The Sturgeon River along Froberg Road. The river is over its banks on both sides creeping closer to the road on the West side of the bridge. Multiple side roads off of Froberg are impacted as well.
by John Raffel
MDOT officials had to deal with flooding issues in recent weeks with the snow melting rapidly from a rapid warm-up. Area MDOT spokesperson Dan Weingarten said US 41 in Delta County and US 2 near Rapid River were experiencing water on the roads, along with M28 near Ewen. On Monday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency
Operations Center (SEOC) due to flooding caused by snowmelt in several counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She declared Houghton and Gogebic counties under a state of emergency because of the flooding situation. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
TEACHING TECHNIQUES–Steve Waara gives a lesson to Arvon Township School students about how the sap evaporator works. To prepare students for the event, students were tapped maple trees along the ATS property and were educated on how to drill, tap spiles in the trees, hang bags, and collect the sap before the planned trip took place.
by Melissa Newland
Arvon Township School (ATS) received a sweet field trip at the end of March just before Easter break began, traveling to ATS Head Teacher Kristina Waara’s camp for a full day of experiencing the maple syrup process. To prepare students for the event, students were busy tapping maple trees along the ATS property and were educated on how to drill,
tap spiles in the trees, hang bags, and collect the sap before the planned trip took place.
According to Waara, over the years Arvon has incorporated more place-based education into the school year with the hopes to connect students to the community around them and create a sense of responsibility for taking care of it. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
READING MADNESS–Arvon students stand in front of the March Reading Madness bracket, including (back l-r) Carter Wiseman, Xyana DeRocher, Isis DeRocher, Ivy Huttema, (front, lr) Avery Kahlonen, Leila Jorgensen, Makenna Jorgensen, Arrow Widby, Blaisen Wabanimkee, and Brooke Waara.
by Melissa Newland
Arvon Township School (ATS) students enjoyed participating in many activities the past few
weeks during March is Reading Month. Students participated in Battle of the Books where
they read books in a MarchMadness bracket. ATS Head Teacher Kristina Waara noted students started the Madness with 16 books and eliminated those down to the championship. “Students went to stations throughout the school with a buddy and voted on one book of the pair,” noted Waara. “The buddies consisted of one older student and one
younger student.” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
CTE OPPORTUNITIES–Both L’Anse and Baraga Area School sophomores attended Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) and the Copper CoIuntry Intermediate School District (CCSID)’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center recruitment event to help get a glimpse of CTE offerings available for sign up during their upcoming junior year.
by Melissa Newland
The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) and the Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCSID)’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center
recently held a recruitment event for Baraga (BAS) and L’Anse Area School (LAS) sophomore students to help give them a glimpse of CTE offerings available for sign up during their upcoming junior year. The event was held Tuesday, March 14, 2023, and 59 students attended between both BAS and LAS sophomore students to learn about CTE offerings provided by KBOCC. The recruitment event was held at the Baraga and L’Anse KBOCC campuses as well as the local high schools. Students were introduced to KBOCC
classes, including Business Entrepreneurship, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Culinary Arts and Education. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
STATE RUNNER-UP–For the first time in Baraga history, the girls basketball program made an appearance in the state finals. Coach Tyler Larson and his team fought hard defeating the two time defending state champions (Fowler) in the semifinals. This moved them on to compete against Maple City Glen Lake in the final game. The Vikings came home with a state runner-up trophy and were escorted all the way from the Mighty Mac by various fire, EMS, and police departments. Photo credit MHSAA.
by John Raffel
Wow, what a week.
There may have been more Baraga people in East Lansing from last Thursday to Saturday than in their hometown. It’s what happens when your girls basketball team plays in its first ever state championship game at Michigan State’s Breslin Center. It started with a trip to Munising on Tuesday, March 14, for the quarterfinals with Baraga edging a strong Mackinaw
City team 40-36. This put the Vikings back in the semifinals for the second straight year against two-time defending state champ Fowler, located northwest of Lansing. Baraga squeezed out a 46-44 win to make its first state title appearance. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
Baraga senior Logan DesRochers and L’Anse senior Grace Usimaki.
by John Raffel
The L’Anse-Baraga Figure Skating Club will be presenting their annual show, “Music of Our
Lives” on Saturday, March 18 at 6 p.m. and on Sunday, March 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the Meadowbrook Arena in L’Anse. Sarah Solberg is president of the figure skating club. The show, in living with the theme, “is music the girls picked throughout,” Solberg said. “It will
be a different type of music which we’ve never had prior that’s about five minutes long. We are honoring our soloists Grace Usimaki and Logan DesRochers.” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
FATHER/SON TEAM–Travis (left) and son Kaiden Kaurala at the Vollwerths Meats-Wildlife Refuge Cabins-Pat’s Motorsports Mid America Championship Hillclimb at Whealkate Bluff in South Range. Both will be traveling to Jackson, WY, to compete in the World Championship Hillclimb in March.
by Melissa Newland
Another great weekend was enjoyed by all who were competing in and watching the Vollwerths Meats-Wildlife Refuge Cabins-Pat’s Motorsports Mid America Championship Hillclimb presented by Keweenaw Chevrolet GMC at Whealkate Bluff in South Range.
But none more so than the Kaurala family of Nisula who had father and son, Travis, a longtime Circuit top Pro Driver, and Kaiden, competing in the event with Kaiden beating
his father’s times at the Feb. 25-26 Hillclimb. “Trav and I are so unbelievably proud of him
(Kaiden),” said mom, Amber. “Trav had a good day, but the day came where Kaiden beat his times.” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
SCIENCE SISTERS– Baraga Area School students, Kadynce Loonsfoot (left) and Aaliyah Loonsfoot (Georgia Larson, partner for the project not pictured), show off their Science Fair projects on Thursday Feb. 16, 2023, at Baraga Area School’s (BAS) Philip LaTendresse. Elementary School (PLES)
by Melissa Newland
Baraga Area School’s (BAS) Philip LaTendresse Elementary School (PLES) students and staff were busy the first couple weeks of February getting ready to bring back the Science Fair and get projects done to display. The Science Fair was held on Thursday Feb. 16, 2023, at PLES with TK-5 participating in the event and parents were encouraged to attend to see the finished projects. BAS Fourth Grade Teacher Ashlee Adams noted TK-2 did whole class
projects while grades 3-5 did individual or partner. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
Baraga American Legion Post #444’s Vice Commander Lance Heikkinen (left) and Legion patron/volunteer Joe Bianco (right) delivered 407 pounds of food items Monday, Feb. 13, to St. Vincent De Paul’s Food Pantry in L’Anse. The Post collected the nonperishable food items during its ‘Da Yooper SOUPer Bowl’ which ran between Jan. 8 and ended on Super Bowl Sunday.
by Melissa Newland
Serving those in need in the community is important to the members/volunteers of the Baraga American Legion Post #444 and during the Legion’s “Da Yooper SOUPer Bowl,” which took place between January and February, the group, like the Kansas City Chiefs,
kicked a winning field goal gathering donations of nonperishable items for St. Vincent De Paul’s Food Pantry in L’Anse. Food Pantry volunteers Carolyn Pasternak and Janet Hagbloom noted the Post’s Vice Commander Lance Heikkinen and Legion patron/volunteer Joe Bianco delivered 407 pounds of food items Monday, Feb. 13, to add to the shelves after final collections took place at the Legion during the Super Bowl on Sunday. “They (the Post) were very pleased with the response,” said Pasternak and Hagbloom.” The collection of food
items started Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, during the Packer vs Lions Yooper Bowl and continued through Sunday’s Super Bowl game. The drive encouraged community members to bring in a can of soup or other non-perishable item to receive a discount on the first drink at $1.75, the average price of a can of soup today. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
LOCAL HILLCLIMBERS–Three locals who placed at the Vollwerth’s Meats-Pat’s Motorsports-Wildlife Refuge Cabins WINTERNATIONALS, presented by Keweenaw Chevrolet-GMC, at Whealkate Bluff in South Range. Left to right is Kaiden Kaurala, Jacob Ketola and Travis Kaurala.
by Melissa Newland
Snowmobile Hillclimb enthusiasts were out and about the beginning of February getting up and close to watch the Vollwerth’s Meats-Pat’s M o t o r s p o r t s -Wi l d l i f e Refuge Cabins WINTERNATIONALS, presented by Keweenaw ChevroletGMC, at Whealkate Bluff in South Range. Many local racers were among those trying to make tracks to crest the steep bluff as fast as possible and five of them made it high and fast enough to place. Local teen Kaiden Kaurala, age 16, of Nisula, was the top dog among the local riders, placing in three categories and qualifying for the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb that will take place in Jackson, WY, Mar. 23-26, 2023. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.
