L'Anse Sentinel | On guard for more than 130 years.

Crews ready for winter; Long hours ahead for MDOT, BCRC

Tammy

-

November 25, 2016

front-page-pic — HIGH TECH–L’Anse MDOT Maintenance Supervisor John Dault shows the array of equipment in one of the international tandem trucks. Operators have a ton of switches, controls, gauges and indicators to control and monitor all the functions happening in often-bad driving conditions at highway speed. Dault is looking into a computer screen with real-time Doppler weather radar. From Dault’s office he can see camera views through the windshields of any of the eight trucks to monitor road conditions.

by Barry Drue
You don’t have to tell the crews at the state and county road garages that it’s the beginning of a long, tiring, busy season. Winter snow plowing and road maintenance will keep employees with both organizations hopping for months. Keeping area local roads and highways open and safe is a huge, well-choreographed operation for the county and state crews. “We run a 21-hour, seven day a week operation. We sleep three hours a day from November through April,” said L’Anse MDOT facility Maintenance Supervisor John Dault. “The first and last storms are usually the most difficult. And the most dangerous time is from now until after the first of the year. There are a lot of moms and dads and kids out shopping or going to programs. Mother Nature can deal a bad hand. I don’t sleep a lot right now.” Dault directs an operation that includes 10 year-round employees and an additional six brought on for winter road maintenance. They are responsible for 250 lane-miles of state and federal highway. The L’Anse facility houses eight tandem International trucks that are highly complex and electronically equipped. They’re far more than “snow plows”. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Veterans Day celebrated in Baraga

Tammy

-

November 18, 2016

0

by Barry Drue
Baraga students and staff honored military veterans with their traditional program on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2016. Veterans were served a breakfast at the school prior to being escorted into the gym by students for the program. The Baraga Student Council posted the colors and the Baraga Choir, under the direction of music/band director Tyrell Peterson, presented the National Anthem. The Pledge of Alliance was led by second graders Karli Clisch and Sophie DesRochers. K-12 Principal Tim Marczak and Student Council President Jake Putala provided a welcome and introductory remarks. The Baraga band presented “A Celebration of Taps”. Keynote speaker was Marine Corps veteran Don Mleko. Mleko used humor to tell of his service from 1961 to 1964. He and a friend intended to join the Navy and went to a recruiter “but we took the Navy test and flunked it!” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Turunen’s swine saga stretches five years; Fate of UP’s largest hog producer rests with court

Tammy

-

November 11, 2016

0

by Barry Drue
A nearly-five year legal battle over his right to raise his “Hogan Hogs” continues for Baraga pig farmer Roger Turunen. The four-day Baraga County Circuit Court session pitting Turunen against the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has concluded. Both sides await 12th Circuit Judge Charles Goodman’s decision—and both sides say they will appeal if they lose. Few would have imagined this case consuming vast legal resources for both parties this long. And it’s likely going to continue through the appellate process. The State sent three Assistant Attorneys General to L’Anse for the court week, and two of them have been on the case for years. Turunen noted his attorneys “get paid for every day” through his own funds and many donations, both large and small, that come in to help fund his David vs. Goliath battle against the DNR. “There are a lot of people who don’t like the DNR,” Turunen dryly notes. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

‘Toys’ drive opens at Zion

Tammy

-

November 7, 2016

0

by Melissa Lehto
Instruments were played, music was sung and a crowd gathered to listen. Zion Lutheran Church of Skanee hosted its 14th annual Toys for Tots concert to help raise funds for the program on Sunday, Oct 30, 2016. The church community and local musicians come together once a year to kick off the start of the Toys for Tots fundraiser. They gather monetary and toy donations from the community, along with collecting aluminum returnables. The Toys for Tots concert was first started at Zion by the Lightkeepers Gospel Quartet to help raise funds for toys for underprivileged youth. The program has continued to grow in size throughout the years with more musicians performing. Funds raised through the concert are earmarked for distribution to the Toys for Tots program for local area youth for Christmas. Toys for Tots is run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Lee DeLeon, Keweenaw Detachment of Marine Corps League Senior Vice Commandant, was the League representative at this year’s program. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Agencies investigate CertainTeed effluent spill

Tammy

-

October 28, 2016

0

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

Tammy

-

October 21, 2016

0

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

Tammy

-

October 14, 2016

0

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

Tammy

-

October 7, 2016

0

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

Tammy

-

October 3, 2016

0

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

Tammy

-

September 23, 2016

0

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.