Army commends firefighter Spc. Cerne

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LIVES SAVED–Sara Cerne responds to a terrible crash in Louisiana as an Army firefighter. She and her colleague received special commendation from the Army as three lives were saved by those responding to the scene. The Fort Polk Guardian newspaper profiled Cerne for Women’s History Month.

by Barry Drue
Spc. Sara Cerne has been recognized by the United States Army for her role as a firefighter. She was one of the women soldiers who were profiled in honor of Women’s History Month in the base newspaper, the Fort Polk Guardian, at Fort Polk, LA. Cerne is a 12M Army firefighter assigned to the Fort Polk fire station. She serves with six other Army firefighters and several civilian firefighters. She is the only woman. Cerne is a 2013 L’Anse High School graduate who has shown plenty of determination and drive in her life and purpose. She is remembered for having brought together area cancer survivors and raising cancer awareness in her Girl Scout Gold Award project in L’Anse in her senior year. That project earned her an automatic advancement step when she joined the Army. She has gone on to be a leader among her peers in the Army, and is building her skills. The Specialist recently attended Leadership Training. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Welcome 25 new EMT’s; KBOCC grant pays for training

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PRACTICAL TEST–A huge group of EMT candidates spent much of the fall and winter in training. There has been a shortage of personnel in local areas recently. Taking their practical testing at Baraga County Memorial hospital are Gabriel Thomas, Jennifer Pittsley (standing), Paul Hommowun (seated), and Lori Lafernier. Paramedic Denise Kraker provided the photos of testing.

by Barry Drue
An area-wide Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) shortage has been alleviated, at least in the near term, with the certification of 25 people after months of classes and recent testing. As many as 38 began twice-weekly testing last Oct. 4, and met monthly for daylong Saturday classes. They also signed on for clinical hours on ambulance runs and at Baraga County Memorial Hospital throughout the fall and winter. After finding few applicants  in recent years the big class was especially appreciated by local EMT services which have been running low on staff. “This is the last huge class since mine in 1989-90,” said Linda Pakkola of Bay Ambulance. “It was about 20 people.” “This was huge for us,” Bay Director Gary Wadaga said. “We are close to crisis in rural EMS. Now we have about 25 spread through Pelkie, Baraga, L’Anse, Aura, Skanee and Covington.” The training was paid through a grant from Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, which made it much easier for many to take the training. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Job fair hit with students

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L’ANSE JOB FAIR–The annual LHS job fair last Thursday drew 65 businesses, organizations and groups giving students a chance to explore many career ideas. Baraga students visited with Baraga County Memorial Hospital’s Physician Group Manager, Tom VanEss, foreground, and standing, Nurse Care Manager Sue Ingram. Students from Baraga High School are, l-r, McKenzie Barrett, Lacey Sterbenz, Brooklyn Fish, Chelsea Pittsley and Alex Jahfetson.

by Barry Drue
L’Anse and Baraga high schoolers wandered among displays from 65 businesses, organizations, colleges and military representatives at the L’Anse Job Fair on Thursday afternoon, March 23, 2017. Displays and tables spilled out of the gym as students visited sites of interest. Teacher Paul Moore and his Current Events class did the organizing, along with some help from Callie Budweg’s Publications Class. “I think it went well. There was a good turn-out of businesses. They made the commitment and almost all of them showed up. My students did most of the calling and emailing to contact them. They helped with set-up and helped people carry their stuff in,” Moore said. In his first year taking over the job fair for the retired Frank Taddeucci, Moore had L’Anse ninth through 12th graders attend, as well as a group of 42 Baraga High School juniors and seniors. Now that Moore has his first job fair behind him he wants to bring in more students next year. Additional schools have been invited in the past. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

LAS robotics team celebrates first FIRST

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ROBOTICS–LAS teammates, mentors and volunteers at FIRST in Escanaba included, in part, l-r Jordin Jones, Paul Wightman, Cara Wightman, Joe DeForge, Edwin Yazbec, Antonio Aleo and Chris DeForge.

by Missy Lehto
The L’Anse Area School’s (LAS) Robotics team competed in their “first” FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competition in Escanaba March 17 and 18. Out of 39 teams, LAS Robotics placed ninth in overall performance ranking and 16th in matches. This is the first year for the L’Anse Robotics team with coach and mentor Cara Wightman, who currently teaches Environmental Earth Science, Chemistry I, Conceptual Physics, and Science 8 at LAS. The robotics competition is designed to help high school-aged students discover how interesting and rewarding the lives of engineers and scientists can be. It is a sport where participants play with and learn from the professionals about designing and building. The game rules are different and are a surprise every year. The challenge is to design your robot to do specific tasks throughout the game to get to the end. To meet a new challenge each year, teams hone teamwork skills, design, build, and program a robot during six weeks to perform tasks against a field of competitors, create a team “brand,” and raise needed funds. Participants use the same tools used by professional engineers. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Sisters, father badly injured in white-out crash; Huge outpouring of support for Peyton, Skarlett, Ryan

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TRAGIC CRASH–Sisters, l-r, Skarlett Swartz and Peyton Thomas of Marquette and Peyton’s dad, Ryan, were seriously injured in a U.S. 41 crash last Wednesday in white-out snow conditions. The girls are in Mott Children’s Hospital where both have spinal injuries and Peyton is paralyzed. Ryan faces multiple surgeries and four months in a wheel chair. Skarlett is the daughter of former Baraga resident Dave Swartz who is with them at Mott.

by Barry Drue
Lives were forever changed within seconds in a snowy, white-out, three-vehicle crash on U.S. 41 near Canyon Falls south of L’Anse on Wednesday night, March 8, 2017. Skarlett Swartz, 5, and sister Peyton Thomas, 7, from Marquette, were severely injured and were airlifted to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan. The vehicle they were in was driven by Peyton’s father, Ryan Thomas, who was also severely injured. Skarlett is the daughter of 2003 Baraga High School graduate Dave Swartz, now living in Marquette. Swartz and the girls’ mother, Ellexsis (Lexie) Thomas, are in Ann Arbor with the girls. They are staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Baraga County Sheriff ’s Department reported the crash took place about 8:30 p.m. last  Wednesday during “complete white-out conditions”. Ryan Thomas, 32, of Marquette was northbound when his vehicle collided with a southbound vehicle driven by James Tricka, 55, of Bessemer. The Tricka vehicle was then struck by a northbound semi driven by Brad Trudell, 39, of Calumet. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Ringer a champion for social justice, wellness

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Brialle Ringer

Brialle Ringer has graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Michigan University (EMU) with a Bachelors in Social Work. And that isn’t the half of it! Ringer is the daughter of Kristen Hill of Ypsilanti and Gary Ringer of Detroit, and great-granddaughter of Joan Hill of L’Anse. Her achievements at EMU included publishing three scholarly research articles, winning seven awards for community work, being named a McNair Scholar and much, much more. Ringer coordinated and led local, national and international volunteer trips for college students, including a trip to Haiti. She developed an original action-research project, interviewing 15 students experiencing homelessness at EMU, then provided the university with recommendations for improving on-campus support. She also interned at Student Advocacy Center, that prevents the school-toprison pipeline by advocating for students who face harsh school discipline and criminalization. That commitment in particular hit close to home for the biracial girl who grew up in the UP, yet outside of it.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

LAS gets security grant

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The L’Anse High School Drama Club will be presenting “The Million-Heirs,” a play by Delmar Burkitt, March 10 -1 2, 2017, at the L’Anse cafetorium. Performing in the play pictured above are, back row l-r, Kayla Hoffman, Breanna Hoffman, Mara Grentz, Brook Thomas, Chris Harden, Noah Aleo, Antonio Aleo, (front l-r), Camryn Hahn, Kyle Usimaki, Caitlyn Menge, Dylan Grentz, Jaycie Forcia, Dana Hiltunen, Ethan Hansen, Laura Gransell, and, director, Denise Laakko. Missing from photo are Emma Ostermyer and Carolyn Schwartz.

by  Melissa Lehto

The L’Anse Area School (LAS) district was one of eight in the UP to receive funding through the Michigan State Police Competitive School Security Grant. The funding was discussed at the Feb. 21, 2017 board meeting. LAS has been awarded $25,641 to fund projects such as security film on glass entrance doors, entrance control with remote locking in the library, upgraded radios, updates to interior camera systems and new exterior camera systems. The new camera systems will be internet based. LAS Superintendent Susan Tollefson stated LAS plans to add cameras in the gym and the cafetorium which will allow posting a link to school events such as holiday programs and commencement online. “This will be a nice upgrade for our school and I am thankful to the four local law enforcement agencies who wrote letters of support for our projects,” said Tollefson. The L’Anse Area Schools library was awarded the grant for the digitization of the old L’Anse Sentinels. There is a link to these on the LAS website that will be updated by the Library of Congress as the various years become available. Tollefson remarked, “Thank you to all who sent postcards or tweeted to vote for our library. The Friends of the Library group was instrumental in pursuing this goal over the past two years. CJ Sullivan Elementary second and sixth grade teachers will be piloting the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) the week of Feb. 27, 2017. The NWEA is an assessment which accurately measures student growth and learning needs. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Tribal colleges, universities; Advocate for DOE, BIA funding

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ADVOCACY WORKSHOP–Debbie Parrish, KBOCC President and Cherie Dakota, Board of Regents Member, attended the American Indian High Education Consortium and Capitol Hill visits. Pictured above, standing l-r, are Erica Newland- AIHEC, Cherie Dakota, Debbie Parrish, Senator Gary Peters, Duane Bedell-Bay Mills Community College. Seated, l-r are Kathy Hart, Trisha Trasky, Gena Qualls-Students from Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, and Carla Sineway-President SCTC.

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College President, Debbie Parrish, and Board of Regents Member, Cherie Dakota, attended the annual winter meeting for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and Capitol Hill visits. The advocacy workshop was held on the morning of Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. Congressman John Lewis, one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, gave the keynote address. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis joined the Civil Rights Movement and has continued to fight for people’s rights since joining Congress in 1987. Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Following his keynote address, a briefing session was held for meetings with the various tribal college state representatives. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

LMI hosts technical training through grant; Twenty area employees attend to advance skills

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KNOWLEDGE AT WORK–Brian Rantanen of LMI, pictured above, puts his GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) training to work in realtime. Ten employees from LMI attended a two-day classroom training session through an STTF grant on Jan. 10 and 11, 2017 to enhance their skills.

by Melissa Lehto
Like all businesses, L’Anse Manufacturing, Inc., (LMI) wants to be competitive in the workforce. For this smalltown company, being competitive means keeping your employees up to date on the newest and most current manufacturing techniques available. LMI has again submitted an application for and received a Skilled Trades Training Fund (STTF) grant, which was implemented in a class attended by 10 employees from LMI and 10 employees from other companies in the area on Jan. 10-11, 2017. LMI serves a variety of industries, including medical, orthopedics, military, aviation, automotive, and light industrial applications. They can manufacture a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, plastics, and bronze. They also provide precision machining services to a variety of industries, including aerospace, defense, medical, and specialty markets. To best serve these markets, where accuracy is critical, it is imperative that employees can read and interpret the drawing details as defined through geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Variety show a hit

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OPENING ACT–L’Anse High School band students performed the opening act of the L’Anse Variety of Music show with local musician, Chad Borgen. Photo credit goes to Aaron Poniatowski, LAS band director.

 

by Melissa Lehto
The 13th annual L’Anse  Variety of Music Show featured talented performers Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, at L’Anse Area School(LAS) cafetorium. Musicians from the community and LAS joined together to perform a variety of styles in music. From LAS high school solo and ensemble/band students to community musicians, the talent of the musicians was enjoyed by all attending. A large group of LAS students performed the opening of the Variety of Music Show with a song performed along with Chad Borgen on guitar. There was also a smaller group of LAS students who performed with Todd Overbeek, including Ti’ia Friisvall, Dana Hiltunen, Canyon Delene, and Kyle Usimaki. Laura Gransell also performed a piano solo. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

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