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U.P. Ag Connections
725 Greenland Road, Ontonagon, MI 49953

Vol. 16 Issue 8 MSU Extension August 2011
Published Irregularly

NEWS & VIEWS
By Frank Wardynski, MSU Extension Educator

We had a great time at the field day last week. The weather was probably too good. Attendance was ade-quate but I was hoping for a huge crowd. Unfortunately, it seems like one of those years that we have to make hay when the sun shines with a lot of crops and harvests far behind normal for this time of year. The sky was clear and the breeze was refreshingly cool after the scorching humidity we saw just days before. I think Research Center manager Paul Naasz and the rest of the farm crew did a super job planning the event and as usual having the facilities looking top notch. Hiawathaland Farm Bureau sponsored an excellent lunch and a big thank you goes out to them.

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U.P. Agriculture Assessment 2011

Dear U.P. Farmer,

You should have received a postcard a week or so ago giving you the heads up that you would be receiving this survey. Thank you in advance for participating in this worthwhile project.
As interest in local food increases so does the pressure on our local farmers to keep pace with this demand. As a significant purchaser of local food, the Marquette Food Co-op has an active interest in assessing the needs of local farmers in order to ensure a steady supply of high quality food for our owners and customers. Beyond that, we strongly believe that a vibrant local food economy is integral to the health of our small rural communities, and we are entirely invested in helping develop food security here in the U.P. Our Co-op cur¬rently assists local farmers in a variety of ways from marketing to purchasing. We, as well as other organiza¬tions and groups in the U.P. want to do more, but we need to hear from the farmers themselves as to what their needs are. This is where you come in.

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Local Food Systems Survey

View Food Supply Assessment Survey

Board of Control Chair Pledges Bequest to Michigan Tech

by Jennifer Donovan, director of public relations

Marty Richardson, chair of the Board of Control, and her husband, Jerry Richardson, have made a planned gift of $1 million to Michigan Tech's Board of Control Endowment Fund. The endowment produces income to fund special projects as recommended by the president to the Board of Control.

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VIP 4 Pack Football Tickets on Sale

by Wes Frahm, director of athletic communications and marketing

Tickets for Michigan Tech football's popular VIP 4 Packs are on sale at the central ticket office (487-2073) and online at Huskies.

Each VIP 4 Pack comes with four tickets to every Huskies' home game and access to the VIP tailgate party prior to each game with, free food and beverage provided by the Library Restaurant and Brew Pub. Free preferred parking in Lot 24, free game program (first 300) and game program recognition are also included.

In addition, each VIP 4 Pack comes with two tickets to every home women's soccer match in 2011.

VIP 4 Packs cost $349 each, and up to $150 may be tax deductible. The VIP ticket program is in its eighth year, and a record number of packs were sold a year ago, resulting in more than 700 tickets sold per game.

The football team will open its season on the road Sept. 3 at Winona State before playing its home opener vs. Lake Erie on Saturday, Sept. 10.

For questions, contact Steve Nordstrom, director of athletic development, at 487-3071.

 
Rozsa Center,
VPA Announce 2011-12 Season

The Rozsa and the visual and performing arts department announce their 2011-12 season. Subscription sales begin today; single ticket sales begin Sept. 1.

"The 2011-12 season will combine both the traditional and contemporary," according to Bethany Jones, marketing manager at the Rozsa.

The entertainment includes emerging local and student artists, and bright stars on the international stage.

Some of the best of world-class performances are being hosted: musicals, symphony orchestras, jazz musicians, and comedians; the spectacles of dance that are MOMIX and Savion Glover; the internationally acclaimed composer and conductor Eric Whitacre; everyone's favorite storyteller Garrison Keillor; the comedian Maria Bamford; and the hilarious "Deer Camp the Musical."

"Come celebrate the growth and success of the emerging artists that are the wellspring of the arts at Tech," Jones says. They include the Jazz Lab Band; the award-winning Superior Wind Symphony; and the Tech Theatre Company presenting "Fuddy Meers," "Almost Maine," and "Twelfth Night."

"Audiences will be surprised by the breadth, excitement, and originality that come from these fresh perspectives and new voices," Jones says.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Central Ticket Office (SDC), at 487-2073, or go online at Tickets.
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Garden Tour Raises Food For St Vinnies
The recent Secret Garden Tour organized by the 46th Parallel Planters Garden Club produced 211 pounds of non-perishable foods that were donated to St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry in Ironwood. Tour attendees were each asked to donate 2 cans of food when participating in the tour. 

To view more photos and information on the tour view http://46thparallelplanters.shutterfly.com

 

 
To Enforce or Not To Enforce That is the Rhetorical Question!
IRONWOOD – July 28, 2011

Normally Steve Frank a member of the Parks and Wrecks Committee complains that the city is not doing enough to enforce the blight law or littering law. That was not to be the case Monday night at the City Commission meeting.
It all began when Bob Burchell asked if anyone wanted to address the commission on items not on the agenda.

Steve Frank rose from his seat approached the commissioners and handed out more paper to the members of the paperless commission, who now receive their work electronically. He did not use yellow paper.
 
Avoiding the cameras Frank stood away from the speaker podium, in the middle of the arena and spoke at the commission about a Blight Notice his landlord received that described blight issues at his residence.

He began by saying he didn't want to talk about this and he didn’t want to talk about that and described a number of issues irrelevant to his blight notice.
After the long introduction, Frank began to focus on the Blight Ordinance itself. Frank quoted the notice methodology within the ordinance. According to Frank that section of the ordinance authorizes the city to notify the owner or the agent of the property either by letter or public notice in the paper.

Frank told the commissioners that “we” never use a public notice and that the city uses the public notice at the beginning of the season to notify the residents of the ordinance. Frank stated “this is not what the ordinance says.”

He described the city procedure of cutting the lawns that were in violated the rules, “as trespassing.“ "My point is that the city does not follow its own ordinance" said Frank. He then stood silent as to await an answer to a question that had never been asked, not even a rhetorical one.

His buddy Mayor Bob Burchell then asked the city manager if the city was following procedures.  Scott Erickson then explained the city's position.

Frank then shouted to Burchell that this is the same city manager and the City Attorney that we had in 2007 when this was passed. “Is this what the ordinance says? What would stand up in court?” He said.

City Attorney Dennis Cossi advised Mr. Frank that he could bring an action in court and let the Judge make a decision. Frank then went on to complain that there were no remedies for challenging the notice.

In an attempt to placate Frank, Burchell then said "Thanks Steve" and then referred the matter of clarity to Erickson.
 
 Once again Burchell allowed Frank to speak beyond the time limit for public comment. 
 view video
 
 

Graham: Selected As Dean of Student Services

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - July 27, 2011

Last night the nine month search for Gogebic Community College’s next Dean of Student Services concluded when President James Lawrence announced that he had chosen Jeanne Graham for the position.

Graham is the current admissions and information director, and has been acting in the capacity of Interim Dean for the past nine months.

The nationwide selection process is long and intense. The applicants for the position are scrutinized by a six member committee that included Erik Guenard, Ken Trzaska, Sue Forbes, Mark Wendt, Brian Anderson, and  Dayle Jackson. 

Early on, viable candidates were interviewed via telephone, and then personal interviews occurred when the field narrowed.  

At the June Board meeting there were two candidates remaining, Jeanne Graham and Shad E. Sorenson, from Utah Valley University. On Wednesday June 29th, Graham was interviewed once again, this time by GCC employees. That interview went well, very well. Graham was very familiar with the topical questions of her fellow staff members and had solutions or suggestions for their concerns.

Sorenson was on campus the following day and also had a good interview.

Two weeks ago the committee would recommend two candidates to President Lorenson.

President Lorenson recommended Graham to the board, recognizing her capabilities, job performance and loyalty to the institution. The Board of Trustees agreed, and voted unanimously to support Lorenson’s choice.

Jeanne Graham was a Bessemer Speedgirl, however, she did not go to GCC. She originally wanted to, and did pursue Music as her major. She was considering a career teaching music. That of course excluded GCC from eligible choices.

GRCB Performs at Massie

BESSEMER – July 28, 2011

The Gogebic Range Concert Band performed at Massie Field Tuesday night. A large audience gathered before the band shell to hear the musicians play their wonderful songs.

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Guisfredi Recipient of GLIAC Scholarship Women's Basketball Player

Angela Guisfredi (Hubbell/Lake Linden), was recently awarded the 2011 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Postgraduate Scholarship. The honor, which awards the recipient $5,000 in aid to the graduate school of their choice, was voted on by the faculty athletic representatives of the schools in the conference.
"On behalf of GLIAC, I am proud to have a student-athlete of the caliber of Angela Guisfredi as our 2011 scholarship winner," stated Commissioner Dell Robinson. "She will continue to excel in the classroom and serve as a leader in her industry as well as her community."
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Recall Efforts Joining Forces with Michigan Forward and Stand for Democracy

 

DETROIT – Michigan Forward and the Committee to Recall Rick Snyder are pleased to announce the formation of a new partnership. CRRS and Michigan Forward will join together in fielding thousands of volunteers to Recall the elected proponents, and repeal from the lawbooks, the “Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act (PA4).” CRRS has over 5,000 volunteers, many of whom have already carried petitions for both recall and repeal, and who will join the thousands of volunteers who have signed up to help circulate petitions to place repeal of Public Act 4 on the November 2012 ballot.
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Postal Service mulls closing 3,700 post offices

Postmaster releases list, proposes shifting some functions to local stores

By
msnbc.com contributor
updated 7/26/2011 4:14:08 PM ET

The U.S. Postal Service is about to shrink, and your local office may be one that's on its hit list.

The Postal Service, which has been losing billions of dollars as more people communicate online, said Tuesday that it is considering closing 12 percent of its post office locations and working with local businesses to fill the void.

The 3,653 post offices under review for closure include urban centers such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as small towns from Plymouth, Mass., to Wallula, Wash. The Postal Service is calling them “low activity,” defined by low foot traffic, average sales of less than $50 per day and less than two hours of work per day. Most are located within five miles of another post office location. About 3,000 of them bring in less than $27,500 in annual revenue.

In place of a dedicated post office, the Postal Service is proposing that pharmacies and other retailers sell stamps, flat-rate packaging and other products, a concept it’s calling the “Village Post Office.”

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan would not say whether the goal is to close all 3,700 locations, or whether there is a smaller target number of closures.

Click here to see a complete state-by-state list of the post offices around the country that the Postal Service is studying for closure or conversion to what it's calling a retail-replacement option.

July 2011 Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - July 27, 2011

A program review of the Ski Area Management Program (SAM) was given by Director Jim Vander Spoel. Since its inception in 1970, the SAM program has attracted students from all over the country to GCC. It has also been charged with the operation of the Mt. Zion Recreational Complex, which is first and foremost, the program’s working laboratory.
Over the past five years, the program has averaged 41 in enrollment, with an average completion rate of 81 percent.

Job placement for SAM graduates remains excellent and these GCC students are in high demand throughout the country. GCC also maintains an excellent transfer program to Northern Michigan University which is becoming increasingly popular.

In reporting on Mt. Zion, Vander Spoel noted that the “Learn-to-Ski” program with the area schools has been in existence for 38 years and has a high participation rate.
A new activity introduced this year was the Friday Night Fights snowboard series in the terrain park. It was very successful and plans for program growth are being developed with sponsorship for the upcoming season.


At July’s regular meeting of the Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees, personnel issues topped of the agenda.
 
• Jeanne Graham, was appointed as the Dean of Student Services following a nation-wide search. For the past 20 years, Graham has been GCC’s Director of Admissions and Public Information. She has served as the Interim Dean of Students for the last nine months. Graham also has over 10 years of experience at Northern Michigan University, where she served as the Assistant Administrator at the United States Olympic Education Center, working with the residential athlete program and a variety of other programs.
• Steven Lombardo, Holmen, WI, was appointed to the full time position of TRiO Student Support Services Coordinator. The Hurley native holds a Master’s degree from Viterbo University and a bachelor’s degree from UW-Superior. He has taught since 1992 and also has experience as an administrator. He replaces John Sokol, who will be a math instructor this fall.

• Lisa Spence, of Laurium, was appointed to a full time Allied Health faculty position in GCC’s Copper Country location. Spence has been a nurse since 1989 and has various experiences from an Army nurse through a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She also has adjunct teaching experience. She replaces Bonnie Woodruff, who retired.

• Stacy Crouch, of Dollar Bay, was appointed as the Director of Off Campus Operations, in a position that has been expanded to full time. Crouch has been the Director of the Baraga-Houghton-Keweenaw Child Development/Superior AmeriCorps since 2007 and also has other administrative work experience in the Copper Country.

In other action, the Board approved:
• The request from the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center to install a well on premises for the sole purpose of water for ice making and maintenance.
• The adjunct faculty list for the Fall semester.
• The low bid for laptop computers from Safari Micro, for desktop computers from GovConnection, and a server from Dell. These purchases are for instructional computers for this Fall.
• The low bid for window tinting in the Lindquist Student Center from Sun Shade of Petoskey, MI. The shading is necessary because of the glare on the gym floor, which affects the field of vision for players.
• The low bid for self-storing handrails on the Lindquist Center bleacher system from H & H Enterprises of Grand Haven, MI
• The purchase of an LCD external sign from SunTronics of Freemont, CA for the campus buildings entrance.
• The low bid for a one-year state anticipation note from River Valley Bank.

 

In Da Woods

by Melanie B. Fullman, US Forest Service

Dragons

When Black River Village historian and author Nelda Ikenberry recently commented on the great variety and beauty of local dragonflies, I was intrigued. When she sent me her own photographs, I was hooked!

Dragons or Fair Damsels?

What most of us clump into one category, dragonflies, are actually two suborders of insects: dragonflies and damselflies. Dragonflies are stout-bodied with their wings held flat when resting. It is usually easy to see that their pair of rear wings are different and larger than their pair of front wings. In flight, dragonflies have a strong, sustained wing beat.

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Bessemer Approves Teacher's Contract

BESSEMER - July 26, 2011

The Bessemer School Board held its July meeting last evening. At that meeting
the board approved a huge list of personnel appointments for Extra and Co-Curricular activities. There were several vacancies yet to be filled.

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Township Receives Another Good Audit

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - July 26, 2011

The Ironwood Township Board of Trustees received a clean audit yesterday when Auditor Tony Pollack presented the results of the latest fiscal audit.

According to Pollack the Township added slightly more than $2,000 to the General Fund. This is the third year in a row that the charter Township has received an excellent audit.

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Marenisco 2011 Music Festival

MARENISCO - July 25, 2011

The Milltown Heritage Days celebration kicked off Friday evening with a street dance that was center for teens and adults alike.

Saturday was to the main focus of the Heritage Days events. Several events were cancelled due to the heavy rains that moved into the area mid-day. The Strongest man contest was cancelled as was the lumberjack competition.

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2011 Festival Ironwood Walk, Run & Roll

The 19th Annual Festival Ironwood Walk, Run & Roll was held on July 16 at the Old Depot Park.

Pictured above is Jackie Powers who finished second woman in the 40-49 age group and third woman overall.

John Houle, Green Bay, WI, was the top male finisher in the 2-mile event in a time of 13:05. Emily Gheller, Bessemer, won the women’s 2-mile title in a time of 14:17.
Alan Peterson, Ironwood, repeated as the 5-mile champion posting a time of 27:18. Emmy Tuzee, Ironwood, won the female 5-mile event in a time of 36:11.

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High School Teachers Attend Summer School

High school teachers from across Michigan are doing a little summer school themselves, attending the Research Experience for Teachers, a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in which participants do multi-disciplinary research in Michigan Techs Wood-to-Wheels forest-based biofuels program.

The teachers will use the experience to help them develop rich, classroom-relevant teaching units. They had a choice of three topics for the seven-week sessions: plant genomics, biofuels conversion and biofuels combustion.

Participants include Karl Balke, who teaches physics and robotics at Cass Technical High School in Detroit; Mandy Frantti, a physics teacher at Munising High School, and Todd Waurio, a math teacher from Calumet High School.

For the full story, see summer school.

 

Researchers find potential key for unlocking ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Pretreating non-edible biomass – corn leaves, stalks or switch grass – holds the keys for unlocking its energy potential and making it economically viable, according to a team of researchers led by Michigan State University.

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USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Improve the Quality of Rural Housing

Funding Available to weatherize and repair existing structures, install or improve plumbing or provide access to people with disabilities

WASHINGTON, DC – July 22, 2011 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that applications are being accepted for grants to eligible applicants to help low- and very-low-income rural residents repair their homes.

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ACLU Sues For Records About FBI Collection Of Racial And Ethnic Data In Michigan

FBI's Claimed Authority To Track And Map Racial And Ethnic "Behaviors" And "Lifestyle Characteristics" Of American Communities Invites Racial Profiling


DETROIT – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan today sued the FBI and Department of Justice for records related to the FBI's use of race and ethnicity in conducting assessments and investigations of local communities in Michigan. According to an FBI operations guide, FBI agents have the authority to collect information about, and create maps of, so-called racial and ethnic behaviors, lifestyle characteristics and cultural traditions and "ethnic-oriented" businesses in communities with concentrated ethnic populations.  

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Historian Discusses Life of Pioneer Resident Lucena Brockway

submitted by Shannon Brodeur, Library

The life and experiences of Lucena Brockway will be the topic of a public presentation at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 28, in the East Reading Room of the J.R. Van Pelt Library and John and Ruanne Opie Library. The presentation is part of the "Archival Speakers Series" and is free and open to the public.

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City goes forward with Parking Lot Decor

IRONWOOD July 22, 2011

Thursday the Ironwood City Commission held a special meeting to finalize plans for two downtown parking lots. One is located on Ayer street, the other on Suffolk.
 
The City Manager, Scott Erickson had withdrawn from prior proposals that were significantly above the City’s budget. Erickson told the commissioners that there were three plans for each lot.
 
An extravagant plan, the original, a bare bones plan and one somewhere in between. Judging by the extent of frivolity from one plan to the other, one might better describe the plans as a Rolls Royce, A Mercedes Benz of a Chevrolet.
 
Recognizing that it could not or should not buy the Rolls, the commission actually bought the Mercedes Benz instead. The basic plan would have cost thirty Thousand dollars less, but that did not seem to matter to Councilman Richard Semo, who cast the deciding vote. It should be noted that Councilman Burchell and Councilwoman Lamb voted against the extravagance.

The parking lots will have elaborate signs, extravagant planters, yada yada yada. O.K, so who will see these planters and signs the six months that they will be covered in snow?
Who will be plowing around all the obstruction during snow season? Who will be using the bike racks during the winter, actually during any time of the year?

One of the parking lots in question is on the corner of Suffolk and McLeod. On Suffolk, just east of the parking lot there is a section of road that is sinking, just one block removed from the pocket park which is also sinking. The parking lot is in need of repair. So why not just fix it. Why not use the savings to fix the street, or any street for that matter? Have you driven down East Florence lately?

Why are we spending nearly $2 million dollars for things that the city can’t afford to maintain? It would obviously be better to have fewer things that you can afford to properly maintain.

WUPPDR Plans to Bypass Gogebic Water Source

ONTONAGON - July 22, 2011

At this week’s Ontonagon County Commission Meeting, it was learned that WUPPDR is planning to build a 24 mile long water transmission line from the Village of Ontonagon to the proposed Copperwood mine in Ironwood Township.

The plan is to replace the Smurfit Stone account with another large commercial account. Orvana was just looking at all its options however; WUPPDER has grabbed the ball and is running full speed ahead to bypass Gogebic County in the water deal.

WUPPDR has a financial stake as well as a posture situation in Ontonagon. Perhaps that is why the organization is ready to trample all over the Franchise rights of the Gogebic Range Water Authority. Ontonagon is losing population and is looking for new water sales to keep the rates low for the remainder of its customers. That would also be true for Gogebic residents.

Let’s not forget that just two years ago, WUPPDER and the Lansing Banditos were looking to steal Gogebic’s Revolving Loan Funds. An act found to be illegal and subsequently dropped.

The GRWA is poised to support the success of the mining venture, however, Jean Verbos stated that she will protect the membership of the GRWA.
WUPPDR was looking to finance the transmission line with the USDA. Rural Development loans are for forty years, and the life expectancy of the mine is 10 – 15 years. Orvana is a foreign company and currently has few if any assets in the U.S. In order to protect the local water utilities, counties and municipalities Orvana would need to provide a Letter of Credit from an acceptable U.S. Bank.
So far the Gogebic County members of WUPPDR have not publicly discussed the water transmission line.

Finlandia University names Pete Rouleau Head Men’s Golf Coach

Hancock, MI. (July 21, 2011) – Finlandia University recently announced a new but familiar name to lead the Men’s Golf program. Pete Rouleau, currently the head women’s golf coach and assistant women’s hockey coach at Finlandia, was named to take over for Athletic Director Chris Salani, who coached the men’s team for the past 3 seasons. In addition, Rouleau will be transitioning from a part-time employee to full-time status within the Finlandia University Athletic Department.

Rouleau played four years of golf at Hancock Central High School under the tutelage of the late Rick Miller. As a Junior and Senior he was a vital member of the Bulldogs team that won consecutive Upper Peninsula High School Golf Championships in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. He was also the runner-up in the 2009 Portage Lake Club Championship. Rouleau currently resides in Hancock with his wife Maren and 2 year old daughter Kaelyn.

The men’s and women’s golf teams will begin competition for the 2011-2012 school year in September. For more information on the men’s and women’s golf programs at Finlandia please contact coach Rouleau at pete.rouleau@finlandia.edu.

 

Tech Hockey Adds Davis to 2011-12 Roster


by Wes Frahm, director of athletic communications and marketing

Hockey coach Mel Pearson announced the signing of Jimmy Davis (Caledonia/East Kentwood) to a National Letter of Intent to attend and play hockey at Tech in 2011-12.

"Jimmy will add toughness and skill to our blue line," said Pearson. "He's a great skater who defends well. He also has a good upside on offense. We really liked Jimmy's competitive nature and the fact that he's a good student. We're excited to have him

Davis was an all-state first team pick each of his final two seasons at East Kentwood High School. As a senior last winter, he led the Falcons to a 19-8-1 record and regional championship. East Kentwood fell to Orchard Lake St. Mary's in the 2011 state tournament semifinals. Davis, who garnered all-state honorable mention as a sophomore, served as a team captain as both a junior and senior.

Davis and three others who have signed NLIs--Blake Pietila (Brighton/USNTDP), David Johnstone (Grand Ledge/Indiana(USHL)) and Tanner Kero (Hancock/Fargo (USHL))--will join the team this fall.

 

2011 Ontonagon County Senior Festival
EWEN – July 21, 2011

The Ontonagon Senior Expo took place at the Ewen Trout Creek School Wednesday. The Thirty Sixth Annual Ontonagon County Senior Festival was organized and produced by Joan Harris, Director of the Ontonagon Commission on Aging. There were some concerns that the weather would curtail attendance at this unique event. That was not to be the case. Nearly 170 seniors were served lunch at the event, indicating that the attendance was nearing the 200 mark.

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Kruisers Continue Anniversary Celebration

IRONWOOD July 21, 2011

The Klassic Kruisers Car Club continued their twentieth anniversary celebration last night, with a car show at Angelo’s Pizza.

There were several vehicles competing for the two People’s Choice Trophies that were awarded to the two most popular cars in the show.

Last night Gene and Gail Clemens won both trophies. They won first place for their great looking 1931 Ford Model A and their 1965 Chevelle SS won the second place trophy.

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GOISD Elects New Officers
BERGLAND – July 21, 2011

The Gogebic Ontonagon Intermediate School District held its 2011/2012 organizational meeting in Bergland yesterday.

Russ Bailey and Ann Wuorinen were reelected to the board and were sworn in at the beginning of yesterday’s meeting. The two  no sooner finished saying I do that they were elected to be office;

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In Da Woods

by Melanie B. Fullman, US Forest Service

Striking Conversation

As you know, I spend a lot of time in the woods. Occasionally, when it is storming. So, like most folks, I’ve taken shelter under trees and rocks, and have always kept a wary eye on possible lightning. I thought I was suitably safe.

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Flags lowered Today for Staff Sgt. Joshua Throckmorton

by Tonya Durlach

July 18, 2011 | WMU News

LANSING, Mich.--By order of Gov. Rick Snyder, U.S. flags on all campuses of Western Michigan University and throughout Michigan will be lowered Wednesday, July 20, in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Throckmorton, of Battle Creek, Mich., who died July 5 in Afghanistan's Paktia province.

Throckmorton, age 28, died of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command in Hohenfels, Germany. He served 15 months in Iraq, and was three months into a one-year deployment in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm issued a proclamation in December 2003, requiring U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters to honor Michigan servicemen and servicewomen killed in the line of duty.

Michigan was the first states to honor its fallen sons and daughters by lowering flags.

 

Commission Accepts Wardynski Resignation
ONTONAGON – July 20, 2011

The Ontonagon County Commission held its July meeting last night. As usual there were a great many items on the agenda. The Ontonagon Commissioners meet but once month as a means of reducing costs to the county taxpayers.
During the public comments portion of the meeting Mr. William Johnson appeared to both criticize the Sheriff’s Department and to ask why he had to pay twice for police coverage. He was referring to the fact that he pays taxes to both the Village and the County of Ontonagon. Johnson was told that his comments would be referred to the Sheriff for a response.
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IASD Begins New School Year
IRONWOOD – July 20, 2011

Monday evening the Ironwood Area School Board held its annual reorganization meeting. At the meeting the board of trustees selected officers for the new school year. There were no changes with respect to the board officers nor were there any changes in the items voted upon.

Steve Thomas will remain as President of the Board of Trustees for the 2011/2012 school year.

Superintendent Tim Kolesar told the board that bids would be opened for the demolition of the Norrie School Building.

In a bit of irony, Leroy Johnson was sworn in as a new trustee on the school board. Johnson is a member of the City of Ironwood Planning and Zoning Commission. It is that group that has been accused of killing the Norrie School Apartment Project. The loss of that project will cost the children of Ironwood an estimated $200,000. Although the exact amount of the damage will not be known until the bids are opened.

The loss of the project was equally devastating to Ironwood taxpayers. The project was estimated to bring $70,000 in new taxes to the city. The loss of the project will also mean a loss of $30,000 per year in water revenues.
2011 Old Depot Car Show

IRONWOOD - July 20, 2011

Saturday the 23rd Old Depot Car Show attracted a large crowd of spectator’s eager to view the sixty-three great vehicles that made up the annual event.

This year Rick Tippett and his staff organized and produced Saturday’s great event. Rick and his many helpers did a really good job producing their first show ever. Rick found out how much work goes occurs on the other side of the event. This year instead of collecting more trophies for his own custom cars he was handing them out. In fact Rick and his wife, Sue donated a new first time ever trophy “Kid’s Choice” The winner is chosen by the kids casting their ballots for their favorite vehicle.

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More Festival Ironwood Coverage

Women's Basketball Team Honored for Academics

by Ian Marks, assistant director of athletic communications

The women's basketball team picked up plenty of awards on the court during
the 2011 campaign, and now they are being recognized for their success in the classroom. The team ranked 20th, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.459, on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll Award.

"I'm so proud of this team for all of their accomplishments this year," said head coach Kim Cameron. "They had a long, brilliant season on the floor, and continued to stay focused in the classroom. Their ability to create balance in such a demanding life says a lot about their character."

Michigan Tech finished as the national runner-up in Div. II in 2010-11 and claimed the GLIAC regular season and tournament titles.

A team's GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans.

Tech was one of five GLIAC schools, and the only NCAA Elite Eight team, on the Academic Top 25 Honor Roll.

 

ACLU Sues Genesee County Parks Over Petitioning Restrictions

DETROIT – In a free speech case with statewide implications, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sued the Genesee County Parks today after it told a petitioner with the Committee to Recall Governor Snyder that the only place she could petition in a 135-acre park was an isolated 3 x 3 foot area. The ACLU is also challenging the constitutionality of Genesee County Parks’ new policy barring petitioning in the public parks without a permit.  

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Federal Court Rules Juvenile Life Without Parole Lawsuit May Proceed

July 15, 2011

DETROIT – In a decision issued today, a federal judge has allowed a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s juvenile life without parole sentences to proceed. Today’s ruling allows the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Michigan to prove that Michigan’s sentencing scheme that denies children a meaningful opportunity for parole constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and violates their constitutional rights.

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