The 2016 Michigan Digital Newspaper Grant Contest winner is decided by a voting process. The community collecting the most votes for its library will be declared the winner. The voting process can be done two ways: on-line and by mail. On-line voting will take place on Twitter. The tweet is #DigLAnse. You can Tweet as many times as you want, but if votes are done using an automated program they will be disqualified. Voting began on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and ends at midnight on Jan. 26. Voting by mail is done by postcards. Each postcard is worth 10 on-line votes. Postcards must feature a Michigan image, and in the message area putting #DigLAnse will place your vote. You can mail as many postcards as you like, but each postcard must be individually mailed. Postcards sent in bulk will be disqualified, with the exception of unique handmade postcards made as a class or library project. Postcards must arrive at the Clarke Historical Library by Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 5 pm. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Barry Drue

“The Huron Bay Conservation Initiative” is coming together to protect in perpetuity high value natural parcels on the Pt. Abbaye peninsula and at Lightfoot Bay on Huron Bay. Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT) headquartered in Hancock has organized the effort to purchase four parcels from sellers willing to see their land protected and enjoyed by future generations. The initiative involves the sale of about $2.2 million and was greatly assisted by a $1 million grant from the National Coastal Wetland Conservation Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, matched by many private funders. A total of 1,345 acres and nearly a mile of Lake Superior shoreline is included in the four-parcel conservation initiative.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Nancy Besonen
Steve Koski of Indian Country Sports in L’Anse got an early Christmas present this year: retirement. Tammy and Kevin Engelhardt of Riley, in the Thumb of Lower Michigan purchased the sporting goods store on the L’Anse Waterfront Dec. 22, 2015. The new owners will continue quality service for the customers who’ve made their new business a local institution–and for new customers to come. Koski plans to stay on board too, working alongside
the new owners for their first five months to help them learn the ropes–plus fishing lines, hunting knives, guns, skates, snowshoes and a world of inventory that packs the gleaming sporting goods store.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Nancy Besonen
As 2015 draws to a close, we at the L’Anse Sentinel pause a moment to look back at 52 issues and wonder: where did the time go? Actually, it takes a lot of moments but it’s well worth the trip. Hop on aboard for a ride you’ll find familiar as we look back on news and photos that warmed our hearts, raised our blood pressures, and everything in between. This week we look back at the first six months’ news and events. Next week we will review July-December, 2015. January: An initiative to have the county continue snow plowing services for private driveways stalled when Road Commission Engineer Doug Mills issued an even firmer “no.” The road commission voted to discontinue the service this winter, citing reductions in both funding and the work force.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

by Chris Ford
St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) volunteer Jan Hagbloom has a goal set for the SVdP food pantry on North Broad Street in L’Anse. The goal is to reach 10,000 pounds of donated food for the pantry in 2015. A big dent was made in that with the Dec. 2 annual TV-6 Can-A-Thon collection which brought in more than 3,500 pounds. Although Marquette’s WLUC-TV spearheads the annual holiday giving event across the Upper Peninsula, smaller outfits take over to help collect the food stuffs and deliver it on a county level. As in the past, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Eagle
Radio made the rounds to various schools and other collection points to gather up the goods and drop them off. Hagbloom explained Can-A-Thon collection begins Nov. 7 and wrapped up Dec. 1. In addition to the 3,560.5 pounds that brought in, she said another 1,650.5 pounds have been dropped off by individuals, church and other groups. Add in the 4,002 pounds collected by the United State Postal Service (USPS) during its annual May collection, and Hagbloom’s goal is not far off.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Winter weather didn’t effect Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly’s annual Thanskgiving Dinner at Baraga’s St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Little Brothers Executive Director Kathy Aten said 36 guests attended the sit-down dinner. Another 44 meals were delivered to seniors not able to make the trek into town. Aten said 38 people gave up part of their holiday to assist with the Baraga event. Overall, Little Brothers served diners at 10 sites from Ontonagon to Copper City to Marquette. Additionally, two hot meal delivery sites were part of the mix. Aten said a total of 420 guests were served along with 395 home deliveries. Volunteers tallied 430 to make the event a success.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.