IronwoodInfo News Magazine

2008 - Trout Creek Photo Exhibit

Trout Creek - October 11, 2008

The Trout Creek Library held it's third Photography Exhibit, at Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday. This year's event was exceptional. with around 30 exhibitors. and over 40 photos.

The photo exhibit included photographers of varied skill levels. Entries from novice to professional photographers provided visitors with a variety of images. Photographs on exhibit included both color and black and white. Photographers also exhibited both digital and film photography.

There was no admission charge to view the show nor was there an entry fee for photographers. As show promoters put it " This is a labor of love rather than a money making venture." Photographers were permitted to place their work on sale at the exhibit.

The show organizers were Janet Dellaria , June Kotila Treptoe , and Dale Schmeisser

Read More and View Photos

Mural Kick-off October 21

Press Release

HANCOCK - Tuesday, October 21, at 12:00 noon, a ceremony to kick-off the first brush strokes of a community mural will take place at the Finlandia University Jutila Center, Hancock.

All Finlandia students, faculty, and staff, as well as community members are invited to help with the more than 40-foot-long mural on the south side of the Jutila Center (formerly the Portage View Hospital).

Organizers Melisa Gronowski, a 2008 Finlandia art and design graduate, and junior-level ceramics major Jaimianne Amicucci stress that participants don't have to be artists or art students.

Exterior house paint (especially white), spray paint, and brushes are needed. Donations can be dropped off at the student art studio on Finlandia's main campus in Nikander 15; or at the ground-level reception desk at the Jutila Center.

The project is presented as a public art activity by Finlandia students and the Bohemian Artists Coalition, a student-led club at the university.

Gronowski said she's been thinking about doing this for more than a year. She and Amicucci said motivations for the mural include the elimination of an eyesore and the desire to positively represent Finlandia and its students on a space that has increasingly become a target for vandalism.

Gronowski and Amicucci are already painting a white background to cover much of the graffiti that has been painted on the building over the last several years.

The theme of the mural is deliberately undefined, but a few general, informal rules will be communicated at the kick-off. Work will continue until dark Tuesday and continue on October 22 and 23 from daybreak to sunset. Completion of the mural is expected October 23.

The women are hoping the mural painting will become an annual event for the Finlandia community. "I can't wait to come back in 20 or 30 years and see what later Finlandia students have done with the mural," Amicucci said.

"It's big," said Gronowski about the planned mural. Amicucci added that it's "pretty massive." They don't know exactly how they'll do it, but they agree that anything is possible!

For additional information, please contact Jaimianne Amicucci at morninglowrie@yahoo.com.

Karen S. Johnson
Exec. Director of Communications
Finlandia University
601 Quincy St.
Hancock, MI 49930
Ph: 906-487-7348
Fax: 906-487-7365
karen.johnson@finlandia.edu

Friends of the Library Announce Book Sale

above & below - photos of Kid's Room at the Ironwood Carnegie Library

The Friends of the Ironwood Carnegie Library have announced their Fall Book Sale which will take place on Friday October 17th., and Saturday October 18th.

The Friday sale and preview is for members only. However, you can join as a new member for $10 as an individual, a family membership is just $20. and students can join for only $2. per student. Friday sale times are from 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM .

The sale on Saturday, October 18th is from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM and is open to the general public. Both days the sale will be held at the Ironwood Memorial Building Auditorium.

Books, audio books, CD’s, DVD’s and specialty magazines, most priced at 50 cents each or less. ALL PROCEEDS TO BE USED FOR LIBRARY CHILDREN’S ROOM REFURBISHMENT

Viewing the Scafidi Exhibit
Now at the Relections Gallery

The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery is currently holding an exhibit of work by Wisconsin artist Marian Scafidi. An opening reception for the artist took place Thursday, October 2nd. The Scafifi exhibit will be at the Finlandia Reflection Gallery until November 2, 2008

Scafidi is a graduate of the School of Art-Institute of Chicago and completed a jewelry design and construction apprenticeship with Alex Raizian. She has exhibited her works widely, including at the recent 2,000 Artists alumni exhibit at the School of the Art-Institute of Chicago; in an exhibit titled, Three Artists at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago ; and in an “International Sumi-E Brush Painting Contest and Exhibition” sponsored by the Federation of American Asian Culture and Art, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.

photo above - "Willow" -

Scafidi’s exhibit, “Visions in Black and White” is a series of charcoal and chalk drawings on paper that span two decades. Twenty six pieces from this series have been selected for this solo exhibition at the Reflection Gallery.
Scafidi says the pieces in the exhibit are motivated by a direct response to a heartfelt experience of nature, and are meant to evoke an emotive response to nature.
“Visions in Black and White” are images of interior landscapes rather than a representation of nature, Scafidi explains.
“They are the result of the accumulation of sensations experienced in the solitude of the deep woods,” she adds. “Each piece is an internal dialogue between the spiritual and the organic world. My intention is to translate a very personal and emotional experience of the natural world into art.”

View more of the Scafidi Exhibit "Visions in Black and White"

Saarinen Family Story Told

HANCOCK – The architectural and design achievements of the Finnish Saarinen family were the subject of a presentation this past week, at the Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center.

“The Artistry of the Saarinens,” was presented by Mark Coir, director of archives at the Cranbrook Educational Community, Bloomington Hills, Mich.

After Mr.Coir's presentation Susan Saarinen, the granddaughter of architect Eliel Saarinen and the daughter of architect Eero Saarinen, provided the audience with personal insight into the lives of her extremely talented and artistic family.

Scouting Little Girls Point

Scouts of Troop 337 Wakefield, Bessemer, and of Troop 209 Ontonagon spent Friday and Saturday camping at Superior Lodge at Little Girls Point. All but three of the scouts spent the frigid evening indoors with a cozy fireplace to keep warm by. In the photo above the three brave scouts, Danny, Ben and Jimmy brave the freezing weather in their tent just outside the Lodge.

photo above - left to right rear - Liam, Matt, Cote and Josh -
front - left to right front Alex and Rick
Scouts were practicing their knot tying skills while waiting for lunch. Read More

Herra Puntila and His Man Matti,
Take Stage at the Finlandia University

HANCOCK – Four performances of the Finnish musical comedy, Herra Puntila and His Man Matti, performed at the Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center, this past weekend.

Sold out performances took place Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and a Sunday matinee , October 5,

Herra Puntila and His Man Matti (Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti) was written in 1941 by German playwright Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Finnish-Estonian playwright Hella Wuolijoki.

Read More

	October 9, 2008 Commemorating a conflagration

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871. According to popular legend, the fire broke out after a cow - belonging to Mrs. Catherine O'Leary - kicked over a lamp, setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire. Chances are you've heard some version of this story yourself; people have been blaming the Great Chicago Fire on the cow and Mrs. O'Leary, for more than 130 years. But recent research by Chicago historian Robert Cromie has helped to debunk this version of events. The 'Moo' myth Like any good story, the 'case of the cow' has some truth to it. The great fire almost certainly started near the barn where Mrs. O'Leary kept her five milking cows. But there is no proof that O'Leary was in the barn when the fire broke out - or that a jumpy cow sparked the blaze. Mrs. O'Leary herself swore that she'd been in bed early that night, and that the cows were also tucked in for the evening. But if a cow wasn't to blame for the huge fire, what was? Over the years, journalists and historians have offered plenty of theories. Some blamed the blaze on a couple of neighborhood boys who were near the barn sneaking cigarettes. Others believed that a neighbor of the O'Leary's may have started the fire. Some people have speculated that a fiery meteorite may have fallen to earth on October 8, starting several fires that day - in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Chicago. The biggest blaze that week While the Great Chicago Fire was the best-known blaze to start during this fiery two-day stretch, it wasn't the biggest. That distinction goes to the Peshtigo Fire, the most devastating forest fire in American history. The fire, which also occurred on October 8th, 1871, and roared through Northeast Wisconsin, burning down 16 towns, killing 1,152 people, and scorching 1.2 million acres before it ended. Historical accounts of the fire say that the blaze began when several railroad workers clearing land for tracks unintentionally started a brush fire. Before long, the fast-moving flames were whipping through the area 'like a tornado,' some survivors said. It was the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin that suffered the worst damage. Within an hour, the entire town had been destroyed. (Of interest to Ironwood readers, Dr. Raphael Pumpelly was taking a break on Newport Hill near the spot where he discovered iron ore and as he gazed to the southeast he could see smoke on the horizon. This smoke was from the the Peshtigo Fire!) Eight decades of fire prevention Those who survived the Chicago and Peshtigo fires never forgot what they'd been through; both blazes produced countless tales of bravery and heroism. But the fires also changed the way that firefighters and public officials thought about fire safety. On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should henceforth be observed not with festivities, but in a way that would keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. The commemoration grew incrementally official over the years. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls. According to the National Archives and Records Administration's Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. The President of the United States has signed a proclamation proclaiming a national observance during that week every year since 1925.

Search For Wetlands

Comes Up Dry

Gogebic Community College - Gogebic Economic Development Commission

Lily Palmer representing Coleman Engineering presents Phase 1 of the Wetlands Search to the Gogebic Economic Development Commission.
The County has commissioned Coleman Engineering to search for suitable wetlands that could be placed into a County Wetlands Bank. The bank would be used to make it easier for developers to build in the current restricted wetlands areas, primarily along U.S. 2.

According to the report the county-wide search was conducted using GIS layers to sort out the parcels. According Ms. Palmer "Restoration of drained wetlands is the preferred mitigation banking method." "the sites revealed using the given GIS search parameters did not result in any significant restoration opportunities within Gogebic County." The reports states that "The economic history of Gogebic County is not rooted in agriculture, therefore an effort at finding sites suitable for restoration of drained farmland have turned out to be largely unsuccessful."

Fire Safety Week Message
From Ken Jacobson, Chief I.V.F.D.

October 5, 2008

How many times have you left the house in the morning and wondered, “Did I turn off the stove?” With our busy lives, the safety of our homes and families are sometimes relegated to the back of our minds – an afterthought as we hop in the car to start the day.

Ironwood Volunteer Fire Department wants you to make sure that the stove burner is turned off or the damaged electrical cord you’ve been meaning to fix is your top priority during Fire Prevention Week, October 5-11. The theme of this year’s campaign, “Prevent Home Fires,” focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating and electrical equipment, and smoking materials.

According to the latest statistics from the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were an estimated 396,000 reported home structure fires in 2006, resulting in 2,580 civilian deaths, 12,500 civilian injuries and $6.8 billion in direct damage in the United States. Home fires caused 80% of civilian deaths and 76% of injuries.

While the statistics are daunting, most home fires are easily preventable when we narrow our focus and take personal steps to increase our safety. One way to do this is by proactively combing through each room in your home to find signs of danger and fix them. IVFD is encouraging Ironwood area residents and their families to put their safety first by performing a home hazards inspection during Fire Prevention Week. You can download a checklist from www.firepreventionweek.org.

There are also a number of simple steps that you can put into action to keep your home safe from fire:

Cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.
Heating: Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away form heating equipment.
Electrical: Replace cracked and damaged electrical cords; use extension cords from temporary wiring only. Consider having additional circuits or receptacles added by a qualified electrician.
Smoking: If you smoke, smoke outside; wherever you smoke, use deep, sturdy ashtrays.

As firefighters and fire safety educators, fire prevention is always on our minds. We hope that you use the checklist and home fire prevention tips to put your safety first during Fire Prevention Week, and year-round.

Sincerely,

Ken Jacobson, Chief

IVFD

Nordic Film Series Starts October 9th

HANCOCK – The new films have arrived, and the Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center will begin its fall Nordic Film Series beginning next Thursday, October 9, with five new documentaries from noted filmmaker and frequent area visitor Erkki Määttänen. Showings are at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The featured short films are about Finnish and Finnish-American musicians and artists, with the exception of “Todistajat” (Witnesses), a documentary about a group of Finns whose parents (some of whom had returned to Karelia, Finland, from North America) disappeared in the Soviet Union during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s.

Other films to be shown October 9 include, “Suomalaisia kaikuja” or “Finnish Echoes in the Midwest” about a number familiar Finnish American musicians and the places they perform in Michigan and Minnesota; “Jim Johnson” about the Finnish-American poet from Duluth; and “Peruna-Jussin rytmiluut” or “Johnnie Perona’s Rhythm Bones” about the 85-year-old rhythm bones musician of Calumet.

Other films are “Gerry” about Duluth kantele maker Gerry Henkel and “Les Ross, Suupelin soittaja” (“Les Ross, Mouth Organ Player”) about a Negaunee musician who plays harmonica in traditional Finnish-American lumberjack style.

Finally, ”Lännen-Jukka etsimässä” or ”Looking for Lännen-Jukka” explores the music of J. Karjalainen, one of Finland’s most popular singer-songwriters and a well-known devotee of American bluegrass.

Last year Karjalainen released the CD, “Lännen Jukka, Amerikansuomalaisia lauluja” (Jukka of the West, Finnish-American songs), a collection of American blues songs with Finnish lyrics and a tribute to his musical mentor, Hiski Salomaa, an early Finnish American songwriter who at one time lived in South Range. The album was widely considered one of the best Finnish recordings of 2006.

The films include a number of western Upper Peninsula faces and places, including Jingo Wiitala-Vachon, and the Happala Brothers (George and Albert) from Bruce Crossing, Runeberg Hall in Dollar Bay, The Mosquito Inn and Toivola Lunch of Toivola, and the Co-op Hall in Bruce Crossing.

Film director Erkki Määttänen has been making documentaries for the Finnish Broadcasting company for 30 years. He has made 80 short and feature-length documentaries all over the world. Määttänen’s films have been shown at film festivals in USA, Canada, Europe and Russia. He has filmed a number of documentaries in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan.

The Nordic Film Series occurs on the second Thursday of each month. The films, which show at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., offer the area’s only opportunity to see contemporary Finnish, Sami and Norwegian films. November’s movie is the Finnish film, “Colorado Avenue.”

For additional information, please contact the Finnish American Heritage Center at 906-487-7505.

Karen S. Johnson
Exec. Director of Communications
Finlandia University
601 Quincy St.
Hancock, MI 49930
Ph: 906-487-7348
Fax: 906-487-7365
karen.johnson@finlandia.edu

Bush Signs Great Lakes Compact

The Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between the Great Lakes states to regulate the use of the lakes’ water, was signed Friday by President George Bush, the final step in a 10-year debate over the bill.

President George Bush signed the Great Lakes Compact Friday, the final step in an effort to form a coalition among the Great Lakes states to protect the world’s largest freshwater source.

The signing of this bill puts into law the agreement among the eight states and two Canadian provinces surrounding the Great Lakes to regulate the use the lakes’ water and protect it from long distance diversions.

After each state passed the compact individually, it moved to Congress in June, where it was passed by the U.S. Senate in August and the U.S. House of Representatives last month.

Gov. Jim Doyle said in a statement Bush’s signing of the compact gives the Great Lakes states the legal framework to protect the lakes, which are economically important to Wisconsin.

“The signing of the Compact ... is the culmination of years of hard work among eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces,” Doyle said. “Together, we now have the ability to prevent long-range diversions of our water."

According to Emily Green, director of the Sierra Club’s Great Lakes Program, now that the compact is officially approved, the work of actually implementing it remains, as well as adopting a restoration strategy for the Great Lakes.

Karen Etter Hale, executive secretary for the Madison Audubon Society, said the compact, which has been under debate for roughly 10 years, took a long time to pass because it was a very detailed bill, but the citizens of Wisconsin and other Great Lakes states and provinces helped move it along.

“Because Wisconsin is at the headwaters of the Great Lakes, I think we have an extra responsibility to take care of them,” she said.

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