A tornado in Covington and high winds in Baraga set the stage for a county-wide disaster drill last Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Baraga County Emergency Preparedness Director Daune Smith put the
drill in motion by dialing 911 from the Covington Multi-Purpose Building at 5:30 p.m. By 8 p.m. the scenes were a wrap with a whole lot of action–and learning–in between. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
The Pelkie School Transformation is officially underway. Nearly 40 people gathered at the school building Wednesday, June 17, 2015, to begin formulating a plan for the building’s future use.
Ideas ranging from continuing education to recreation to a lender’s library with a coffee shop were shared by a group eager to preserve a landmark. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
The streets and waterfront park in downtown L’Anse were buzzing Saturday, June 13, 2015 with a ten-year June tradition–the Baraga County Lake Trout Festival. Add to that a record field of 132 boats for the Keweenaw Bay Classic fish tournament, and it was quite an event. “It was a great day–we had a lot of compliments,” said Tracey Barrett, tourism director and trout fest committee member. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
There’s a new officer in town whose bark is not worse than his bite. Meet Edy, the Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police Department’s newest recruit. At 17 months old and 72 pounds, the German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix has been on duty just under a month, and is already proving an asset to local law enforcement. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers..
Execution, discipline and effort. 2015 L’Anse Area Schools Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and 1989 LHS graduate Kurt Godlevske told the 55 graduates sitting in the audience. “Highly successful people have mastered these three words,” Godlevske told the graduates and those in the audience. “No matter what you choose to do, if you master these three words, you too will reap its rewards,” Godlevske said. “Every day you will have some task to do and hopefully multiple tasks. To accomplish this at high level, you will have to execute some kind of a plan. . .” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers..
“We all made it–not only graduation, but high school!” Baraga Valedictorian Sonja Welch told her classmates at commencement on Friday, May 22, 2015. “We’ve always had each other to depend on.” The Class of 2015 included 32 graduates who marched with the girls in purple and the boys in black, representing their class colors. Welch expressed her gratitude for teachers, parents and friends, including her mom, Baraga school board member Sarah Maki, who “without her I wouldn’t be the person I am today”. Welch stood out among her classmates with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She was also active in sports and other school activities and the president of the National Honor Society. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at ourlocal retailers..
“Closed not forgotten” is the motto the Baraga school community is using to say goodbye to the Pelkie School. A well-attended community picnic drew people together for lunch, visiting and a formal program on the lawn in front of the historic 1932 building. How well-attended was the picnic? Beth Reynolds and crew in the Pelkie kitchen served up almost 700 hot dogs! The Pelkie kindergartners, first and second graders and staff played host as six busloads of third through 12th grade students came from the Baraga campus for the festive yet somewhat sad ceremony. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers..
Eight individuals received associate degrees Saturday, May 2, 2015 as the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) held its honors and commencement ceremony at the Niiwin Akeaa Center in Baraga. KBOCC Board of Regents chair Kathleen Mayo served as master of ceremonies for the event. Lynn Aho, dean of instruction, presented graduates with their diplomas. KBOCC president Debra Parrish and Elizabeth Veker-King, dean of student services, presented a number of special awards. Faculty members Megan Haataja, Jesse Koenig, Andrew Kozich and Cheryl LaRose handed out departmental awards. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers..
L’Anse Warden Electric Company (LWEC) officials provided an hour-long tour of the biomass electric generating plant’s Fuel Aggregate Facility on Friday, May 1, 2015. Only four people attended. Some members of the Warden Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP) were unable to attend due to the one-day notice they received for the tour. Conducting the tour were Traxys CEO Steve Walsh, Warden Plant and Fuel Manager John Polkky and Warden Technical and Safety Manager J.R. Richardson. The fuel facility is where the wood chips and railroad ties are stockpiled and prepared to be burned in the Warden plant. The ties have long been a source of environmental concern in the community, for possible leaching into the soil and ultimately, Lake Superior; for airborne particles of ground ties that fall out nearby; and for possible air pollution after the material (along with ground tire fuel and wood chips) is burned. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers..
by Chris Ford
Baraga County voters will have more than just the statewide Proposal 15-1 to decide when heading to the polls Tuesday, May 5, 2015. The ballot will also contain a county-wide library millage proposal. Covington Township constituents will also decide on the renewal of both a fire and ambulance question as well as the renewal of a recreation proposition (see separate story). Backers of the Baraga County Public Library are asking the electorate to support a half-mill, five-year proposal–2015-2019 inclusive, with funds specifically earmarked for general operation and maintenance of the existing public library. The generated revenue is estimated at approximately $121,400 for the first year. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers..
