Agencies investigate CertainTeed effluent spill

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SPILL IN RIVER–Runover from CertainTeed’s effluent field turned the Falls River and Ogemaw Creek white on Monday morning, Oct. 17, 2016. Agencies responding to the spill included Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Natural Resources Department, Baraga DNR staff and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. MDEQ is yet to determine if there will be any punitive action toward the company. Photo by Jeff Hubbard, Baraga County Emergency Management.

by Barry Drue
An apparent overflow of effluent from the CertainTeed spraying fields led to a white plume that floated through Ogemaw Creek to the Falls River and eventually to Keweenaw Bay. The spill was first reported about 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. Baraga County’s new Emergency Manager, Jeff Hubbard, saw the Falls River near his home on Golf Course Road running nearly white with the spill Monday morning. Significant rain had fallen prior to the event. “I saw it at the bridge over the Falls River on Golf Course Road. I called to report it as a citizen and then kind of put my other at on and looked into it (as the county’s Emergency Management coordinator),” Hubbard said. “CertainTeed has many acres of field south of Little Mountain. I’m surmising heavy rain washed it into the river.” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Dianda, Markkanen offer views on issues

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Republican Gregory Markkanen                                                Incumbent Democrat Scott Dianda

by Melissa Lehto
Democrat State Representative Scott Dianda is hoping to win a third term representing Michigan’s 110th House District in the November race. Dianda will be running against Republican Gregory Markkanen of Hancock. Michigan’s 110th House District comprises Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties, as well as Powell and Ishpeming Townships in Marquette County. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Efforts ongoing to fund rink

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CLOWNING AROUND–L-r, Polly Schaefer, Grace Usimaki and Tim Usimaki have been busy in their spare time. Above is one of the rooms set up for the Howl-O-Scream haunted house slated to open at Meadowbrook Arena starting Oct. 14, 2016, at 7 pm. More 4 x 8 plywood sheets were able to be purchased for the haunted house this year, which means more rooms to try to scare young and old alike.

by Melissa Lehto
Meadowbrook Arena in L’Anse is starting a new season with the coming of winter. Local volunteers are busy raising necessary funds to help offset the costs of keeping the rink open. For many years, Meadowbrook had been funded through the Village of L’Anse helping with utility costs. The funding became unavailable for the rink when the L’Anse Warden Electric Company was awarded a tax break by the Michigan Tax Tribunal. Because of restructuring due to the tax case, Meadowbrook supporters had to find a new way to pay for those costs. Bob LaFave, L’Anse Village Manager, stated, “It was not something the village wanted to happen, but we did what we could in this situation.” Through many volunteer hours and generous donations last year, the rink users and supporters raised the $35,000 necessary for utilities. Meadowbrook received over $20,000 in donations with 2% funds from Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Downtown Development Association, L’Anse Township, and L’Anse Warden Electric Company, to name just a few donors. A Plum Creek grant (now Weyerhaeuser Company) allowed KCo Construction of L’Anse to make improvements to the existing building. According to Schaefer, KCo was able to supply the rink a great discount to install new windows inside the upstairs viewing area, new ingress and egress doors and emergency exits, and new overhead garage doors. They also sealed off an old garage door that was no longer in use with insulation, and did some painting. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

 

Community strides out vs. domestic violence

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IN STEP–with one another and the cause, participants in Saturday’s Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk start their trek to the KBOCC. The event is hosted by the KBIC, and supported by a U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence against Women grant.

by Nancy Besonen

For the eighth time since Chelsey LaFernier’s tragic death in January, 2009, her community united to strike a blow vs. domestic violence. The Chelsey LaFernier Memorial Walk has been held each fall since the young Baraga woman became yet another victim of domestic violence. Hosted by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) at its Ojibwa Community College KBOCC), it is open to all. Participants Saturday gathered at the corner of Lyons and McGillan streets in Baraga for the start of the walk at 2 p.m. Ranging in age from elders to toddlers, they first formed a circle, then .LaFernier’s sister, Lily Marcotte, stepped inside it to honor Chelsey’s memory. A Tobacco Ceremony led by Debra Williamson followed, then the crowd struck out for the KBOCC. Upon their arrival they were welcomed by KBIC President Chris Swartz and a poem and balloon release by Chelsey’s daughter, Alexxus DeCota. LaFernier’s three sisters, Marcotte, Betsy Leinonen and Amber Weigel, followed with a presentation from the heart. KBIC Department of Violence Against Women Director Cherie Dakota said their message was primarily one of love. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Tribe invests in safety

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REMOTE RESCUE–Marquette Fire Department Captain Tom Dunleavy carries an “EMILY” water rescue robot on the dock at the Baraga Marina. DNR personnel, right, also trained on the remote controlled battery powered jet boats. They have flotation to hold up 400 pounds. KBIC Aanikoosing economic development group is partnering with EMILY’s designer/builder. These two devices are going to Marquette beaches and Little Presque Isle, where two people drowned in June.

by Barry Drue

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is partnering with a company that has patented a four-foot rescue boat/buoy that can remotely save the life of a person in trouble in the water. KBIC’s economic development company, Aanikoosing, Inc., is making two of the robots available in Marquette County. The first two rescue robots represent over $20,000 in equipment and training in its use donated by KBIC. Andy Chosa and Jeffery Loman of Aanikoosing have worked on the project, spearheaded by the tragic drowning of a man and woman off Little Presque Isle in June. Those two drowning deaths pushed the number of drownings around the Great Lakes to 450 since 2011. Large waves, winds and rip currents overwhelm many swimmers each summer. The battery-powered jet boat can float about 400 pounds in the water and can handle rough seas and cruise up to 22 miles per hour. They are known as “EMILY” which stands for Emergency Inte-grated Lifesaving Lanyards. They are made by the Hydronalix company, and are very tough with fiberglass/Kevlar hulls, strong rechargeable batteries and jet drives. They can be tossed into the water off piers and even out of helicopters. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Foresters explain logging decisions on Pt. Abbaye

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JM LONGYEAR FORESTERS–L-r, Kirk Kass and Tim Schneider pictured on the trail near the tip of Pt. Abbaye. They explained the forestry principals that are guiding the logging of the county park property. So far a total of about 80 acres has been logged, including the tip, above.

by Barry Drue

Much has been said and letters to the editor have been typed about the logging project that began last winter on the county-owned 260-acre park at the tip of Pt. Abbaye. The 15-20 acres on the walk to the point were logged this spring and that, more than anything, has drawn attention. So far a total of about 80 acres of the county land has been single-tree marked and selectively logged. The tip and a parcel on the southern end near McBeth Road have been logged. To avoid rutting and ground damage the project has been put on hold. If the winter cooperates with enough cold to freeze the ground the interior of the parcel will be logged after the snow flies. The county park parcel includes about a mile and a half of Lake Superior shoreline. A minimum of a 50-foot buffer will be left there so that totals about 15 acres that won’t be logged. Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, two foresters from JM Longyear, the company that is contracting with Baraga County on the job, walked through a detailed look at the planning and forestry decisions that are going into the project. Tim Schnieder, Longyear’s Forest Operations Manager headquartered in Marquette, and Procurement Forester Kirk Kass, who works out of his home office in Skanee, took the editor around the site. Kass has been the dayin, day-out forester on the ground for the Pt. Abbaye job. He’s a 23-year forester and has been with Longyear for six years. Kass works on private sites generally in Baraga County, and also on jobs in Iron, Houghton and Marquette counties. Kass and Schneider are well aware that Pt. Abbaye is a park, and therefore, not all standard forestry practices to maximize production and future growth are necessarily appropriate. They also realize there is much over-mature, defective and dying timber on the site. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Citizens question DEQ on Warden concerns, permits

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RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS–Chris Hare, right, MDEQ Supervisor, led the Warden informational meeting on Wednesday, Sept 7, 2016. Other officials from MDEQ present at the meeting, answering questions and responding to comments were Jeff Rathbun, John Vial, Mike Depa, Jason Wolf, Ed Lancaster, and Randy Conroy. An information session on the Warden Plant will be held at the L’Anse School on Wednesday, Sept 28, 2016, starting at p.m. A public hearing will follow.

by Melissa Lehto
Officials from the Michigan Department of Environmental Health (MDEQ) held an informational and question/ answer session at the L’Anse High School cafetorium on Wednesday, Sept 7, 2016, from 7-9 pm regarding the L’Anse Warden Electric Company (LWEC). Approximately 50 community members gathered in the cafetorium along with the officials from the MDEQ. Chris Hare, MDEQ Supervisor, opened the meeting with a PowerPoint presentation, outlining the investigations done to date of the LWEC, the enforcement process, the compliance plan and the proposed permit and consent order, and to notify the community of a public hearing (if requested) on Sept 28, from 7-9 pm at the L’Anse High School cafetorium. According to Catherine Andrews of L’Anse, the public hearing has been formally requested. Questions from the public may be mailed in advance to the attention of Annette Switzer, Permit Section Supervisor, Department of Environmental Quality, PO Box 30260, Lansing, MI, 48909. Comments may also be mailed to that address or submitted on-line at http://www.deq.state.mi.us/aps/cwerp.chtml. The Sept 28 public hearing will begin at 7 pm. There will be an information session prior to the meeting starting at 6 pm. The meeting will be recorded and any questions that have been addressed will be followed up in writing by the MDEQ to the questioner. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Great support for firefighters

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COMING HOME–Aug 30, 2016, firefighters and other law enforcement personnel from surrounding communities join in the procession from Minneapolis, MN, to L’Anse to accompany the two fallen Beartown Firefighters, Alan “AJ” Swartz and James “Jimmy” Shelifoe. They lost their lives in a single-vehicle accident in Blaine, MN, en route to a fire at Box Canyon in Utah on Saturday, Aug 27, 2016. The procession reached its final destination at Reid Funeral Service in L’Anse at approximately 6 p.m. on Aug 30.

by Melissa Lehto
Crowds lined the roadway from Minneapolis, MN, to Reid’s Funeral Service in L’Anse as the bodies of the two young firefighters, Alan “AJ” Swartz and James “Jimmy” Shelifoe, were escorted home on Tuesday, Aug 30, 2016. Officers from the Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police, Tony Loonsfoot and Jake Misegan, drove to Minneapolis on Monday evening, Aug 29, arriving around 10:30 p.m., to lead the procession to L’Anse the next morning. The procession left Minneapolis from the Thomas-Dougherty Funeral Home at approximately 6:30 a.m. CST, arriving in Baraga on Superior Avenue around 4:15 p.m. EST. According to Loonsfoot the trip home took longer than anticipated, but could not have been done without the help of the surrounding communities and their local authorities along the way.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Outpouring of support in tragedy; Communities reach out to Beartown crew

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BEARTOWN CREW–Photos of Beartown Firefighters were provided by Melissa LaFernier. Lr are Cameron Aten, Alan (AJ) Swartz, James (Jimmy) Shelifoe, Mike Dakota, Gaven Loonsfoot, Jesse Ekdahl, Dave Varline and Joey Jossens. Swartz and Shelifoe were killed in an accident in Minnesota Aug. 27. Loonsfoot, Varline and Jossens were among passengers in the vehicle that crashed.

by Melissa Lehto
Following a catastrophic double-fatality crash of a Beartown Firefighters truck Saturday, Aug 27, 2016, in Blaine, MN, the community once again stands strong to help support grieving family members. A total of nine firefighters were in the vehicle at the time of the accident: Alan J Swartz Jr, James F. Shelifoe, Dave R. Varline, Tyler J. Tolonen, Shashaywin D. Sandman Shelifoe, Ross J. Jaukkuri, Gavin C. Loonsfoot, Joseph Jossens and Michael A. Johnson. Fatally injured in the crash were Alan (AJ) Swartz Jr, son of David (Lebs) Swartz and Maureen Van Abel; and James (Jimmy) Shelifoe, son of James Shelifoe and Sherrie Sliger (Kantola). To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Despite rain some cruised; ‘Cue Crew’ considering another event

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DETERMINED–An all-day rain didn’t keep everybody away from the Cue Master’s annual Cue Cruise last Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016. With no plans for a rain date, the show with only 16 enthusiastic participants went on anyway. Jack Fish, rode in his 1929 Ford Model A with his driver, Dave Whitman, right. Twelve of the vehicles that showed went on the annual Baraga-L’Anse cruise with stops at the Frostie Freeze in L’Anse and the Baraga Drive-In for free treats. Another cruise or event is in the talking stages for upcoming weeks.

by Barry Drue

The diehards wanted to cruise!  In the midst of a record-setting rain across the UP last Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, 16 hardcore car-nuts brought their machines to the Cue Master’s fourth annual Cue Cruise. Normal turn-out has been in the 70-90 vehicle range as clubs and individuals from across the region flock to Baraga. The unique event includes a loop around Baraga, jaunt around the head of the Keweenaw Bay to L’Anse and stops at the Frostie Freeze and Baraga Drive-In.  “We had 16 vehicles that came out in the weather, and 12 of them went on the cruise. We talked about cancelling it but they wanted to go! We had some windshield wiper problems and foggy windshields so some of them couldn’t cruise,” said one of the volunteer organizers, Tom LaTendresse. He led the parade with his 1973 Plymouth Road Runner. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.