree climber, the fisher. A member of the mustelids or weasel family, fishers are predators in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, forested portions of the northern tier of the Lower 48 and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Ranges, as well as the northern part of the Rockies in the West. Secretive hunters, fishers forage mostly on the ground but are known to be highly successful porcupine predators. Because they are rarely seen in the wild, it was long considered something of a mystery how they
When threatened, they will raise the quills up, essentially having their defenses at the ready and making themselves look larger at the same time.
four-inch quills have tiny barbs on their tips to help them hook into attackers, and making them extremely difficult to pull out. Even more effectively, once the quills are embedded into another animal, body heat causes the quills to enlarge, which makes them even more difficult to remove. Some quills have even been known to continue working their way into an attacker’s body, causing serious injury. The quills are extremely strong and have even been known to puncture sidewalls of tires. Quills have been used by Native
Winter hikers may come
across the
porcupine’s
pigeon-toed
tracks in the snow.
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killed porcupines. They were once thought to flip porcupines and attack their undersides. Now it is known the fishers attack the faces and heads of their prey and may need 20 to 30 minutes to subdue porcupines, before turning them over to expose unquilled areas. “...Envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle... If you look at the whole picture, it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that’s what will give you hope.” – Dr. Jane Goodall Many of the connections between the parts of a biome such as the boreal forest are still being studied and better understood. For many species, new technology can be utilized: embedded computer chips tracked by satellite to follow the travels of individual animals, DNA testing of species’ tissues to track origins and foods, and micro-cameras mounted on animals to film interactions with other individuals, their hunting techniques and movements. These are just a few new innovations providing information about the lives of animals around us. But some of the best information about animals still comes from the intensive work of simply following and watching individuals in their daily travels and activities to see first-hand what their days are like. The fisher and porcupine have a close and interesting relationship. Fisher fur has long been a prized pelt. In a clear illustration of the relationship between the two animals, as trappers thinned fisher populations where porcupines lived, porcupine numbers climbed, causing bigger problems in forest land as their feeding caused serious damage to treetops, and their craving for salt prompted them to cause more damage to property. Salt is one of the porcupine’s favorite flavors. Anything topped with salt is fair game. They can be pests when they roam into campgrounds, camps, or farms. Anything touched by sweaty hands, such as outhouse door handles within porcupines’ reach when snowdrifts pile high, axe handles, rakes, other tool handles and even canoe paddles may be chewed up for the salt on them. Porcupines have even discovered some compounds in plywood can be
Porcupines have discoved useful nutrition in some plywoods. A plywood sign can be severely damaged, even destroyed, if a porcupine gets an appetite for it.
tasty, and they may climb signposts to chew away on a corner or side. Large road signs sometimes show significant damage, but smaller signs, like one found in the Portage Bay Campground of the Garden Peninsula of Delta County, can be nearly demolished. Because porcupines are rodents, they need to continue chewing on food and other surfaces to maintain proper length of their growing incisor teeth. Objects they chew can include antlers shed by deer and moose,
which also include important salts and minerals. As efforts began to restore fisher populations in the northeastern and north central states, porcupine damage waned. Today there seems a better balance of fisher and porcupine populations than in the past in many areas. The fisher, like its smaller cousin the pine marten, is a tree climber. When possible, fishers will raise their young in tree cavities 20 to 30 feet up in larger trees. They have been known
Porcupines have poor vision, relying on their hearing and sense of smell. They often stand up on their hind legs to sniff the air.
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to use porcupine dens when available. They are rare predators, another mostly unseen part of the North Woods so dependent on porcupines for food and occasionally a place to live. And it may be there that the true value of the North American porcupine and other mostly unseen parts of our world can be found. We rarely see them, are often upset by the way their lives can complicate ours, yet they become crucial links in keeping places where we live healthy and exciting and holding them together. There is a special thrill watching a porcupine waddle through the woods, suddenly ambling up a tree when it sees a human approach. But since they are not as alarmed once they get into that tree, watching it go up that tree can provide something special. It can give a sense feeling of what it must be like to climb up that tree, only without sharp claws, and see what the world looks like from a porcupine’s viewpoint, finding exhilaration with a new image of the world we thought we knew. An even greater impression of the porcupine’s value can come from an encounter with a mother porcupine, her youngster following along, encountered on a back road, like the Marshland Drive at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. With the darkness of day’s end closing in on a drive filled with the trumpeting of swans and cranes, the water pump calls of bitterns and the winnowing of snipes bringing on the nighttime, porcupines can be very vocal, communicating in a chatty dialog as they wander down the road in search of a new place to spend the night and find food for the next day. It can be a distinct honor to be a part of their evening as they conduct their nighttime travels together. Following in the footsteps of 19th century biologists can provide a wonderful way to better understand the natural history of the animals, plants, fungi, and other living organisms of the North Woods ecosystem, find joy and beauty in the natural world and understand the links we have with the life all around us. MM About the author: Scot Stewart has lived in Marquette long enough to be considered a true Yooper even though he was born in Illinois. He is a teacher and loves to be outdoors photographing and enjoying nature.
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in the outdoors
CAVING COMFORTS Students build outhouses for ice cave visitors By Sam Eggleston
F
or the past decade, visitors to the Eben Ice Caves have been fortunate to have access to a convenient trail and portable outhouses to use whenever needed. Such amenities have helped make the ice caves, in the Rock River Canyon Wilderness area of the Hiawatha National Forest, a hugely popular winter attraction for locals and tourists alike. This year, that almost changed due to a supply situation preventing enough portable toilets from being delivered to the trailhead, which is located on a 40-acre Eben Junction property owned by Heidi and Tim Swajanen. “This year our outhouse supplier could only get us four,” Heidi Swajanen said. “They had some circumstances and that’s all they could do. They had been really good for nine years, and in the back of our minds we were afraid the situation would eventually come up. Normally we would get the outhouses by the last week of October. We did not find out about only four outhouses until about halfway through November.” Swajanen knew something had to be done — and fast — or there would likely be a troublesome situation on everyone’s hands. Being a substitute teacher for Superior Central schools, she had an inspirational idea and decided to act on it by reaching out to industrial arts teacher Jacob Cogger. “(We knew) this wasn’t going to work,” she said. “Superior Central had a new industrial arts teacher, so I thought, ‘Hey, I wonder if he’d like a nice project for his students?’ “Jacob Cogger was very receptive to the idea. This was something that could be built inside the shop, so it would give the students a nice project that they could do during the winter months and
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Natural processes each winter result in the creation of what are commonly known as the Eben Ice Caves in Alger County. The attraction draws many visitors each year. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service)
weather would not be an issue.” There was a time when tourists visiting the Eben Ice Caves, one of Alger County’s top winter destinations, had no bathroom facilities available to them. That would prove to be an issue rather quickly for the Swajanen clan. Back in 2011-12, the family was spending
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their first winter at the Eben Junction property, when a stranger walked in looking to use the bathroom. It wouldn’t be the last time that occurred, and it wasn’t long until the Swajanens discovered that some tourists crossing the property to reach the ice caves believed their home was a U.S. Forest Service building. Many came
in looking to use the facilities. “We of course declined, and some people were not happy,” Swajanen said. It was then that she and her husband decided to create a more welcoming atmosphere for the visitors and began putting portable outhouses in a parking area they created, all out of their own pockets. At the height of the tourist season for the ice caves — usually the first few months of the year, up until whenever spring arrives to melt the striking ice formations — there have been as many as a dozen portable toilets on the property. But with this year’s outhouse shortage and the late hour at which they discovered the problem, the Swajanens had to act fast. In less than two weeks they pulled all the appropriate licenses and had a local excavator help them install a 1,500-gallon septic tank — just before the ground froze. That would allow them to place permanent outhouses near the trail entrance, and keep the problem from resurfacing in the future. Unfortunately, adding pre-built outhouses to the property proved to be something that couldn’t happen on such short notice. The minimum wait time would be six weeks, and some estimates were 12 weeks out. That, Swajanen said, just wouldn’t work with the volume of visitors the ice caves receive each year. So, she turned to the local school district. Cogger’s industrial technology class got right to work on the project, supplying all of the labor at no charge while trying to reduce the cost by accepting donations of materials. One such donation came from ABC Building in Marquette, which gave all of the standing seam metal for the project. The class is expecting to have the project finished in late January or early February. For the students, it’s about far more than getting a passing grade in the class. “I feel like we are giving back to the community,” said senior Zach Frusti, 18. “We were given an opportunity to help and I think it’s going to have a huge impact for the ice caves.” Junior Lucas Swetich, 16, agreed. “I think building the outhouses for the Eben Ice Caves is good, and fun, because we get to be a part of giving back to the community,” he said. Visitors to the ice caves can throw
their support behind the work the students are doing, as well as the generosity of the Swajanen family. There are donation locations available in the parking lot to help cover the costs of the portable outhouse rentals, as well as the construction material and septic tank costs. Outside of accepting donations, the Swajanens do not collect any fees or funding, though they do have a concession stand open on the weekends. “The landowners allow people like you and me to pass through the field at no charge,” writes Jesse Land for Michigan.org. “If they ever stopped allowing this, the hike to the ice caves would be much longer. Show your
thanks by purchasing a hot beverage or a snack at their concession stand if you’re able!” For those looking to take the trek to visit the ice caves, the peak time to visit is usually in mid-February around Presidents’ Day. The length the caves exist each season is dependent on the weather — in some years, the ice stays until the end of April or even into May. As is typical in the Upper Peninsula, a change in weather during the early spring months can change the situation rather rapidly. The trail to the caves can be quite slippery simply due to the volume of traffic, so Swajanen suggests that
visitors wear Yaktrax or some sort of cleated footwear. The New Moon Bar, located just down the road from the ice caves at the intersection of M-94 and ET Road, rents Yaktrax for $5 per pair. “If you can, bring a walking stick or ski poles. Dress warm.” Swajanen advised. She added that dogs were welcome on the trails, but they were required to be leashed at all times. “Be courteous. Have fun.” MM About the author: Sam Eggleston is a writer based in Alger County where he lives with his family. He has written for monthly, weekly and daily publications as well as digital media.
(Top) The rustic restroom project for the Eben Ice Caves at Superior Central School’s Industrial Arts program provides students with practical experience. (Left) Instructor Jacob Cogger discusses framing technique with students. (Right) Student builders pause to smile for the camera. (Photos courtesy of Jacob Cogger)
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This coloring page from “Colors of Marquette, Michigan Volume 3” is courtesy of The Gathered Earth, located in downtown Marquette.
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poetry An excerpt from Maiden Voyage
How to Use a Map By Matt Maki
Unfold the map carefully so as not to tear its panicked embrace of itself. Gently lay it on the table, face up. Do not spend time examining the non-face’s anatomy as the map is bashful, much like you were when you undressed in front of your first lover. Simply lay it on the kitchen table. Now a world of possibilities is in front of you. Smooth the map with your hand. Flatten every wrinkle. Use a barely-warm iron to make it forget it was ever wrinkled. Defy Columbus. Keep rubbing it until it begins to polish. Make it shine. Purify the planet. Reflect heaven against itself. Cover it with plastic soldiers, pewter canons. Play Risk. Be Napoleon. Be Hitler, Trump, Putin. Pick your scapegoat. Make the oceans red. Walk around the table so many times that you can’t remember which side of the map you’re on. Fingerstab the map. Open your eyes and examine where your finger is standing. Buy a plane ticket there. Repeat the procedure to find a new location. Bring up the name of this place in every conversation for three days. Repeat procedure. Send a postcard to the government leader of that place. Write the great American novel in tiny shorthand starting in the lower-right corner and ending in the upper left. Sell it to Random House. Idealistically refuse to sell the movie and merchandise rights for exactly eighteen months. Lick a green spot on the map and explain what it tastes like—try to capture that flavor in a casserole. Scratch and sniff a yellow spot—design a perfume and twinned cologne that embody the essence of that smell. Use very little alcohol. Alternatively, make one unisex scent. Say it is all a waste. Bargain with a man in the Middle East. Tip him off to your plans. Dump a glass of water over the map. Make it interesting—pour sweet tea with lots of ice cubes. Lay a fish on it. Wrap it up. Call the map swaddling clothes and the fish your baby. Ask people if they think you have a pretty baby. Could it make it onto a Gerber jar? Or sell it on a street corner with baguettes. Or mail it to someone. Don’t send it to your girlfriend. Send it to your ex-girlfriend. Send it to your mother in May, unless she has read Faulkner. Practice your origami. Fold it into a box. Unfold it partially and make a frog. They are actually quite similar. Unfold it and make a swan. Have it swim in its own oceans. About the Author: Matt Maki studied at Northern Michigan University and the University of Alabama; has served on the editorial boards of Passages North, Black Warrior Review, and greatest lakes review; founded the Marquette Poets Circle; and is the director of the English program at DataRobot. Editor’s Note: Maiden Voyage is available for $15 at Snowbound Books and the Marquette Regional History Center. If can also be purchased by mail for $19 by sending a check made out to Richard Rastall and mailed to 2100 M-28 East, Marquette, MI 49855.
February 2022
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back then
Waubojeeg’s legacy Chief’s daughter, granddaughter significant part of U.P. history By Adam Berger
F
amed Ojibwe leader Waubojeeg (circa 1747-1793) was known throughout the Lake Superior region for his good judgment in times of both war and peace. Waubojeeg’s most enduring legacy has proven to be the intellectual rigor he passed along to following generations. His daughter and granddaughter drew upon this inheritance of wisdom to strongly influence Michigan’s history. Waubojeeg showed bravery from an early age. Born at Chequamegon (in present-day Wisconsin), Waubojeeg or “White Fisher” was the son of a respected warrior named Mamongazeda or “Big Foot” (1727-1790). Mamongazeda had a Dakota half-brother named Wabasha [or Wapasha] (17181806). One day when his foreign uncle entered Waubojeeg’s home village, the small boy blocked the Dakota warrior from entering his father’s lodge, brandishing a war club. Wabasha cuddled his brave little nephew and proudly declared that he would someday be a great warrior and persistent enemy of the Dakota. The boy grew into a physically powerful man, six foot six inches tall, with piercing black eyes. Waubojeeg was a capable hunter, providing meat from deer, bear, and moose for his people. He also gained a strong reputation in battle, earned in an ongoing series of skirmishes fought between Lake Superior Ojibwe and displaced Meskwaki (Fox) raiders who allied with the Dakota in the 1770s. Waubojeeg led Ojibwe warriors in battle seven times and was wounded in three encounters. His most celebrated military engagement took place at St. Croix Falls around 1780, where Ojibwe warriors defeated Meskwaki and Dakota rivals, effectively breaking the ability of the traditionally bellicose Meskwaki to wage war. Waubojeeg was also a popular civil leader. He oversaw hunting and trapping operations that helped his people prosper from the fur trade. He was known to offer thoughtful opinions, resolving disagreements and preventing discord in his community. Waubojeeg had a robust voice and was strongly committed to the sharing of traditional knowledge.
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In 1792, an Irish-born fur trader named John Johnston (1762-1828) came to Chequamegon and met Waubojeeg and his family. Johnston fell in love with Waubojeeg’s daughter, Ozhaguscodaywayquay “Woman of the Green Glen,” later known as Susan (circa 1772-1843). When he asked the Ojibwe leader for permission to marry, the Native man told the fur trader that he would not immediately agree but would consent if Johnston returned from Montreal the following spring. Johnston followed through on this commitment, and the pair wed, taking up residence in Sault Ste. Marie in 1793. Although her role has been overlooked, Susan Johnston worked with her husband to develop the successful fur trading business for which he remains famous. She used her kinship connections and language skills to extend the trading networks needed to procure furs on a large scale. The Johnston fortune grew, and the family became prominent citizens in Sault Ste. Marie, inviting travelers to stay in their home and enjoy their impressive library. In 1820, Susan Johnston helped avert the potential massacre of an American expeditionary party by Ojibwe warriors at Sault Ste. Marie. Lewis Cass (1782-1866), governor of the Michigan Territory,
Ozhaguscodaywayquay (Woman of the Green Glen), who would marry a fur trader and be known as Susan Johnston, brokered a deal between Michigan government officials and Ojibwe leaders, preventing a serious conflict.
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Warrior and wise leader Chief Waubojeeg. (Image courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society)
led a group of geographers and mineralogists on a trip across the southern shore of Lake Superior to map the land and find mineral deposits. The expedition also hoped to determine the outlook of the local Native people, recently allied with the British in the War of 1812, toward the new American government. Cass did not initially seek to claim land for an American fort, just to note potential sites for future consideration. While at Sault Ste. Marie on June 16, 1820, though, he determined that he would like to make an immediate deal on a site for a fort. Ojibwe leaders were reluctant to agree to such a deal, as they did not want a garrison of American soldiers in their community. One Ojibwe leader, Sassaba (1790-1822) also called “The Count,” was vehemently opposed to allowing the American military to build a fort at Sault Ste. Marie. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, an ally of the British, and his brother had died in the conflict. Sassaba appeared before Governor Cass in British military regalia, angrily throwing down a war lance to show his refusal to allow the proposed fort. Later, Sassaba flew a British flag over his encampment, an act that threw Cass into a rage. The portly governor pulled down the flag and stomped on it, stating that if anyone tried to fly any flag other than the American flag, the United States would crush them into the earth. The American party consisted of 66 men, including 30 professional soldiers. The Ojibwe had 70 or 80 warriors. The Americans were camped in a field, but the Ojibwe camp was on a more defensible hill, giving them the strategic advantage should combat commence.
At the brink of what seemed inevitable violence, Susan Johnston intervened, explaining to the Ojibwe leaders that to attack an official party from the Michigan Territory including the governor would have serious repercussions. She convinced them that brokering a peaceful deal at that time would be better than having the United States military come back later to take the site by force. The Ojibwe ceded a tract of land for Fort Brady which was constructed two years later, but retained valuable fishing rights. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (17931864), mineralogist with the 1820 Cass Expedition, returned to Sault Ste. Marie in 1822. Using his political connections, Schoolcraft secured a job as Indian Agent. His new career afforded him a level of stability past assignments had not, and he decided to settle down and marry at Sault Ste. Marie. He wed John and Susan’s daughter Jane Johnston (1800-1842), known in Ojibwe as Bamewawagezhikaquay, “Woman of the Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky.” Schoolcraft is often lauded as a pioneer of American social science. He conducted what has been described as the first oral history project in the United States, writing down information from Native people who visited Sault Ste. Marie and later Mackinac Island in his two decades living in the Upper Peninsula. Schoolcraft became famous as an expert on Native American culture, and his many published works still inform serious scholarship into Great Lakes Native American history. His wife Jane Johnston played an integral role in the development of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s social scientific career. She took after her grandfather Waubojeeg in her fascination with traditional lore, and her ability to collect and interpret data about Ojibwe culture helped her husband develop his scholarly reputation. Jane Johnston was also a talented and prolific writer. Though she remains relatively unknown as an author, Jane Johnston drew upon the love of traditional knowledge and respect for the power of words she inherited from her grandfather to help shape American literary culture. She contributed some prose pieces about Native American history and folklore to the literary magazine Muzzeniegun
Bamewawagezhikaquay (Woman of the Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky), the granddaughter of Chief Waubojeeg, became Jane Johnston Schoolcraft upon marrying Indian Agent and social scientist Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. She may be considered the first female Native American writer and poet to write in an indigenous language. (Image courtesy of Bentley Historical Library)
that the Schoolcraft family produced in the winter of 1826-1827. Jane Johnston’s main literary interest was poetry. She wrote at least 50 known poems in English and Ojibwe languages. She may rightly be considered the first known Native American woman writer and the first poet to write in a Native American language. In lieu of the fame Jane Johnston deserves as a poet, it is a fitting tribute to remember that her ethnographic work inspired the internationally celebrated 1855 poem “The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (18071882) that has come to be so closely associated with Lake Superior in the American imagination.
MM
About the Author: Adam Berger holds a PhD in social anthropology, an MA in educational psychology, and has professional experience in the nonprofit field. Keenly interested in Upper Peninsula local history and ecology, Adam believes that teaching younger generations about the land and its past is the way to protect our unique region.
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home cinema Releases offer new takes on familiar genres Reviews by Leonard Heldreth The films this month explore the Western genre via Jane Campion and the horror film genre via first-time British director Prano Bailey-Bond.
The Power of the Dog
T
welve years after her last feature, New Zealand director Jane Campion (who won Best Director and Best Picture Academy Awards for The Piano) unveils a challenging film that, unlike her usual exploration of the female psyche, takes on the toxic masculinity of the old West. Based on the 1967 semiautobiographical novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, the film takes its title from Psalm 22:20: “Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.” While the first part of the quotation may be obvious, the second half refers to a rock formation shaped like a barking dog which only two characters in the story can see. Although set in 1927 in Montana, the film was photographed on the South Island of New Zealand near Dunedin, where the landscape looks like the American West, as I found out when I took a trip on an open-car train through the area. The Burbank brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons), run a successful cattle and horse-training ranch, but the two men are extreme opposites. George dresses in suits and handles the business end of the ranch. He’s kind, civilized, and is looking to settle down. Phil, on the other hand, prides himself on the dirty, manual labor of the ranch that he focuses on, such as riding, roping, and castrating cattle. He seldom bathes, asserting to the governor with pride, “I stink,” and bullies anyone who lets him get away with it, including his brother. Later, it is revealed that Phil may have graduated from Yale in literature with honors and is much more polished than he acknowledges. Despite the large house, the two brothers share a bedroom, and Phil sometimes calls his brother, “Fatso.” One evening, to celebrate the end of a successful cattle drive, the brothers
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Benedict Cumberbatch (left) and Jesse Plemons are shown on horseback in a scene from Power of the Dog. (Netlix Films photo by Kirsty Griffin)
take their cowboy crew to a restaurant called The Red Mill, run by a widow, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and her teenage son, Peter (Australian actor Kodi SmitMcPhee). Peter serves as a waiter with a towel over one arm, and he has made paper flowers for the tables. Phil ridicules the boy’s lisp and effeminate manner until the boy flees back to the kitchen, leaving Rose in tears and George, embarrassed by his bother’s actions, to fill in as waiter. Later, George apologizes to Rose and thus begins a relationship in which George marries her and brings her and Peter to live at the brothers’ ranch. This development makes Phil even angrier, taking every opportunity to harass Rose, even driving her to drink, and Peter, who learns to ignore Phil when he returns home from medical school. Hovering over the film is the spirit of Bronco Henry, the cowboy who taught Phil everything he knows about ranching and apparently inculcated the toxic masculine attitudes that Phil generally exhibits. Bronco is the only
February 2022
person that Phil has anything positive to say about and the only other person who can see the dog-shaped rock. When one of the cowhands asks Phil if there is a rock that looks like a dog barking, Phil simply says, “Not if you can’t see it, there ain’t.” But when Peter announces that he also sees it, Phil is struck virtually speechless, and he begins treating Peter better, deciding they have more in common than he thought. On a day when the cowhands are bathing nude in the river, Phil sneaks off to a pond in the woods where he washes alone, not realizing that Peter has followed him. Near the pond, Peter finds a box that contains male physique magazines and other erotic pictures. When Phil sees him, he chases the boy, who manages to escape, but neither of them mentions the event again. Phil, however, continues teaching Peter ranching skills and encouraging him to be like Phil’s revered Bronco Henry. He tells Peter about a trip he and Bronco took into the mountains when a sudden
snowstorm came up. They had to roll up in the same sleeping bag to keep warm during the blizzard. When Peter asks, “Were you naked?” Phil remains silent. Although Phil eases up on Peter, he continues harassing Rose, who drinks more and more of the whiskey she hides around the house. In order to save his mother and her marriage, Peter must devise a way of fending off Phil. Drawing upon his medical school training and exhibiting a cold-blooded streak that rivals Phil’s sadism, Peter manages to help his mother. The superb photography and the powerful music are pulled together by the outstanding acting. Benedict Cumberbatch gives what may be his best performance. When he went to New Zealand to do the film, Campion told him he had to become an American cowboy, and he did, learning to ride, rope, herd and castrate cattle and to be as nasty as the character he plays could be. Somehow he manages to make this character almost sympathetic in his repression. Phil yearns for a relationship such as he had with Bronco Henry but can’t even identify what such a relationship would be like. Kirsten Dunst, in a smaller part, projects the trapped quality of a woman who wants a relationship with brother George but can’t figure out how to fight off Phil’s scorn. Jesse Plemons makes the lowkey George a sympathetic character (he and Dunst are married in real life as well as in the movie) although George tends to disappear in the last third of the film. Perhaps the most surprising acting is done by the teenaged Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) whose character evolves from a skinny effeminate boy with a lisp to one who can command the attention of Phil and deal with his plotting by the time the film ends. A walk-on part as the governor is played nicely by Keith Carradine . The Power of the Dog is a complex exploration of how repression and anger can affect people, even when they aren’t aware of it; it’s right up there with The Piano, Campion’s
acknowledged masterpiece, and that is high praise.
Censor
T
he major discussion has gone on for many years, rising and falling in volume whenever society and current events calm or agitate the troubled waters. In England after the passage of the Video Recordings Act of 1984, the discourse concentrated on “video nasties,” whereas in America the focus was on hidden sexual images in comic books. The ongoing question is, does violence in art (from Greek mythology and Shakespeare through today’s x-rated videos and comic books) encourage violence in real life among impressionable youths and adults? The bigger, implied question is, would removing the violence in art decrease, if not remove, the violence in real life? Censor explores a few days in the life of Enid (Niamh Algar), a young woman who spends her life watching films that may include “questionable material,” and passing or cutting the offending sections. The setting is the mideighties Britain of Margaret Thatcher, and the newspapers are trumpeting a recent murder in which a copy-cat killer claims he can’t remember what prompted him to kill and partially
devour his wife. Enid was one of two censors who passed the original video cassette but says she ordered the scene cut. Enid sets out to find out how an unexpurgated version escaped, but what she finds equally troubling is that two other films, Don’t Go in the Church and Asunder by the same director, Frederick North, have events that parallel with the loss of her sister many years ago, events which she has trouble remembering. How it all works out may satisfy most viewers, as it did most critics, although I found the rainbows at the end a bit much. (All films reviewed are available on streaming video or DVDs from local stores.) MM About the Author: Leonard Heldreth became interested in films in high school and worked as a movie projectionist in undergraduate and graduate school. His short “Cinema Comment” aired for some years on WNMU-FM. In 1987, he started writing reviews for Marquette Monthly. He taught English and film studies at NMU for over 30 years. Editor’s note: All films reviewed are available as DVDs or on streaming video.
Answers for New York Times crossword puzzle on page 22.
T B S P
H O H O
T H A W E D
H U M A N E
R A E L F I D R L A O
J U I C Y
E V E S
M I S H A E P M E S R T G A E P L K E I S C S A I N M O M E E E
A N N E N O T I H A B O W E P E T A O R N G E E N E T S T C R I H E R A B N N U R H K I L A M E H E R
A T T N R U B D U G U P J O A N N A
M I G O A R O T H E R E I I L L A L L I O F L O V N I A E T C H L I E E V I L I N I T I N O C R A Z T E E E S T E S W E U D Y I N P E S T S I T P C O M E E L A T S E X E
S E A B E E
M I L E S
O R C A
G E A R C C A P O S R O M E I N N S I D G L U Y I C C A T R I E T I E D I S G Z O O R E O N E I E S M S P A
A B O U T F A C E
W Y N N E
T A H I T U I S F A L E A R G O
E X O D U S
R E N E G E
R E T D
E N Y A
P O U L T R E S E C T
W E E D Y
G E A T B A
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superior reads
A Hundred Huskies Seasons Review by Victor Volkman Michigan Tech Hockey: 100 Years of Memories by William J. Sproule and Calvin Larson
“M
ichigan Tech Hockey: 100 Years of Memories,” just released by Bill Sproule with the help of Calvin Larson, Michigan Tech’s assistant athletic director, is the definitive encyclopedia of Huskies hockey history. The book is chock full of in-depth information on every season from 1920 to 2021 and was commissioned for the 100th anniversary of collegiate hockey at the former Michigan College of Mining and Technology. Additionally, Sproule’s latest book is an ideal companion to his award-winning work “Houghton: The Birthplace of Professional Hockey” which details the early development of the professional hockey in the Upper Peninsula. Together they provide a comprehensive understanding of the birth and growth of hockey in the Keweenaw. The primary chapters of “Michigan Tech Hockey” comprising approximately half the volume are devoted to reporting on the team’s successes and struggles. Each of the coaching eras has its own chapter to round out the experience: Early Years, MacInnes Era, Post-MacInnes era, and the New Era. The reign of John MacInnes’ 26-year coaching stretch from 1956 to 1982 is unparalleled and fans can hardly have a conversation about the Huskies without invoking him at some point. Joining Tech as a freshman in 1982, I have always regretted that I never witnessed a MacInnes-led team on the ice. Anyway, for each season, this book gives a detailed summary and highlights, a list of all awards given to outstanding players, a list of all the coaching staff and captains, as well as game results of each match with date, home/away status, and final score. Many of the seasons have game photos or team photos accompanying the text. Overall, the book is profusely illustrated with at least one picture on almost every two-page spread. If it had been presented in a hardcover format, it would be an ideal coffee-table book as well. But there’s a lot more in Sproule’s “Michigan Tech Hockey” than just a bunch of names and dates. Rather, he takes a holistic look at the entire nature of the enterprise including the evolution of Michigan Tech. I was fascinated to learn that when I first visited the campus in 1978, nearly all of the buildings had been constructed in the previous decade. Sproule details the expansion of the MTU campus over the decades including photos of lost buildings such as the Hubbell building and the re-routing of US-41. I was shocked to learn that many of the Huskies’ early rival teams such as University of Michigan and Notre Dame had a large number of players recruited from the Copper Country area. I had also assumed that Northern Michigan University would
have been the most frequent historical rival, but instead the greatest number of games were between Michigan Tech and the University of Minnesota. A special chapter on ice arenas details the many venues that the Huskies had to endure before the current stateof-the-art facility was built in the 1970s. As many readers know, the Dee Stadium was the original location and often featured post-game activities like public skating and dancing afterwards. I was surprised to learn that the Huskies did not have a rink with artificial ice until around 1953. Instead, many early seasons were hampered by the fact that reliable ice could not be found until mid-December, and although the Copper Country has never lacked snow, periods of subfreezing weather sometimes do take a while to arrive. As such, the Huskies had to endure frequent grueling 200-mile round trips to Marquette for early practices, and their winning record suffered accordingly during this period. I was also tickled to see a few pages on the famous Michigan Tech Pep Band. Originally accompanied by the ROTC marching band, the Pep Band evolved to become a raucous part of the team’s hockey entertainment, at least during the 1980s when I was a spectator. There’s nothing like a crowd of a few thousand people singing “In Heaven, There is No Beer” or playing a riff to intimidate the opposing goalie. The lyrics to this and other tunes are reprinted alongside photos. I suppose having a neighbor at Douglas Houghton Hall who was in the Pep Band biases me a bit in favor of this most unusual band. Finally, an alphabetical index of players rounds out the volume. Each player is listed along with their jersey number, hometown, and playing position. There’s much more to this book than I can possibly write about in this review, such as chapters on awards, details on various athletic conferences, and a splendid history of the Great Lakes Invitational tournament and Winter Carnival with details you’ll find nowhere else. The Foreword was written by the Huskies’ alltime scoring leader and All-American Mike Zuke. It must be noted that no university money was spent in the production of this book. Author Bill Sproule donated his time and the costs for the editing and layout, and Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame inductee Paul Kerttu underwrote the cost of printing this 300+ page oversize volume. All proceeds from the publication will go to provide funds for the Huskies hockey program. The book is available online at MichiganTechHuskies.com/HockeyBook, or in-person from the Michigan Tech bookstores as well as other stores in the Copper Country.
About the Author: Victor R. Volkman is a graduate of Michigan Technological University (class of 1986) and is the current president of the U.P. Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA). He is senior editor at Modern History Press, publisher of the U.P. Reader.
Send Upper Peninsula-related book review suggestions to victor@LHPress.com Books submitted for review can be sent to: MM Book Reviews, 5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
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Out & About Out & About is a free listing of Upper Peninsula events. Events included must cost $25 or less (except fundraisers). All events are free and in Eastern time unless noted. We print information sent to us by a wide variety of people and organizations. It pays to double check the date, time, place and cost before heading out. Due to changing event requirements, please call ahead to ask about safety precautions, or bring a mask to events, as many events require masks regardless of vaccination status.
Index
Send your March events by Thursday, February 10 to:
on the town ………… 62
calendar@marquettemonthly.com Marquette Monthly P.O. Box 109 Gwinn, MI 49841 phone: (906) 360-2180
art galleries ……… 64-65 musuems …………….. 66 support groups ……… 71
Eh Winter Experience | February 5 | Marquette
february events 01 TUESDAY
sunrise 8:14 a.m.; sunset 5:52 p.m.
Escanaba
• Registration Deadline: Valentine’s Family Fun Day. See Saturday the 5th.
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Preschool Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, crafts and school-readiness
activities for preschool-aged children with an adult. Masks required. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 236-1811. • What’s Up? Astronomy Series. Scott Stobbelaar of the Marquette Astronomical Society will discuss what can be seen in the U.P. skies. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl. info for Zoom link • Registration Deadline: Harlow Lake Winter Hike/Snowshoe. See Tuesday the 8th. •
02 WEDNESDAY
sunrise 8:13 a.m.; sunset 5:54 p.m.
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on the town
Charlie Millard Band| February 11 and 12| Ore Dock Brewing Company, Marquette
Gwinn
• Hideaway Bar. - Mondays: The Hideaway All-Stars. 7 p.m. 741 M-35. 346-3178. • Up North Lodge. - Friday, February 11 and Saturday, the 12th: Dueling Pianos. $20. 8 p.m. 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-9815.
Ishpeming
• Royal Pub. - Friday, February 11: Spun. 9:30 p.m. - Friday, the 25th: Left of Center. 9 p.m. 205 E. Division St. (906) 486-4505.
Marquette
• Blackrocks Brewery. - Saturday, February 12: Union Suits. 7 p.m. 424 N. Third St. (906) 273-1333 or blackrocksbrewery.com • Drifa Brewing Company. - Mondays: Musicians’ Open Mic. 6 to 8 p.m. - Tuesdays: Bingo. 6 to 8 p.m. - Thursdays: Trivia. 6 to 8 p.m. 501 S. Lake St. 273-1300. • Flanigan’s. - Tuesday through Thursday: Karaoke. 9:30 p.m. - Friday, February 4: Danny and Ian. - Friday, the 10th: Daydreamers. - Friday, the 18th: Eddie & the Bluesers. Music at 6 p.m. Cover charge on
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weekends only. 429 W. Washington St. 228-8865. • Northland Pub. - Thursday, February 3: Troy Graham. - Thursday, the 17th: Troy Graham. Music at 8 p.m. Inside the Landmark Inn. 230 N. Front St. (906) 315-8107. • Ore Dock Brewing Company. - Friday, February 4: Derrell Syria Project. - Saturday, the 5th: Ramble Tamble. - Thursday, the 10th Hart Harp and Bones. Hiawatha Music Co-op members, $5; nonmembers, $7. 6 p.m. - Friday, the 11th and Saturday, the 12th: Charlie Millard Band. - Sunday, the 13th: Sycamore Smith with the Big Ray Little Band. $5. - Friday, the 18th: Midnight Run After Party with Brandon Good, John Duty and Wilderlove. - Saturday, the 19th: Brandon Good, John Duty and Wilderlove. - Friday, the 25th: Noah Bauer. - Saturday, the 26th: Derrell Syria Project. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 114 W. Spring St. 228-8888. • Superior Culture. - Thursday, February 3: Electric Words and Music. 7 to 10 p.m. - Friday, the 4th: Rat Kin Cult. 9 p.m. - Saturday, the 5th: Noah Bauer. 9 p.m. - Thursday, the 10th: High Wasted
Games. 9 to 11 p.m. - Friday, the 11th: Parking Lot. 9 to 11 p.m. - Saturday, the 12th: Patrick Reilly. 9 to 11 p.m. - Friday, the 18th: Les Gronvall. 9 to 11 p.m. - Saturday, the 19th: Kerry Yost. 9 to 11 p.m. - Thursday, the 24th: St. Joe Jack. 9 to 11 p.m. 713 Third Street. 273-0927 or superiorculturemqt.com • The Fold. - Sundays: Acoustic Jam. 3 to 5 p.m. - Sunday, February 6: Slow Fiddle Jam. 1:30 to 3 p.m. - Sunday, February 20: Slow Fiddle Jam. 1:30 to 3 p.m. - Tuesday, February 22: Ukulele Jam. 6 p.m. - Thursday, February 24: Troy Graham. 7 p.m. 1015 N. Third Street, #9. (906) 226-8575.
Negaunee
• Pasquali’s Pizza and Pub. - Friday, February 4: Comedy night withDan Brown and Bill Boronkay. - Friday, the 18th: Comedy night with AJ Grill and Nathan Timmel. $10. 8 p.m.100 Cliff St. (906) 475-4466. • Smarty’s Saloon. - Wednesdays: Karaoke. 8 p.m. 212 Iron St. (906) 401-0438. MM
Ishpeming
• An Evening of Singing Bowls. Experience relaxation and peace of sound meditation through Tibetan singing bowls and gongs. 7 p.m. Joy Center, 1492 Southwood Dr. (906) 362-8291.
Marquette
• Wonder Babies. Newborns to age 20-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. Masks required. Online registration required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Preschool Creative Movement. Youth age 3 to 5 will explore dance and rhythm while developing large and fine motor skills, coordination and imagination. Masks required. 2 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Outword. LGBTQIA youth and allied students in grades 7 to 12 are invited. Masks required. 4 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321. • La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. Room 311, NMU Library. (906) 227-2648 or nkupper@nmu.edu • Forest Roberts Theatre: Next to Normal. This rock musical tells the story of a mother suffering from bipolar disorder. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets • Registration Deadline: Meet Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs. See Wednesday the 9th.
03 THURSDAY
sunrise 8:11 a.m.; sunset 5:55 p.m.
Escanaba
• Toddler Art. Toddlers, with a guardian, are welcome for creative play activities and music. $5 per child. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org
Houghton
• Live-Stream Talk: Who Gets to Vote? Faith Morrison will lead a discussion on U.S. voting rights history. 6:30 p.m. Via zoom. Meeting ID 846 3323 1730. (906) 482-7140 or carnegiekeweenaw.org
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 360-3056. • PWPL Kindness Club. Participate in activities that encourage teambuilding and self-confidence. Masks required. Online registration required. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man. Author Tyler Tichelaar, will discuss his book, Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 6:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front
St. (906) 336-3186. • Forest Roberts Theatre: Next to Normal. This rock musical tells the story of a mother suffering from bipolar disorder. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
04 FRIDAY
sunrise 8:10 a.m.; sunset 5:57 p.m.
Gwinn
• Story Time. Youth are invited for stories, crafts and snacks. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Winter Play Date. Join other families for sledding and free play. Sleds will be handed out for families to take home. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Harlow Park, corner of Seventh and Bluff streets. mloukusa@greatstartma. org • Preschool Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, crafts and school-readiness activities for preschool-aged children with an adult. Masks required. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 485-4844. • LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Masks required. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323. • Forest Roberts Theatre: Next to Normal. This rock musical tells the story of a mother suffering from bipolar disorder. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
05 SATURDAY
sunrise 8:09 a.m.; sunset 5:58 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Escanaba
• Valentine’s Family Fun Day. Make a valentine card for a senior citizen living in a local assisted living facility, and a card to take home. Register by the 1st. 2p.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org
Gwinn
• Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association Races. Racers of all ages will compete during more than 20 classes of racing. $5 per carload. Registration, 9:30 a.m. Practice, 10:30 a.m. Noon. Forsyth Township Ball Park, off of Johnson Lake Rd.
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art galleries Calumet
• Calumet Art Center. Works by local artists. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228. • Copper Country Associated Artist. Works by members and workshop participants in watercolor and oil, drawings, photography, sculpture, quilting, wood, textile, clay, glass and other media. Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 205 Fifth St. (906) 337-1252 or ccaartists.org • Gallery on 5th. Works by local and regional artists. Days and hours vary. 109 Fifth St. (906) 369-0094.
Copper Harbor
• EarthWorks Gallery. Featuring Lake Superior-inspired photography by Steve Brimm. Daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 216 First St. (910) 319-1650.
Escanaba
• East Ludington Art Gallery. Works by local artists. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1007 Ludington St. (906) 786-0300 or eastludingtongallery.com • William Bonifas Fine Arts Gallery. - All Mixed UP, a competition show, featuring works by mixed media artists, will be on display through February 17. - Laura Maze Solo Show, featuring works by Laura Maze, will be on display through February 17. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3p.m. 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org
Hancock
• Finlandia University Gallery. - INTERSTICE: a small, intervening space, featuring works by Natalie Salminen Rude, will be on display through the 4th, with a closing reception at 7 p.m. on the 3rd. - International School of Art and Design Alumni Exhibit 2022, featuring works by Finlandia alumni, will be on display February 10 to March 16, with a opening reception at 7 p.m. on the 24th. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. 435 Quincy St. (906) 487-7500. • Kerredge Gallery. Featuring works by local and regional artists. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Community Arts Center, 126 Quincy St. (906) 4822333 or coppercountryarts.com • Youth Gallery. Featuring works by local students. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Community Arts Center, 126 Quincy St. (906) 482-2333 or coppercountryarts.com
Houghton
• A-Space Gallery. Featuring works by local, regional and national artists. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 to 8 p.m. Rozsa Center, 1400 Townsend Dr. mtu.edu/rozsa
Marquette
• Art—U.P. Style. Art by Carol Papaleo, works by local artists, gifts,
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Carol Phillips | Rosie, 2006 - 2012 | DeVos Art Musuem, Marquette
classes and more. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. 130 W. Washington St. (906) 225-1993. • DeVos Art Museum. - Regional Perspectives by Women Artists, featuring works in various media from the dawn of the 20th century to present, will be on display through June. - The Last Place on Earth, featuring works by Jan Manniko, will be on display through November 15, 2022. Still Life, featuring works by various artists, will be on display through March 25. Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Corner of Seventh and Tracy streets. NMU. (906) 227-1481 or nmu.edu/devos • Graci Gallery. Works by regional and national artists. Featuring fine craft, contemporary art, and jewelry. Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, by appointment or chance. 555 E Michigan Street. gracigallery.com • Huron Mountain Club Gallery. - Visualizing Translation: Homeland and Hiemat in Detroit and Dortmund, a traveling exhibit from the University of Michigan, will be on display, with a public reception at 6 p.m. February 10. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472. • Lake Superior Photo and Gallery. The studio features landscape photographic art by Shawn Malone, including naturescapes of the Lake Superior region. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 211 S. Front St. (906) 2283686 or lakesuperiorphoto.com • Lake Superior Art Association Deo Gallery. Works by Christine Saari will be on display through March 1, with a public reception at 6 p.m. February 10. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472. • Peter White Public Library Reception Area Gallery. - Joke’s Somewhere, Maybe Me?, featuring works by Anastasia Greer, will be on display, through April 1, with a public reception at 6 p.m. February 10. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472. • Marquette Arts and Culture Center Gallery. - Dog Dayz of Winter Art Show, featuring works by students in kindergarten through grade 8, will be on display in February. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472. • The Gallery: A Marquette Artist Collective Project. Works by local and regional artists. Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Suite U7, 130 W. Washington St. mqtartistcollective@.org • The Studio Gallery at Presque Isle. Works by local and internationally acclaimed artists. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. 2905 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 360-4453. • Wintergreen Hill Gallery and Gifts. Featuring works by local and regional artists. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 810 N. Third St. (906) 2731374. • Zero Degrees Artist Gallery. Welcoming new artists with works in oils, watercolors, mixed media, jewelry, photography, metals, woods, recycled and fiber arts and much more. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 525 N, Third St. (continued on page 81) 65)
Marquette
• Eh Winter Experience. Bikers, skiers and snowshoers will race either a short or long course, with proceeds benefiting the Noquemanon Trail Network. $50. Snowshoe races, 9 a.m., Backcountry ski races, 9:30 a.m. Bike enduro, 11 a.m. Noquemanon Trail Network South Trail Head, 2375, M-553. noquetrails.org • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. Lessons, 10 a.m. Game, 11:30 a.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com or (906) 236-3173. • Baby and Toddler Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Masks required. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Chess Club. Youth age 7 to 12 are invited for chess. Masks required. 2 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Forest Roberts Theatre: Next to Normal. This rock musical tells the story of a mother suffering from bipolar disorder. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
06 SUNDAY
sunrise 8:07 a.m.; sunset 6:00 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Lake Linden
• Valley Sno Drifters Spaghetti Dinner. Proceeds benefit trail maintenence. $12. Noon to 6 p.m. Dreamland Restaurant & Bar, 46960 Bootjack Road.
07 MONDAY
sunrise 8:06 a.m.; sunset 6:01 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Marquette
• Valentine Take and Make. Kits will be
available for youth 12 and under on a first come, first serve basis. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Wonder Babies. Newborns to age 20-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. Masks required. Online registration required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Marquette Poets Circle Workshop and Open Mic. Bring copies of a poem, short prose or lyrics to share. Workshop, 6:30 p.m. Open Mic, 7 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. • DocuCinema. The documentary film Thomas Jefferson: A View from the Mountain will be shown. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds produced by Tibetan singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. (906) 362-8291.
08 TUESDAY
sunrise 8:05 a.m.; sunset 6:03 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Preschool Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, crafts and school-readiness activities for preschool-aged children with an adult. Masks required. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Tasty Reads Book Group. The group will discuss Life From Scratch by Sasha Martin. Masks required. Noon. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 236-1811. • Harlow Lake Winter Hike/Snowshoe. The group will snowshoe or hike along Harlow Lake. Register by the 1st. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 2 p.m.
art galleries (906) 228-3058 or zerodegreesgallery.org
Munising
• U.P.-Scale Art. Featuring works by local and regional artists. By appointment. 109 W. Superior Ave. (906) 387-3300 or upscaleart.org
Rapid River
• The adhocWORKshop. Owner Ritch Branstrom creates sculptures with found objects inspired by the land in which the objects were found. (continued from page 64)
By appointment or chance. 10495 South Main Street. (906) 339-1572 or adhocworkshop.com
Sand River
• Aurelia Studio Pottery. Featuring high fire stoneware, along with functional and sculptural pieces inspired by nature, created by potter and owner Paula Neville. Open by appointment or chance. 3050 E. M-28. (906) 343-6592. MM
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museums Big Bay
• Big Bay Lighthouse. The grounds of the 1896 lighthouse are open yearround. 3 Lighthouse Rd. (906) 345-9957.
Calumet
• International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum. Learn about the history of Guts Frisbee. Days and hours vary. Open when events are held. Second floor ballroom, Calumet Colosseum, Red Jacket Rd. (906) 281-7625.
Hancock
• Quincy Mine Hoist and Underground Mine. There are two options for touring the site. On both the surface tour and the full tour, visitors will see the museum, inside the No. 2 Shaft House and the Nordberg Steam Hoist and ride the cog rail tram car to the mine entrance. On the full tour, visitors will take a tractor-pulled wagon into the mine, seven levels underground. Prices, days and hours vary. (906) 482-3101.
Houghton
• A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. View the largest collection of minerals from the Great Lakes region and the world’s finest collection of Michigan minerals. Exhibits educate visitors on how minerals are formed, fluorescent minerals and minerals from around the world. Prices vary. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1404 E. Sharon Ave. (906) 487-2572 or museum. mtu.edu • Carnegie Museum. Features rotating displays of local history, natural science and culture. The Science Center is dedicated to interactive exhibits about science for kids. Thursdays, noon to 5 p.m. 105 Huron St. (906) 482-7140 or carnegiekeweenaw.org • MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections. Features a variety of historical memorabilia, highlighting life in the Copper Country. Open by appointment. Lower level of the J.R. Van Pelt Library, MTU. (906) 4873209.
Ishpeming
• Ishpeming Area Historical Society Museum. New exhibits include a military exhibit and artifacts from the Elson Estate. Donations appreciated. Days and hours vary. Gossard Building, Suite 303, 308 Cleveland Ave. ishpeminghistory.org • U.S. National Ski Hall & Snowboard Hall of Fame & Museum. The museum features more than 300 Hall of Fame inductees, presented in photographs and biographies, and displays and exhibits of skiing history and equipment, an extensive library, video show, gift shop, special events and more. By appointment only. US-41 and Third St. (906) 485-6323 skihall.com
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• K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum. The museum promotes and preserves the aviation history the air base brought to the area. Air Force-related materials are on display, including photographs, flags, medals and more. Donations appreciated. Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. 402 Third St. (906) 362-3531 or kishamuseum.org
Marquette
• Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center. - The Seventh Fire: A Decolonizing Experience, a multimedia exhibit, will be on display through April 9. Three separate collections focus on cultural artifacts relating to ethnic, religious and social diversity in the U.P. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. NMU, corner of Seventh Street and Tracy Avenue. (906) 227-3212 or nmu.edu/beaumier • Marquette Regional History Center. - Railroads of Marquette County: Yesterday and Today, featuring select hands-on elements, as well as maps, artifacts and photographs, will be on display through February 2023, with an opening reception at 5 p.m. February 9. The museum includes interactive displays as well as regional history exhibits. Youth 12 and younger, $2; sudents, $3; seniors, $6; adults, $7. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 145 W. Spring St. (906) 226-3571 or marquettehistory.org • Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum. A variety of interactive exhibits offer learning through investigation and creativity. By appointment. 123 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 226-3911 or upchildrenmuseum.org
Munising
• Alger County Historical Society Heritage Center. Exhibits include the Grand Island Recreation Area, Munising Woodenware Company, barn building, homemaking, sauna and more. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. 1496 Washington St. (906) 387-4308.
Negaunee
• Michigan Iron Industry Museum. In the forested ravines of the Marquette Iron Range, the museum overlooks the Carp River and the site of the first iron forge in the Lake Superior region. Museum exhibits, audio-visual programs and outdoor interpretive paths depict the large-scale capital and human investment that made Michigan an industrial leader. The museum is one of 10 museums and historic sites administered by the Michigan Historical Center. Daily, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 73 Forge Rd. (906) 475-7857. MM
Cabin 4 and 5 parking area, Harlow Lake, off of CR-550. (906) 345-9295. • Muggles for Potter. Youth in grades 2 and 3 are invited to make Potter snow globe tubes. Masks required. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.
09 WEDNESDAY
sunrise 8:03 a.m.; sunset 6:04 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Marquette
• Wonder Babies. Newborns to age 20-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. Masks required. Online registration required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Genealogy Help. Those interested in family history are welcome to work individually with an experienced geologist. Bring your family documents with you. 10 a.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311. • Preschool Creative Movement. Youth age 3 to 5 will explore dance and rhythm while developing large and fine motor skills, coordination and imagination. Masks required. 2 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St.
(906) 226-4323. • Junior Teen Advisory Board. Students in grades 5 to 8 are invited to meet new people, plan events and gain volunteer experience. Masks required. 4:15 p.m. Youth Services, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321. • Meet Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs. Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs will discuss future plans and challenges for the city. Register by the 2nd. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 6:30 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 3615370. • The Yardmaster: A Working Railroad of Today. Anne and Tony Erspamer will discuss working on the railroad leading to the LS&I ore dock Upper Harbor. $5. 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. (906) 226-3571 or marquettehistory.org • Authors Reading Virtually. Author B.G. Bradley will read from his soon-tobe-released book Old Hunter. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl.info for Zoom link • La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. Room 311, NMU Library. (906) 227-2648 or nkupper@nmu.edu
Munising
• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers, of all abilities, are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com
Michigan Ice Fest | February 9 to 13 | Munising
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10 THURSDAY
sunrise 8:02 a.m.; sunset 6:06 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Crystal Falls
• Virtual Q&A with U.P. Author Jane Kopecky. Author Jane Kopecky will discuss her book World War II Conscientious Objectors: Germfask, Michigan–the Alcatraz Camp. 7 p.m. EST. Call or email to register. (906) 875-3344 or egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us
Escanaba
• Toddler Art. Toddlers, with a guardian, are welcome for creative play activities and music. $5 per child. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org
Houghton
• Winter Carnival: Stage Revue Show. MTU students, free; nonstudents, $10. 7 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 360-3056. • Afterschool Camp Vibes. Schoolaged youth are invited for group games, activities and crafts. Masks required. 4:30 p.m. Youth Services, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Women in Science. Professor Dr. Renxin Yang will discuss her background, work, the marriage of poetry in social sciences, globalization and the modern world system, and race differences in status attainment in the U.S. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl.info for Zoom link • Second Thursday Creativity Series: Princesses, Pirates and Puppy Paws. Themed activities and crafts for children will be available. Register online, space is limited. 3 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m. U.P. Children’s Museum, 123 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 226-3911 or upchildrensmuseum.org
Munising
• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers, of all abilities, are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com
11 FRIDAY
sunrise 8:00 a.m.; sunset 6:07 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
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Gwinn
• Story Time. Youth are invited for stories, crafts and snacks. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433. • Dueling Pianos. $20. 8 p.m. Up North Lodge, 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-9815.
Houghton
• Winter Carnival: Come One, Come All to Our 100th Carnival. View the student-made statues during this annual event. Times and locations vary. mtu.edu/ carnival • Winter Carnival: Comedian Drew Lynch. $10. 9 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Winter Play Date. Join other families for sledding and free play. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Harlow Park, corner of Seventh and Bluff streets. mloukusa@greatstartma.org • Preschool Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, crafts and school-readiness activities for preschool-aged children with an adult. Masks required. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • DocuCinema Matinee. The documentary film Thomas Jefferson: A View from the Mountain will be shown. 11 a.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 485-4844. • LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Masks required. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.
Munising
• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers, of all abilities, are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com
12 SATURDAY
sunrise 7:59 a.m.; sunset 6:09 p.m.
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic In-Person Gathering. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Draver Park, noquetrails.org
Calumet
• Stained Glass Wind Chimes. Laura Hamlett will lead the class. Class size is limited. Advanced registration required. $25. 10:30 a.m. Calumet Art Center, 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228.
Copper Harbor
• The Snowshoe Hare at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. Activities
included snowshoe raced, educational opportunities regarding snowshoes and snowshoe hares, meditative snowshoe treks and more. Donations appreciated. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, 14252 US-41. keweenawmountainlodge.com • Guided Moonlit Snowshoe Hike. This guided hike is limited to 10 people. Reservations required. 7 p.m. Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, 14252 US-41. (906) 2894403, ext. 4.
• Baby and Toddler Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Masks required. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Onagomingkway Chapter of NSDAR Meeting. Questions about genealogy and joining DAR will be answered following the meeting. Noon. Big Boy, 1950 US-41. (906) 226-7836.
Escanaba
Munising
Lego Club Rebuild 2022–Robots. 1 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.
Gwinn
• Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association Races. Racers of all ages will compete during more than 20 classes of racing. $5 per carload. Registration, 9:30 a.m. Practice, 10:30 a.m. Noon. Forsyth Township Ball Park, off of Johnson Lake Rd. • Dueling Pianos. $20. 8 p.m. Up North Lodge, 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-9815.
Houghton
• Winter Carnival: Come One, Come All to Our 100th Carnival. View the student-made statues during this annual event. Times and locations vary. mtu.edu/ carnival
Ishpeming
• Polar Roll Mass Start. Bike or snowshoe a 15 or 30-mile course. Proceeds benefit the 906 Adventure Team. $65. Time and location to be announced. thepolarroll.com
Marquette
• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. Lessons, 10 a.m. Game, 11:30 a.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com or (906) 236-3173.
• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers, of all abilities, are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com
13 SUNDAY
sunrise 7:57 a.m.; sunset 6:10 p.m.
Marquette
• Wonder Babies. Newborns to age 20-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. Masks required. Online registration required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Derrell Syria Project Valentine’s Day Concert. Masks required. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.
15 TUESDAY
sunrise 7:54 a.m.; sunset 6:13 p.m.
Gwinn
• Literature at the Lodge. The group will discuss The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal. 7 p.m. Up North Lodge, 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-3433.
Marquette
Big Bay
• Honey Bear Classic. Skiers and snowshoers can chose between a 8.5k or 14.5k ski or a 8.5k snowshoe during this weeklong fundraiser. Big Bay Pathway, noquetrails.org
Houghton
• Winter Carnival: Come One, Come All to Our 100th Carnival. View the student-made statues during this annual event. Times and locations vary. mtu.edu/ carnival
Munising
• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers, of all abilities, are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com
14 MONDAY
sunrise 7:55 a.m.; sunset 6:12 p.m.
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 236-1811. • Dumbledore’s Army. Students in grades 4 to 6 are invited for Harry Potter crafts, including Mandrake planting. Masks required. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • LSAA Program: Introduction to Greenwood Carving. Former Artist in Residence Julie Benda will discuss her unique form of carving. 7 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2507364.
16 WEDNESDAY
sunrise 7:52 a.m.; sunset 6:15 p.m.
Gwinn
• After School LEGO Club. Youth are invited LEGO building. 4 p.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.
Ishpeming
• An Evening of Singing Bowls. Experience relaxation and peace of sound meditation through Tibetan singing bowls and gongs. 7 p.m. Joy Center, 1492 Southwood Dr. (906) 362-8291.
Marquette
NMU Siril Concert Series: Adam Sadberry | February 18 | Marquette
• Wonder Babies. Newborns to age 20-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. Masks required. Online registration required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Preschool Creative Movement. Youth age 3 to 5 will explore dance and rhythm while developing large and fine motor skills, coordination and imagination. Masks required. 2 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Teen Advisory Board. Students in grade 9 to 12 are invited to meet new people, plan activities and gain volunteer experience. Masks required. 4 p.m. Peter
February 2022
White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Google Docs Tutorial. NMU student Morgan Helmie will discuss the ins and outs of using Google Docs. Bring a laptop or tablet. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 6 p.m. Room 2303, Hedgcock Building, NMU. (734) 646-4443. • La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. Room 311, NMU Library. (906) 227-2648 or nkupper@nmu.edu • NMU Jazz Ensembles Concert. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu • Registration Deadline: Fishing in Alaska with Gail. See Wednesday the 23rd.
17 THURSDAY
sunrise 7:51 a.m.; sunset 6:16 p.m.
Big Bay
• Registration Deadline: Big Bay Pathway Meditation Loop Ski Outing. See Thursday the 24th.
Escanaba
• Toddler Art. Toddlers, with a guardian, are welcome for creative play activities and music. $5 per child. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org
Houghton
• An Evening of One Acts: Show A. The one-act plays St. Juliana’s School for Troubled Girls and Taking Survey, will be performed. The plays are written by female writers and deal with the diverse elements of female identity. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. (906) 487-2073 or events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 360-3056.
18 FRIDAY
sunrise 7:49 a.m.; sunset 6:18 p.m.
Gwinn
• Story Time. Youth are invited for stories, crafts and snacks. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.
Houghton
• An Evening of One Acts: Show B. The one-act plays Shaped By You and I Hope…, will be performed. The plays are written by female writers and deal with the diverse elements of female identity. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. (906) 487-2073 or events.mtu.edu • Superior Winds Symphony Concert. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for
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youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Winter Play Date. Join other families for sledding and free play. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Harlow Park, corner of Seventh and Bluff streets. mloukusa@greatstartma.org • Preschool Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, crafts and school-readiness activities for preschool-aged children with an adult. Masks required. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 485-4844. • Author Meet and Greet: Dogs on the Trail. Author Blair Braverman will discuss her book Dogs on the Trail: A Year in the Life. 2 p.m. Snowbound Books, 118 N. Third St. (906) 228-4448. • LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Masks required. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superior Arts Youth Theatre Tech and Design Workshop Series: Backstage Etiquette. Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited to learn the ins and outs of backstage etiquette. $15. 5 to 7 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. saytheater.org • UP200 Start. Watch as the 12-dog teams start their 230-mile journey. 7 p.m. Washington street. up200.org • NMU Siril Concert Series: Adam Sadberry. Adam Sadberry, principal flutist for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, will perform. NMU students and youth 18 and younger, free; others, $12. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, tickets.nmu.edu • UP200 Midnight RunStart. Watch as the 8-dog teams start their 90-mile journey. 8:30 p.m. Washington street. up200.org • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
19 SATURDAY
sunrise 7:47 a.m.; sunset 6:19 p.m.
Escanaba
• Flannel Fest. Adults are invited for a fundraising night of music by Sit Down Francis, games, food and drinks. 7 p.m. Advanced tickets, $30; at the door, $40. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org
Gwinn
• Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association Races. Racers of all ages will compete during more than 20 classes of racing. $5 per carload. Registration, 9:30 a.m. Practice, 10:30 a.m. Noon. Forsyth Township Ball Park, off of Johnson Lake Rd. • UP200 Jack Pine 30. Mushers with their 6-dog teams will compete during this 26-mile race. 10 a.m. First Baptist Church, 195 N. Billings St. up200.org
Houghton
• An Evening of One Acts: Show A. The one-act plays St. Juliana’s School for Troubled Girls and Taking Survey, will be performed. The plays are written by
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Meijer State Games | February 25 to 27 | Marquette
blues music. Masks required. 7 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • NMU Choral Ensembles Concert. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu
23 WEDNESDAY
sunrise 7:41 a.m.; sunset 6:25 p.m.
Marquette
female writers and deal with the diverse elements of female identity. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. (906) 487-2073 or events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Superior Arts Youth Theatre Tech and Design Workshop Series: Prop Building. Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited to learn how to make props for theatre. $15. 5 to 7 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. saytheater.org • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. Lessons, 10 a.m. Game, 11:30 a.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com or (906) 236-3173. • Baby and Toddler Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Masks required. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Chess Club. Youth age 7 to 12 are invited for chess. Masks required. 2 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre Matinee: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 2 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/ tickets • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
20 SUNDAY
sunrise 7:46 a.m.; sunset 6:21 p.m.
February 2022
Hancock
• The Buellwood Weavers and Fiber Arts Guild Monthly Meeting. The program will include demonstrations of several loom-warping methods. Those interested in fiber arts and rug weaving are invited. Masks are required at the Jutila Center. Noon. Room 105, Fiber Arts Studio, Jutila Center, 200 Michigan St. (906) 221-5306 or jegale@att.net
21 MONDAY
sunrise 7:44 a.m.; sunset 6:22 p.m.
Marquette
• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds produced by Tibetan singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. (906) 362-8291. • NMU Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble Concert. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu
22 TUESDAY
sunrise 7:42 a.m.; sunset 6:24 p.m.
Escanaba
• Fossils of Delta County. 4:30 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 236-1811. • Bluesday Tuesday. Enjoy a night of
• Wonder Babies. Newborns to age 20-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. Masks required. Online registration required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Fishing in Alaska with Gail. Gail Frinkle will share photos, videos and fishing tales of her Alaskan fishing trips. Register by the 16th. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 1:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (734) 646-4443. • Preschool Creative Movement. Youth age 3 to 5 will explore dance and rhythm while developing large and fine motor skills, coordination and imagination. Masks required. 2 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Felt Magic with Jody Trost. Jody Trost will lead a beginner needle felted workshop. Bring a small pair of pair of scissors. Registration required. Masks required. 6:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Marquette Regional History Center Annual Meeting. A brief business meeting will be followed by the 2021 Helen Longyear, Paul and Peter White History awards. 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. (906) 226-3571 or marquettehistory.org • NMU Orchestra Children’s Concert. 6:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu • La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. Room 311, NMU Library. (906) 227-2648 or nkupper@nmu.edu • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
24 THURSDAY
sunrise 7:39 a.m.; sunset 6:27 p.m.
Big Bay
• Big Bay Pathway Meditation Loop Ski Outing. The group will ski a 5.6km beginner level trail. Register by the 17th. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 2 p.m. Big Bay Pathway, address. (906) 3459295.
Escanaba
• Toddler Art. Toddlers, with a guardian, are welcome for creative play activities and music. $5 per child. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org • Phil Lynch Live. Phil Lynch, Katie Bender and Eli Bender will perform a blend of music and humor during this onstage performance. Students, $6; nonstudents, $12. 7 p.m. Besse Center, Bay College. baycollege.tix.com
Houghton
• An Evening of One Acts: Show B. The one-act plays Shaped By You and I Hope…, will be performed. The plays are written by female writers and deal with the diverse elements of female identity. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. (906) 487-2073 or events. mtu.edu
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 360-3056. • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
25 FRIDAY
sunrise 7:37 a.m.; sunset 6:28 p.m.
Gwinn
• Story Time. Youth are invited for stories, crafts and snacks. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.
Houghton
• An Evening of One Acts: Show A. The one-act plays St. Juliana’s School for Troubled Girls and Taking Survey, will
be performed. The plays are written by female writers and deal with the diverse elements of female identity. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. (906) 4872073 or events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for youth ages 18 to 36-months with an adult. Masks required. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Winter Play Date. Join other families for sledding and free play. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Harlow Park, corner of Seventh and Bluff streets. mloukusa@greatstartma.org • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com or (906) 485-4844. • LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Masks required. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323. • Prom Dress Swap. Students who donate a dress will receive an email to shop a day before others. 4 to 5:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264321. • Meijer State Games Opening Ceremony. Registered athletes and spectators are invited for the parade of athletes and lighting of the cauldron. 7 p.m. Marquette Mountain, 4501 M-553. stategamesofmichigan.com • Meijer State Games: Rail Jam. Prices vary. 7:45 p.m. Marquette Mountain, 4501 M-553. stategamesofmichigan.com • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage
self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
• Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association Races. Racers of all ages will compete during more than 20 classes of racing. $5 per carload. Registration, 2 p.m.; Practice, 3:45 p.m. 5 p.m. Forsyth Township Ball Park, off of Johnson Lake Rd.
Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Masks required. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323. • Prom Dress Swap. Students in grades 9 to 12 are invited to-shop for gently used prom dresses. 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264321. • NMU Panowski Black Box Theatre: The Wolves. Watch the story of teenage self-discovery centered on a girls’ soccer team. NMU students, $5; other students, $10; NMU faculty, senior and military, $12; general public, $17. 8 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets
Houghton
Trenary
26 SATURDAY
sunrise 7:35 a.m.; sunset 6:30 p.m.
Gwinn
• An Evening of One Acts: Show B. The one-act plays Shaped By You and I Hope…, will be performed. The plays are written by female writers and deal with the diverse elements of female identity. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. (906) 487-2073 or events. mtu.edu • Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra Concert. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. (906) 487-2073 or events.mtu.edu
Marquette
• Meijer State Games: Slalom, Boarder Cross/Ski and Slopestyle. Prices vary. Slalom, 10 a.m.; Boarder Cross/Ski, 2 p.m. Stopestyle, 7 p.m. Marquette Mountain, 4501 M-553. stategamesofmichigan.com • Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. Lessons, 10 a.m. Game, 11:30 a.m. $5 for games. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com or (906) 236-3173. • Baby and Toddler Saturday Storytime.
• Outhouse Classic. Watch as homemade outhouses race down the street. Advanced tickets, $3; day of, $5. 2 p.m. Downtown. trenaryouthouseclassic.com
27 SUNDAY
sunrise 7:33 a.m.; sunset 6:31 p.m.
Marquette
• Meijer State Games: Giant Slalom. Prices vary. 10 a.m. Marquette Mountain, 4501 M-553. stategamesofmichigan.com
28 MONDAY
sunrise 7:32 a.m.; sunset 6:33 p.m.
Marquette
• Global Geeks Book Club. The group will discuss The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson. Masks required. 6 p.m. Dandelion Cottage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4312. MM
support groups • Alano Club. Twelve-step recovery meetings daily. Monday through Saturday, noon and 8 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. 1202 S. Front St., Southgate Plaza, Marquette. • Al-Anon Family Groups. A fellowship offering strength and hope for friends and families of problem drinkers. al-alon.org or (888) 425-2666. • Alcoholics Anonymous. Meetings throughout Marquette County, open daily, at many locations and times. Twenty-four-hour answering service, (800) 605-5043 or aa-marquettecounty. org • ALZConnected. This is a free, online community for everyone affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other memory loss diseases. alzconnected.org • American Legacy Foundation. Smoking quit line for expectant mothers and cessation information for women. (800) 668-8278. • Amputee Social Group. This peer support group is for amputees, friends and families to share resources, life experiences and create relationships. February 8. 6 p.m. SAIL, 1200 Wright St. (906) 273-2444. • Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Checks. Cholesterol checks are $5. Call for Marquette County
schedule. (906) 225-4545. • Caregiver Support Group— Marquette. All caregivers are welcome. Learn about general nutrition and diabetes. February 17. 2 p.m. Mill Creek Community Room, Mill Creek Clubhouse, Windstone Dr. (906) 2257760 or lakesuperiorhospice.org • Divorce Care—Ishpeming. This non-denominational group is for people who are separated or divorced. New members are welcome. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Northiron Church, 910 Palms Ave. (906) 475-6032 or northiron.church • Grief Share—Ishpeming. This nondenominational group is for people dealing with grief and loss. Mondays, 2:30 p.m. Northiron Church, 910 Palms Ave. (906) 475-6032 or northiron. church • iCanQuit. Smokers are invited to learn more about quitting with the help of a quitting coach. (800) 480-7848. • Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice Grief Support Group—Gwinn. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is available. February 9. 2 p.m. Forsyth Senior Center, 165 Maple St. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice. org • Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice
Grief Support Group—Marquette. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is available. February 16. 5:30 p.m. Lake Superior Hospice, 914 W. Baraga Ave., Mill Creek Community Room, 1600 Mill Creek. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice.org • Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice Grief Support Group— Negaunee. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is available. February 17. 3 p.m. Negaunee Senior Center, 410 Jackson St. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice.org • Michigan Tobacco Quit Line. This free quit smoking coaching hotline provides callers with a personal health coach. (800) 784-8669. • National Alliance on Mental Illness—Support Group. Individuals living with mental illness and friends or families living with an individual with mental illness are welcome for Zoom meetings. February 14 and 17 7 p.m. Call (906) 360-7107 or email ckbertucci58@ charter.net for Zoom invitation, or namimqt.com • Nicotine Anonymous. (415) 7500328 or www.nicotine-anonymous.org • Sexual Health and Addiction
February 2022
Therapy Group. Call Great Lakes Recovery Centers for more details. Dates, times and locations vary. (906) 228-9696. • SMART Recovery—Calumet. A selfhelp group for alcohol and substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. Mondays, 7 p.m. Copper Country Mental Health, 56938 Calumet Avenue. smartrecovery.org • SMART Recovery — Hancock. Thursdays, 7 p.m. Basement Conference Room, Old Main Building, Finlandia University, 601 Quincy St. smartrecovery. org • SMART Recovery — Marquette. Mondays, Noon. Zoom meeting. Visit smartrecovery.com for Zoom link. • Take Off Pounds Sensibly. This is a non-commercial weight-control support group. Various places and times throughout the U.P. (800) 932-8677 or TOPS.org • Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program. Clinics include nutritional counseling and coupon pick-up. Appointments required. Call for Marquette County schedule. mqthealth.org or (906) 4757846. MM
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