by Melissa Lehto
The Baraga County Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) offers a variety of help to local businesses and individuals and is striving to make Baraga County a more prosperous place. The Chamber’s Mission is “To develop a vibrant business climate and sustainable economy, while enhancing the quality of life through community leadership and collaboration.” Per their website, “The BCCC was officially born on October 30, 2003, when the Board of Directors was elected. Our purpose is to advance the general welfare and prosperity of the Baraga County area so that its citizens and all areas of its business community shall prosper. All necessary means of promotion shall be provided and particular attention and emphasis shall be given to the economic, civic, commercial, cultural, industrial and educational interests of the area.” Membership with the BCCC allows local business owners, government officials and citizens to share in open discourse about how to better the community as a whole. The Chamber is involved in many different aspects of the community. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Ronald Stiebe
A recent discovery could justifiably be billed as the Mount Rushmore of Baraga County. It was called, “Nok” by the Ojibwa band of the Nokets according to the original survey map completed by U.S. government liner and geological surveyors in 1849. This government document provides explicit verification of a rock that was revered by a sub-clan of the Makwa, or bear clan. Even more interesting, the map also made reference to the Noquets (Nokets) who reportedly had disappeared and were even considered extinct. They were the ancestors of many of the present day Ojibwa that took up residence on Keweenaw Bay sometime after 1721. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Missy Lehto
and Nancy Besonen

The L’Anse Sentinel continues to look back at the year in review. For the last segment, we give you July through Dec. 2016. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) placed new signs on US-41 in Baraga, near the Pines Convenience Center and just south of the Baraga Lakeside Inn, showing vehicle speed and asks drivers to slow down if their vehicle is exceeding 45 miles per hour. The devices link via satellite to a company which collects and reports traffic data, including the number of vehicles per hour and their speed. Area residents enjoyed a sunny July 4th with parades and fireworks. First place in the Baraga parade for the homemade float was Bob Treadeau, Jr. and local families who built “The Black Pearl.” Murals painted by local artisans brighten the downtown L’Anse area. L’Anse area officials are hoping to expand this initial work with additional projects. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Nancy Besonen
Nature delivered a winter wake-up call last week with  the first major snowstorm of the season. Schools were cancelled Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 14 and 15 as near-blizzard conditions enveloped Baraga County. High winds, heavy snow and temperatures that drove the mercury south of single digits teamed up to strike the bitter blow. According to the National Weather Service in Marquette, it’s pretty much business as usual. Meteorologist Todd Kluber provided details on the system, an early Christmas present from Canada that swept in last Tuesday night. Kluber admitted the system packed a punch but was nowhere near a record-breaker, considering the season. “It wasn’t a record, but it was kind of a shocker for a lot of people,” Kluber said. “This year, fall went so long, and the snow pack isn’t so deep. It’s not our ordinary weather. “We had a very strong air mass that’s been persistently coming in out of Canada the past few days, with west or northwest winds,” Kluber said Friday afternoon. “With Lake Superior still wide open and water temperatures relatively warm, a significant amount of snow developed. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Melissa Lehto
The death of a loved one is never easy. Knowing that death may have been prevented makes it harder still. Sandra Lytikainen of L’Anse knows this firsthand. She and her husband, Mike, recently experienced the loss of their son, Ben, after an apparent accidental overdose of drugs. Ben was 25 years old. He died on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. Lytikainen, however, took her grief and turned it into something positive. She created a group called “Sandra’s 100 women of Baraga County.” “I actually formed it on the evening that Ben died. I was so overwhelmed with grief and disbelief over Ben’s death. I wanted to get 100 women behind me to see what we could do to prevent this from happening to someone else,” said Lytikainen. Sandra’s 100 women of Baraga County focuses on getting help for those who want help and are not sure where to go. “The group is not just for women. The group is for anyone in the community wanting to make a change,” Lytikainen said. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.