Heikkinen’s UP Travelers gets Yoopers on road

0
fronr page pic
CHECKING THINGS OUT–Charlie and Char Sliger of Covington were part of a large contingent of area residents who visited Smoky Mountain State Park and surrounding areas earlier this month.

by Chris Ford

Sheila Heikkinen and husband Bob Pascoe have taken their love of travel and are not only sharing it with others, but have turned it into a business. Heikkinen said this month marks three years since her formation of Upper Peninsula Travelers. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

BCMH ‘nursing fair’ tests vital skills

0
front page pic
FAIR CONDITION–Francine Cerne, eft, Beth Squires, center and Coral Beach, right, work with LUCAS, an automated chest compression system for administering CPR, during the Nursing Competency Fair at Baraga County Memorial Hospital last Thursday.

by Nancy Besonen

All nursing hands were on deck last week for Baraga County Memorial Hospital’s Nursing Competency Fair. The annual event serves as a review for vital skills needed to do the job. It also allows staff a golden opportunity to gather and exchange ideas for maintaining and enhancing care at the health facility. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

DEQ collecting dust in L’Anse ‘Sooty mold’ on cars from bug ‘honeydew’

0
front page pic
SAMPLING–DEQ Environmental Quality Analyst Ed Lancaster shows his kit for collecting samples of fugitive dust” that may be originating with the Warden biomass plant. Lancaster put out petri dishes to catch any fallout last Friday. A public hearing on the Warden plant will be on Oct. 29, 2015.

by Barry Drue

A Department of Environmental Quality official from Marquette is attempting to collect samples of dust and fall-out from the L’Anse Warden Electrical Co. plant. Ed Lancaster, Environmental Quality Analyst with the DEQ’s Air Quality Division, visited L’Anse on Friday, Oct. 2, to place petri dishes in an effort to collect samples. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Historic Camp Baraga being demolished

0
front page pic
LONG ABANDONED–The buildings at Camp Baraga have seen a lot of inmates pass through, and the walls of some are filled with murals, staff instructions and colorful graphics. The vandalized camp is being razed.

by Barry Drue
The long-abandoned and vandalized Camp Baraga minimum security inmate work camp is being razed. A crew from MD Contracting of Baraga was demolishing buildings at the old camp last  week. The tall chain link fence has been taken down, the loops of razor wire carefully removed and coiled, and asbestos materials removed and sealed.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Fire destroys Herman home

0
front page pic
TOTAL LOSS–A home owned by Dave and Stephanie Pirkola was destroyed in an early morning fire on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015. Mark Pirkola and Terri Henderson were living in the home. Pirkola was out of town when the fire took place. Henderson and her dog were able to escape the burning building safely. L’Anse, Baraga and Pelkie fire departments responded, but the home was engulfed upon their arrival.

A 2:30 a.m. fire burned a home on Keranen Road in Herman on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015. Marc Pirkola and his girlfriend, Terri Henderson, were living there and taking care of the home for his brother, Dave Pirkola. Pirkola was not home at the time of the blaze. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Arrest at marijuana dispensary

0
front page pic
UPSET ARREST-Officers from the Michigan State Police Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team made an arrest at the Superior Relief medical marijuana dispensary on U.S. 41 south of L’Anse. A number of state police vehicles and officers were involved in the afternoon arrest on Monday, Sept. 14, 2015. The business opened in July. An official at the Baraga County Jail confirmed that the business owner was being held on Tuesday morning. He had not been arraigned as of the Sentinel deadline.

__________________

An arrest was made at the Superior Relief medical marijuana dispensary on Monday afternoon, Sept. 14, 2015. Baraga County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph O’Leary confirmed that an arrest was made and that officers from the Michigan State Police Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) participated in the arrest. O’Leary said it was an undercover situation that led to the arrest. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Former KC Hall home for home schoolers; Adventist Church turning KC into ‘Kids Center’

0

front page pic

HOME SCHOOL FACILITY–Karen Dault pictured in a classroom at the L’Anse Knights of Columbus Hall. The building has been purchased by the Seventh Day Adventist Church of L’Anse and will be used for a variety of hands-on classes and activities for home school students and families.

______________________________

by Barry Drue
When the Seventh Day Adventist Church purchased the Knights of Columbus Hall in L’Anse last spring, the seeds of a long-awaited dream were planted. “The church has had a fund to start a Christian school since I was a kid,” said Karen Dault. “We decided to make this a home school.”  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Raising ice arena funding; Volunteers seeking ideas, public input

0
front page
ANOTHER YEAR, SAME ISSUE–These photos were taken last September to illustrate the need to find operational funding to run Meadowbrook Arena. Village Manager Bob LaFave is at left. Updated viewing area upstairs is at right. Hockey Association volunteers are trying to raise money for the rink.

by Chris Ford
An effort is underway to secure necessary funding to keep Meadowbrook Arena open for general use as winter draws near. The L’Anse Hockey Association (LHA) is attempting to come up with the approximate $35,000 necessary to insure operations at the ice rink continue as in past years. For approximately 40 years, the Village of L’Anse has operated and supported the arena financially. However in 2014, the village opted to cut annual funding from its budget after losing a Michigan Tax Tribunal case against the L’Anse Warden Electric plant. The result was an approximate 300,000 tax revenue shortfall. L’Anse Village Manager Bob LaFave said the village cannot continue covering rink operating costs.  To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

New roles for Sarau, Marczak at Baraga

0
front page pic
GETTING READY–Baraga K-12 principal, Tim Marczak, left, and new superintendent, Rich Sarau, right, go over some of the endless details that must be addressed before the school year begins. Marczak has served as the lead teacher for four years. Sarau was the district’s three-12th grade principal last year. That position was expanded to K-12 with the Pelkie K-2 program moving in to Baraga this year.

by Barry Drue

Baraga Area Schools begins the 2015-16 school year on Sept. 8 with a change in administrative leadership that quickly fell into place in the last few weeks. A new superintendent and new principal in a new K-12 role are among the changes at Baraga this fall. However, those in both positions are familiar to Baraga staff and students. Previously the three-12th grade principal, Richard Sarau, will serve as the interim superintendent for one year. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.

Expanding horizons for L’Anse athletic boosters

0
front page pic
L’ANSE ATHLETIC BOOSTERS–L-r, are Mimi McGahan, Jeanne Sikkila, Sandra Lytikainen, Lisa DesLaurier, and Randy Simonsen. Missing from the photo are Missy Ostermeyer and Diane Richard.

 

by Chris Ford
The L’Anse High School cafetorium was packed Monday evening, Aug. 17, as parents, coaches, players, district athletic director and district administrators from the upcoming fall sports season
gathered for the first “Meet the Hornets”. The event was arranged by the L’Anse Athletic Booster Club and was intended not only to help build enthusiasm for the upcoming sports season, but also to update those attending on the booster club and its plans for this year as well as an update on the continuing improvements at Volunteer Field. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.