Attorneys respond to ‘Friends’ suit

Tammy
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Super Saturday!–Kids of all ages came to the Baraga State Park to dress up for Harvest Fest 2018. The park campers decorated their campsites for the event, with Cathy Hill taking first place and Thomas Roy taking second. The event went on into the evening with lights flickering and dancing among the campers due to decorations and bonfires being enjoyed by all.

by Barry Drue
Attorneys for L’Anse Township have filed a response in the case challenging building permits and construction of meteorological evaluation towers (MET) for wind testing on Weyerhaueser property. Friends of the Huron Mountains brought the case against the township in August. Attorneys Michael Homier and Laura Genovich of Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, Grand Rapids, MI, filed the township’s response in Baraga County Circuit Court on Sept. 11, 2018. Friends of the Huron Mountains, (FHM)a Michigan non-profit corporation, is seeking injunctive relief, claiming L’Anse Township did not follow its ordinances in granting building permits for three MET towers that have been built. The township response claims that FHM lacks legal standing to bring the case against the township.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Pelkie: 100 years of Finnishness in North Woods; Filmmaker Loukinen returns to Pelkie for documentary

Tammy
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RETIRED FROM NMU–After 40 years teaching sociology at Northern Michigan University, Michael Loukinen is continuing his “second career” in documentary films. He’s made over a dozen, and is working on a project documenting past life in Pelkie.

 

A note to the reader: I imagined how a reporter would write this story and it morphed into this. Enjoy. –Dr. Michael Loukinen

During the 1971 deer hunting season, Michael Loukinen, a Michigan State University graduate student, was about to begin his doctoral dissertation research on what sociologists call “exchange theory.” He wanted to study how inter-household labor and non-monetary material exchange helps rural communities survive. Funded by a Ford Foundation Fellowship, his advisors: Professors Bo Anderson and Fred Waisanen, a second generation Finnish American from Point Abbaye, advised him to go to the Copper Country. Shortly after shooting a four-pointer in Jacobsville, MI, where he had spent his childhood summers on his uncle’s dairy farm, Loukinen found himself in the Baraga County MSU Extension Service office. Dick Breyer, then the MSU Extension Agent, advised, “Go to Pelkie. There is a lot of cooperation out there….” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

New facility for collaborative pre-K program

Tammy
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STAGE IS SET–KBOCC’s pre-kindergarten program has a new facility featuring an outdoor all-natural classroom. Staff on the kids’ stage are, l-r, Kim Swanson, Early Childhood Education Director Cheryl LaRose and Missy Paulson. Migisiinsag (Lil’Eagles) is for four year-olds.

by Barry Drue
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College’s Migiziinsag (Lil’ Eagles) early childhood program has a new home. The pre-kindergarten program for four year-old children enters its fourth year with its own classroom building and unique natural outdoor classroom in the backyard. It is located at 809 Louis, a short block or so from KBOCC’s Wabanung campus in L’Anse. Having moved from the lower level of the college building, the staff is eager to bring in children for the start of the school year on Sept. 12. An open house was held on Tuesday, Aug. 28, to show off the facility to the community. Cheryl LaRose is KBOCC’s Early Childhood Education director. Kim Swanson is the teacher-director and Missy Paulson is a teacher. Migiziinsag is licensed for 16 children. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

‘Friends’ lawsuit seeks injunction

Tammy
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OLD AND NEW–The annual Cue Cruise brought 49 entrants to Baraga on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, to show off vehicles old and new. The vehicles were parked for display from 1-3 p.m. in front of the Cue Master. Cruisers joined together for the annual drive from L’Anse to Baraga, with stops at the Baraga Drive In and the L’Anse Frostie Freeze for free root beer and ice cream.

 

by Barry Drue
Friends of the Huron Mountains, a Michigan nonprofit corporation, has filed for “declarative and injunctive relief ” against L’Anse Township. The complaint in Baraga County Circuit Court was filed through Friends (FHM) attorney, Jana Mathieu, Marquette, with Baraga County Clerk Wendy Goodreau on Aug. 15, 2018. Goodreau issued a summons to L’Anse Township on Aug. 16, 2018. The township has 21- 28 days after receiving the summons to file a written response with the court. FHM was formed to protect the Huron Mountains region from the proposed development of an industrial-scale Large Wind Energy Conversion System. The Summit Lake Wind Project is proposed by wind energy developer RES on Commercial Forest land owned by Weyerhaueser in L’Anse Township. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Months of training for election; Praise dedication of clerks, precinct workers

Tammy
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CANVASSING THE VOTE–Baraga County’s Board of County Canvassers met twice last week to certify results from the Primary Election on Aug. 7, 2018. Friday the board reviewed Matt Morgan write-in ballots from two precincts. The result was that one Morgan vote in each of the precincts was not counted. L-r, Canvassers Margo Jentoft and Lillian Perrow, Baraga Township Clerk Michelle Fish, canvassers Harold Ripple and John Drennan and Covington Township Clerk Amy Leaf.

by Barry Drue
A wave of state-mandated election computer and software changes created a months-long challenge for election personnel prior to last Tuesday’s primary election. When all was done Baraga County results came through perfectly. “Our township clerks and precinct workers did a great job,” Baraga County Clerk Wendy Goodreau said last Thursday. “There are so many moving parts with all the new equipment. The last few months we have been in training. Township clerks are Lisa Maranich in Arvon, Michelle Fish in Baraga, Amy Leaf, Covington, Brian Jentoft, L’Anse, and Linda Legacy in Spurr. “Everyone’s work came in perfect. The clerks and the precinct inspectors are amazing. They take their job very seriously,” Goodreau said. “They had a lot to learn.” The State of Michigan Bureau of Elections funded the new hardware and software for the precincts following national concern about election security in the 2016 Presidential election. The voting equipment must be stand-alone and cannot be connected to the internet or any network. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Bigger crowds at fair

Tammy
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MIDWAY RETURNS–Kids loved the rides at the Baraga County Fair, from the younger set to the big kids. Henry and Penelope Harris are having a ball in their tank ride Saturday. The gate was up all weekend at the fair.

by Barry Drue
The Baraga County Fair survived a couple bouts of showers, a generator breakdown on the midway, and everybody went home happy! Good crowds roamed the fairgrounds in Pelkie Friday, Saturday and Sunday and a long list of scheduled events kept folks entertained. “Overall it was very successful,” third year fair manager Mindy Lantz said. “We had a decent crowd Friday for Senior Day, the queen presentation. . .everything on the schedule happened. Saturday there was rain in the morning. We had lots of teams for the Country Mudder and they were going to get wet anyway, and the small animal show was inside. “We had the jump horse show and there were lots of trucks for the mud bog. Rain Saturday night put a damper on the carnival,” Lantz said. “Sunday went well. We had a big turn-out for everything. Tri-State brought the midway and other than one generator going down affecting some rides, the kids loved it. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

BAS seeks millage for repairs, upgrades

Tammy
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WIND DAMAGE-A structure on the Baraga school roof was damaged by wind some time ago and remains unrepaired. The district is seeking three mills for nine years to tackle present and future repairs and upgrades.

by Barry Drue
Now that Baraga’s school loan for the 1980 construction is paid off, the district is attempting to situate itself to fund existing and anticipated future maintenance, repairs, building improvements, security and technology upgrades. Baraga Area Schools will have a “Sinking Fund” millage request before district voters on the Aug. 7, 2018, Primary Election ballot. The proposal is for three mills for nine years. Sinking Fund millages have been passed in other area districts, including L’Anse. These millages cannot be used to pay salaries, athletic expenses or district operational expenses. “A sinking fund millage is levied, not borrowed, which means the revenues are generated annually from a tax and do not include the district taking on additional debt or interest expense,” Baraga Superintendent Rich Sarau explained. Three mills would generate about $202,000 in the first year. BAS calculated that a taxpayer with a property with a market value of $40,000 ($20,000 taxable value) would pay $60 per year for the additional three mills. On the higher end a taxpayer with a property with a market value of $240,000 ($120,000 taxable value) would pay an additional $360 per year for three mills. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Baraga International Club enjoys Costa Rica ; Ten days on trip with students from Florida, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky

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CAFFEINE TRIP–The Baraga International Club students and chaperones stop to tour the historic Doka Coffee plantation in the Arenal Region while in Costa Rica. They learned the coffee making process from growing beans, which are then handpicked, to roasting a cup of coffee. The plantation is equipped with 120-year-old equipment that is still in working order.

by Melissa Newland
The Baraga International Travel Club recently returned from an adventure in San Jose, Costa Rica. The group took three flights to its destination and three flights back to the UP, enjoying 10 days experiencing the local cuisine and country of Costa Rica. This is the third trip abroad for Baraga Area School (BAS) Counselor (6-12) and Club Advisor Michele Serafin with BAS students and parents. Every two years students 13 years and up wanting to travel with the group can sign up and raise funds for whichever destination is planned with Education First (EF). Parents who traveled with the group this year were Jackie Heikkinen, Suzanne Kahkonen, Garrick Lamb and James Tembreull. Students taking on the challenge of raising funds and seeing the sights of Costa Rica were Samantha Heikkinen, Keegin Kahkonen, Haily Lamb, Nikira Maki, Courtney Tembreull, Holly Rogers, Madelyn Turpeinen, Tristan Stockton and Jaden Serafin.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

New mill brings CNC machining to LAS

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NEW DIGS–LAS Industrial Education teacher Tony Arens, right, shows off the new Haas Mini-Mill purchased through CTE millage to LAS students, l-r, Jaiden Kaurala, Austin Sikkila, Tommy Rasanen and Cody Owens.

by Melissa Newland
A new Haas Mini Mill arrived at the Industrial Education building at L’Anse Area School (LAS) this week. This equipment was purchased by the Copper Country Intermediate School District  (CCISD) with funding from the CTE millage. According to the Internet, Haas Mini Mills are the industry standard for compact machining centers. They provide an economical solution for small parts machining in a compact package that is loaded with full-size features. The Mini Mill is said to be perfect for schools, start-up shops, or as a first step into CNC machining. It is a valuable addition for shops needing a “second-op” machine, or an additional spindle where space is limited. The Mill operates on single- or three-phase power, is an economical solution for small parts, has a compact footprint, full-size machine features and is made in the U.S.A. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

 

Step up with flood relief ; ‘Copper Country Strong’ proves correct

Tammy
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GENEROUS COMMUNITY–L’Anse Fire Department and the Baraga FD (photo below) jumped in to collect food, cleaning supplies, water and monetary donations for Copper Country flood victims. L’Anse set up its rescue trailer at Pat’s Foods where two full trailer loads was donated on Wednesday and Thursday, July 20-21, 2018. Accepting donations on Thursday were Mike Bianco, left, and Fabian Kristo.

by Barry Drue
“Copper Country Strong” has become the anthem of the region following the devastating flash flooding that severely impacted Houghton County and surrounding areas in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 17, 2018. Ashtin Pouttu’s logo of the Portage Lift Bridge and the UP is appearing on more and more Facebook profiles. Volunteers, financial donations, food, water and cleanup supplies have turned up in huge quantity to help the recovery. The Keweenaw Community Foundation is handling monetary donations for distribution, as is the Portage Health Foundation (PHF), which is also a non-profit community foundation. PHF has set up a 2018 Houghton County Flood Relief Fund. Portage Health Foundation commented last week: “We are approaching the $100K or cash donations made and pledges received. As they say here in the Yoop. . .HOLY WHAH!” The generosity is coming from across the region, including Baraga County, which suffered flood damage, too, but not to the extent it impacted areas to the north. Six to eight inches of rain fell in a short time in parts of Houghton County. In Baraga County rainfall amounts varied but estimates were closer to three to four inches. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

 

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