WITH THE KIDS–MSP Trooper Pat Butler visits with young children who took a walk through Career Day at L’Anse High School in March, 2018. Butler enjoyed her time in area schools with kids of all ages.
by Barry Drue
Michigan State Police Trooper Pat Butler has lots of thanks to express as she prepares to retire later this month. From chasing down unsavory situations in the dead of night to fun hours working with school children as the Post Community Service Officer, Butler has seen it all. “We’re here for the community— and this community adopted me. If you don’t have the people behind you, you’ve got nothing. There are awesome people here,” Butler said. “The law enforcement community here is great, too. I was just a cog in a wheel to serve the community.” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
WATER OVERVIEW–KBNRD Water Resources Specialist Stephanie Cree outlined the vast water resources on the KBIC Reservation. She also introduced the large team of specialists and technicians working year-round to catalog, sample and monitor water. They establish baseline data and monitor Lake Superior, rivers and streams, inland lakes, wetlands, groundwater and wells.
by Barry Drue
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and its Natural Resources Department celebrated the sacredness and efforts to protect reservation waters at “Tribal Water Day” on Friday, March 15, 2019. The day-long event was divided into numerous programs led by specialists in many waterrelated areas. The Ojibwa Casino Bingo Hall was filled with community members and representatives of agencies and organizations concerned about water quality and related issues. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
STARTING SMALL–The littlest club members are always a crowd-pleaser, and this year’s crew didn’t disappoint as the girls glided/wobbled out to perform in this past weekend’s L’Anse-Baraga Figure Skating Club show. Enjoying their applause and each other’s company above are, l-r, are Tenley and Harper Tollefson, Addi Solberg, Gracie Magaraggia and Bettylou Griffith.
by Nancy Besonen
The L’Anse-Baraga Figure Skating Club spread the joy this past weekend with its spring show titled, “Happiness Is . . .” Crowds came out Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10, 2019, for shows at L’Anse’s Meadowbrook Arena. A donation of $1 per ticket to the Make-A-Wish Michigan organization, that makes wishes come true for children with critical illnesses, will help keep the theme going. “We had a very good turnout both days,” said Club President Terra Sweeney. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
PARK UPGRADES–Baraga State Park will feature sites with full hook-ups (water, sewer, electrical) and many sites with 50 amp electrical service. Construction will be in phases this summer, and will be complete for 2020.
by Barry Drue
Major renovation and service improvements will take place at Baraga State Park this summer. The $1.2 million project will be done in two phases. The north portion of the park will be closed for construction from May 1 to June 27. The full park will be open for a couple weeks around the Fourth of July and then the south half will be closed and renovated from July 15 until the close of the season Oct. 28. Park officials Dan Dowdy and Kelly Somero are already hearing from campers who are eager for the improvements. Years of circuit breaker blows and ever-increasing electrical demand from larger and more well-equipped RV’s is pushing demand for new 50-amp service. “Bids have been obtained. We are reviewing them,” Dowdy said. “UP Engineering and Architects is doing the engineering. We haven’t seen anything like this here. Funding for the project comes from the department’s Park Improvement Fund. That money comes from user fees such as camping, recreational passports and other retail products. “We don’t get any tax money—it’s all user-based,” Dowdy noted. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
AWARD PRESENTATION–Lifesaving plaques were presented for 10 people involved in three lifesaving cardiac arrest situations over the past couple years. The awards were presented at a meeting of the Baraga County Medical Control Authority Monday. The group oversees emergency medical services. L-r, presenting awards is Dr. Mark Cecilio, and recipients Robert Harry, Chad Soli, Matthew Morgan, David Finegan, Vicki Usitalo, Nathan Lahti and Mark Skidmore. Bay Ambulance Director Gary Wadaga led the presentation. Missing are recipients Karin Adams, Joseph Linder and Curt Sutherland.
Month the Baraga County Medical Control Authority presented 10 Lifesaver Awards at its meeting Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at the hospital conference room. Plaques were presented to: Vicki Usitalo, Karin Adams, David Finegan, Matthew Morgan, Joseph Linder, Curtis Sutherland, Chad Soli, Robert Harry, Mark Skidmore and Nathan Lahti. “All of these individuals aided patients in cardiac arrest with CPR that resulted in “Return of Spontaneous Circulation” and saving the life of the individuals they aided,” said Gary Wadaga of Bay Ambulance who made the presentations along with Dr. Mark Cecilio. “Brain cells die in 4-6 minutes without oxygen and circulation. A successful resuscitation requires that CPR be started within that time frame,” Wadaga said. Three individual cases were involved with multiple people responding in the emergencies. Skidmore was in a store in December, 2016, when a person was found unresponsive, not breathing and with no pulse. He initiated CPR and was soon joined by responding Sheriff ’s Deputies Chad Soli and Robert Harry. “I was never so glad in my life to see those deputies arrive!” Skidmore told the group. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
LEARNING THE ROPES–Cornelius Ibsen, left, has been at LAS since the start of the school year. Pictured above are he and Max Ostermeyer, a senior at LAS, as they learn a little bit about art in Linda Lohmann’s class.
by Melissa Newland
A new foreign exchange student was welcomed by L’Anse Area School (LAS) staff and students at the beginning of the 2018-2019 year. Cornelius Ibsen from St. Peter-Ording, Germany, is halfway through the 10th grade at LAS, coming to the United States through the International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES) program. ICES is an “international nonprofit student exchange organization dedicated to promoting a peaceful world by increasing international awareness and cultural understanding.” ICES is comprised of a team of experienced professionals who have been working for over 25 years to place students with host families. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
TALENTED PERFORMERS–L-r, Laura Augustine, Bill Kautto, Todd Overbeek and Mike Roberts perform along with (background) Hugo Lehto on drums and Ed Kilpela on base guitar during the L’Anse Variety of Music Show held Feb. 2, 2019. The six musicians performed many times throughout the program, with Lehto, Augustine, Overbeek and Roberts showing their talents both vocally and instrumentally.
by Melissa Newland The 15th annual L’Anse Variety of Music Show pulled in some great performers to help raise money for the L’Anse Area School (LAS) band. Musicians from the community and LAS joined together to perform a variety of styles in music to include Jazz, Country, Big Band, Old Rock and Roll and Folk on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, at LAS cafetorium starting at 7 p.m. From LAS high school solo and ensemble/band students to community musicians, the talent on stage was enjoyed by all attending. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
AQD PANEL–MDEQ AQD specialists were on hand to answer questions about the proposed permit for the L’Anse Warden Electric Company to allow it to burn up to 50,000 tons of pellets per year. The meeting was held in L’Anse Jan. 23, 2019 at the L’Anse Area School cafetorium. Panel experts included, l-r, District Inspector Joe Scanlan, Permit Engineer John Vial and Toxic Unit Supervisor Bob Sills.
by Melissa Newland The L’Anse Area School (LAS) cafetorium held quite a crowd of concerned citizens during the public comment period and public hearing held by Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Air Quality Division (AQD), personnel who were in L’Anse to gather public comment on a proposed Permit to Install (PTI) for L’Anse Warden Electric Company (LWEC). LWEC is requesting the PTI in order to be able to add a new fuel source, up to 50,000 tons of engineered pellets/ year, to its list of currently permitted fuels, natural gas, wood chips, wood fines and bark, chipped tires and creosote-treated railroad ties. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
FOURTEEN SITES–are in need of cleanup on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Reservation due to contamination and debris left behind over the decades, which are classified as brownfield sites. Above, Dione Price shows those fourteen sites at a presentation given Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.
by Melissa Newland
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) has identified a number of ‘brownfield’ sites on the KBIC Reservation between L’Anse and Baraga in need of clean-up due to environmental concerns. According to KBIC Environmental Specialist Dione Price, the Power Dam Road, located just outside the Village of L’Anse off U.S. 41, is just one of 14 sites considered a brownfield site. It will be the first area focused on for clean-up to provide a safe and uncontaminated area for residential, recreational and business use. A public meeting to discuss the cleanup proposal was held at the Ojibwa Senior Center in Baraga Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 from 5:30-6 p.m. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
A session of Baraga County Circuit Court on Friday , Jan. 11, 2019, was packed with pleas, arraignments and motions. Above, Genevieve Lynn Meyers of L’Anse, right, pleads guilty to a methamphetamine possession count. She also faces a preliminary exam in 97th District Court on Feb. 12 on a 1st Degree Felony Murder count arising from the death of two year-old Walker Meyers in December, 2017. L-r, Probation Agent Scott Dewar, Prosecutor Joseph O’Leary, Public Defender David Gemignani and Meyers. She is in Baraga County Jail on a $1 million bond for the murder case.
by Barry Drue A public comment period and public hearing are set by the Department of Environmental Quality’s Air Quality Division (AQD) in regard to the L’Anse Warden Electric Co. Convergen, owner of the L’Anse biomass electric generator, wants to add its engineered fuel pellets into the fuel stream at Warden. The plant is permitted to burn natural gas, wood chips, wood fines and bark, chipped tires and creosote-treated railroad ties. Convergen makes its pellets from 60-70 percent fiber/paper material, and 30-40 percent plastic material. Convergen has been permitted to test use of its pellets at Warden, and is now applying for a Permit To Install (PTI) to burn them on a permanent basis. Convergen is seeking to burn up to 50,000 tons of pellets per year. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
