Mike LaBerge has been appointed the new L’Anse Village Police Chief.
   The action was taken by the L’Anse Village Council at its regular meeting Monday, April 28, 2008. LaBerge was one of three candidates interviewed for the job, and his appointment was unanimously approved.
   LaBerge replaces former Police Chief David Seavoy who will continue to work as an officer on the force. At its April 14, 2008, meeting the council opted not to re-appoint Seavoy due to concerns with accessibility because he lives outside the range of both telephones and pagers.

    Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) member Robert Charles Genschow Sr. of Baraga has been indicted by a federal Grand Jury on two counts stemming from an alleged illegal logging operation in 2007.
    According to the records obtained from the U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan Northern Division, from about Aug. 1, through Oct. 2 of 2007, Genschow logged KBIC-owned property in Ontonagon County without the tribe’s permission. The Grand Jury charged him with one misdemeanor and one felony count.

    The source of a blaze which destroyed an Askel family residence is believed to be electrical, according to Otter Lake Fire Chief Dave Harris.
    Harris said his department responded to a call at 8:44 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2008, from the Dean and Renee Chapman residence on Askel Road. Harris said Negaunee’s Regional (regional) Dispatch–Houghton County’s 911 dispatcher— stated the fire was believed to be a chicken coop blaze. Harris said only four Otter Lake firemen arrived on scene. Pelkie and Baraga fire departments were called in under mutual aid.

   This past winter, the Sentinel reported on several area families battling medical crises. Though their wars aren't over yet, two are gaining ground.
Chucky Kantola
   Chucky Kantola, 28, of L'Anse is living at Tendercare Health Center in Munising and would enjoy hearing from readers. But don't ink his address into your book yet–Chucky is working his way back home.

Warr family
   In the wake of a Feb. 1 vehicle crash in northern lower Michigan that left two family members seriously injured, Bob and Jane Warr of L'Anse continue to count their blessings.
   Their granddaughter, two-year-old Kaylee, has almost completely recovered from the accident that left her with a concussion, ruptured spleen, broken ribs and cut left eye. She may need a corneal transplant when she gets older, Jane said, but is otherwise fully healed.

   The Michigamme Steam Team is gaining momentum in its efforts to pay off the historic fire engine.
   This past year the Team has raised $85,000 of the $150,000 needed to repay Michigamme Township for the purchase of the old fire engine. It also became incorporated as a non-profit organization with tax-exempt status from the IRS.
   "We not only raised money," said Chairman Charlie Gardner in an update of the project. "We formed friendships, worked hard, and brought numerous people to our area.

   Effective at 11 a.m. Monday, April 28, weight restrictions for commercial truck traffic have been lifted on all state roadways. This includes both the upper and lower peninsulas. Local (county) road restrictions remain in effect.
   For weight restriction information and updates, call 800-787-8960, or access MDOT's Web site at www.michigan.gov/mdot  and, under "Favorite Links," click on "Truckers Services." All-season routes are designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map, which is available online

   During the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007, veterans and their families in Baraga County received $2,711,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
   Benefits in the form of disability compensation, pension, education, insurance and indemnities were paid directly to many of the county's veterans.
   Linda Walker, Director of the VA Regional Office in Detroit, the office that administers benefit payments for Michigan said, "This influx of money into the Baraga County economy was a significant portion of the more than one billion dollars VA expended to serve the 761,308 veterans living throughout the State of Michigan."

   A group of both teachers and students from Baraga and L’Anse area schools spent part of last week preparing “alcohol-free” graduation party kits.
   With both schools’ commencement exercises less than a month away, that means lots of graduation parties. Those parents and their grads promising to provide an alcohol-free party are not only doing their part to insure safety, but will be eligible for various prizes.

   KBIC Even Start Family Literacy Program announced the selection of this year’s recipients for the first annual “Dream Catcher Award” in celebration of the National Week of the Young Child, April 13 -19, 2008. Bucki and Bill Jondreau of Baraga were selected from an impressive group of nominees for this special honor.
   The “Dream Catcher Award” recognizes the contributions of community individuals to the success of children through their efforts in the areas of early childhood education, social services, parenting or mentoring. Through this award, KBIC Even Start spotlights the people who make a positive difference in the lives of young children in the community.

    CCASB HONORS--Copper Country educators, board members and students were honored in the annual CCASB program last week at MTU.
   Local winners include, front, L’Anse School Service Award winners Mary Glasson, L’Anse, and JoAnne Harden, Baraga. Outstanding Education Employees Matt Dennis of L’Anse and Jon Young of Baraga, and Student Leadership winner Jessica Deziel of BHS. Abby Koski won the L’Anse Student Leadership award.
   Gale Eilola won the Education Leadership Award. He serves on the Baraga and CCISD school boards 10 years each, and is on many other boards

   Baraga Area Schools’ Teamsters Local 214 approved a tentative agreement on Monday night, April 21, 2008.
   The vote comes after a long negotiating process, and only covers the 2007-08 year. If the board of education approves the contract it will be in effect only until July 31, 2008.

   A study of L'Anse's sewer system has churned up an estimated $8.5 million needed in repairs.
   The announcement was made at the Monday, April 21, 2008, L'Anse Village Council meeting.
   Village Manager Mike Hubert said most of the work can wait, but $1.2 million must be spent now on "gotta' do” stuff.

   A smoking gun was laid to rest when the Baraga County Board of Commissioners opted out of the state's Clean Indoor Air Regulation at a meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2008.
   The Western UP District Health Department has pushed the smoking ban to county governments in the region.
   The county had agreed last year to the regulation prohibiting smoking in work places excluding hotels, bars, restaurants, tobacco specialty stores and tribal businesses.

   Dr. Karl Hill will retire in May from his medical career which stretches back to his graduation from Wayne State University College of Medicine in 1966. Hill, 73, has seen patients at his L’Anse practice for the past 23 years. The native of Skanee returned to Baraga County in 1985 when he purchased the practice of Dr. John Stroube.
   L’Anse Family Care Doctors on Eastern Avenue across from the hospital’s emergency entrance will continue under the direction of Hill’s partner, Dr. Ronald D’Agostino. D’Agostino offers traditional medical care and has also brought a strong interest in alternative medicine and wholistic diet to the practice.

     Baraga County voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, to cast ballots in the annual school board elections. Across the three local districts there are no contested races. There are also no ballot proposals in the L’Anse, Baraga or Arvon districts.

   A number of teacher contracts and coaching assignments were approved by the Baraga school board at its regular meeting on April 14, 2008.
   Receiving tenure status in their fifth year of teaching were Beth Koski, secondary math and science; Tim Marczak, sixth grade; and Darla Olson, secondary science.
   Approved for a fourth-year probationary contract were Amy Lake, secondary resource room; and Kim Rae, first grade. Receiving a third-year probationary contract was Matt Frantti, secondary mathematics. Brandon Nelson, K-12 music and band, received a second year probationary contract.

   Jessie McMichael has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Entry Program. The program gives young men and women the opportunity to delay entering active duty for up to one year.
   The enlistment gives the new soldier the option to learn a new skill, travel and become eligible to receive as much as $50,000 toward a college education. After completion of basic military training, soldiers receive advanced individual training in their career job specialty prior to being assigned to their first permanent duty station.

   Lt. Col. Dave Grossman spent a 23-year career in the Army as an Airborne Ranger Infantry officer. He’s led soldiers all over the world. But in retirement, Grossman’s biggest fight is over the desensitizing of youth by violence-laden video games and other media.
   Grossman is returning to the Baraga Area Schools on Monday, April 28, 2008. He brought his anti-violence campaign to Baraga two years ago. The public and teachers from neighboring schools have been invited to attend the 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. session next Monday. Members of the public are asked to RSVP with Michele Velmer, 353-6664, by Friday if they wish to attend.

   Imagine seeing your friends painted with make-up which left them resembling the walking dead. Now take that a little further and picture that scenario if you are a junior or senior high school student.
   That’s what the L’Anse chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) arranged for their school on Thursday, April 17.
   A small group of about 30 students came to school looking like they had been involved in a serious vehicle accident. They weren’t allowed to talk to any of their classmates nor could their classmates talk to them.

   Baraga's ice rink is in the process of getting new insulation installed this week. At the village council's April 14 meeting, the group approved the project.
   According to Village Manager Roy Kemppainen, Superior Polymer of Calumet was the low bidder at $24,000. Kemppainen said the bid included removal and disposal of existing insulation from the building. The work was supposed to start this week.
   The council tackled a light agenda which included setting spring clean-up dates, a closed session for negotiation strategies for its police union contract and summer help hiring.
   The council set spring clean up for the week of May 19-23.

   Baraga County Road Commissioner (BCRC) Engineer/Manager Douglas Mills has been named president of the County Road Association of Michigan (CRAM) for 2008-2009.
   Mills was chosen to head the group at its March 4-6 meeting in the state capitol. More than 300 CRAM members attended the two-day event which also saw some 50 state legislators join the group. Many engineers met personally with their respective state representatives.

   The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) tribal council has not taken any action concerning a federal court decision favoring the state on a “sales and use tax” agreement earlier this month. (See last week’s L’Anse Sentinel for more information.)
   The council met on Thursday, April 10, 2008, to discuss its options. The topic was also discussed in closed session at the council’s regular monthly meeting on April 5.
KBIC Council Chairman Warren “Chris” Swartz said no action was taken following the discussions. He didn’t want to further comment at this time.

   To say there’s a space crunch at the Arvon Fire Department is an understatement. The department has its two-bay main fire hall, which is filled, and then an unheated garage in back, which is also stuffed with equipment.
   At issue is the possibility of eventually building a new fire hall. The department collects 1.5 mills from the taxpayers and that raises approximately $40,000 per year. The millage is due to expire at the end of this year. Township Supervisor Mike Vizina said he’d like to see the same millage renewed for five to seven years, but with one change in its wording.

   St. Vincent de Paul is known and loved locally for its busy thrift store on Main Street in L’Anse. While offering shoppers the chance to pick up second-hand clothing and goods at bargain prices, the store is only part of the story.
   Locally, St. Vincent stepped in to help people 3,600 times in the last year, through the county-wide Sacred Heart Conference, and the store. “We gave out $70,000 worth of aid for paying utilities, rental assistance, gas vouchers, and helped in special cases such as cancer patients,” said Ann Nelson, board secretary.
   The largest lay Catholic charitable organization, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded 175 years ago, on April 23, 1833. French college student Frederic Ozanam created the organization on his 20th birthday to give himself and schoolmates a way to put their faith into action through service to the poor.

   With the promise (or is it threat?) of warmer days ahead, fitness centers on both sides of the bay are buzzing with activity this spring.
   The BCMH Rehab & Fitness Center in L'Anse and KBOCC Fitness Center in Baraga provide a vital service to the community. They offer opportunities for getting fit in a region where exercising outside is not always an option.
   Both facilities provide a wide range of equipment and services with hours aimed at accommodating just about any customer. A visit to either or both may prove the first step toward a healthier start to spring.

   State Representatives Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) and Steve Lindberg (D-Marquette) have introduced a package of bills aimed at keeping senior and vulnerable citizens safe during Michigan’s harsh winters by requiring utility companies to give longer and more effective notice to customers at risk of a shutoff, adding protections for elderly and mentally disabled customers, and establishing procedures to ensure that no one risks injury or death by living in a home without electricity or heat.

   Faith Lutheran Church of Rock, MI, and St. Vincent DePaul of the Sacred Heart Conference in L’Anse, are recipients of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Domestic Hunger Grants in 2008.
   Bishop Thomas Skrenes of the Northern Great Lakes Synod in Marquette said, “God is at work in the ministries of Faith in Rock and the cooperative ecumenical work of the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Our church must focus on feeding people and the Gospel calls us to serve those in need. I am delighted we in the church could be of service in L’Anse and Rock. The ELCA Hunger program receives support from congregations throughout the United States.”

   Air Force Airman Joshua R. Fish has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX.
   During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations.
   In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
   He is the son of Julie Fish of Baraga, and nephew of Cathy Bishop of L'Anse. Fish is a 2006 graduate of Chelsea High School.

   On April 8, 2008, the U.S. Coast Guard awarded a contract for the construction of a new Coast Guard station in Marquette. The nearly $5 million contract went to Viteri Construction Management. The prospective general contractor is Premeau Construction of Marquette. The prospective designer is Waller, Todd, and Sadler of Virginia Beach
   With the establishment of a U.S. Life Saving Service station in 1890, the U.S. Coast Guard has shared a long history with the city of Marquette. Coast Guard Station Marquette has kept watch along the coastline and plans to continue its service with the new 6,000-square-foot station building. With plans to house a crew of 20 Coast Guard men and women, the Coast Guard plans a multi-mission small boat station by summer of 2009.

   Finlandia University will not increase tuition rates, or room and board for residential students, for the 2008-09 academic year.
   “The university is committed to affordable private education in the Upper Peninsula,” Finlandia President Philip Johnson said. “The 2008-09 tuition freeze is our response to the current economic realities faced by our students.”
   Johnson said that the profile of Finlandia students shapes the university’s commitment to affordable education.

   Moyle Real Estate & Development, LLC is negotiating to purchase Bishop Trailer Court on US-41 in L'Anse.
   Kevin Geshel, Director of Development for Moyle, said no leases have been signed yet, nor purchases consummated. Geshel anticipates an official announcement regarding the property and potential development will be made in 30-60 days.

   L’Anse Warden Electric Company is progressing toward its anticipated September, 2008, re-start of the 1959 John H. Warden electrical power plant. The coal-fired plant was converted to burn natural gas, but was shut down in October, 1994.
   L’Anse Warden Electric Company officials are spending considerable time and money to re-fit the plant to burn biomass. Waste wood, Stone Container’s paper sludge, untreated railroad ties and shredded tires will fire the boiler. Electricity will power the adjacent CertainTeed Ceiling (formerly Celotex) plant, and steam will again be routed there. Remaining electricity will be sold on the grid.
   L’Anse Warden Electric is investing $20 million to build fuel-handling facilities and retro-fit the boiler to burn biomass. About 15-20 employees will be hired. Applications are available on-line at Michigan WORKS, and officials already have a stack of resumes to study.

   The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) learned March 27 that U.S. Federal Court Judge Gordon Quist granted summary judgement in favor of the State of Michigan in the “Sales and Use Tax” case the tribe filed in the mid 1990’s. The topic came up a the council’s regular April 5 meeting.
   According to court records, Quist said the court was not able make a decision on “. . .hypothetical facts that may or may not occur in the future. Moreover, no hardship will result to either party from the Court withholding adjudication of the disputed issues. If the Community or its members believe a particular activity is tax-exempt and the State disagrees, then the Community may challenge that determination.”

   Richard Rogala has been toting a black case to places like Lansing and Michigan Tech lately. Not much bigger than a guitar case, it contains a couple of batteries, a little motor and a shiny little electricity generator.
   For 28 years the L’Anse area man has been working on the contents of that black case. He’s found a way to dramatically increase the efficiency of generator technology, which hasn’t changed much in the last century. And Rogala believes he is pushing toward the possibility of creating more energy than his generator consumes.

   L’Anse Township officials have begun the process of setting up a land use plan with plans to include zoning down the road.
   Township Supervisor Dale Tembreull said the first of a number of public hearings was conducted March 18 to start the process. He said the township is using UP Engineering to “. . .help bring us up to speed legally.
   “Baraga Township went through the same thing sometime ago. We want UP Engineering to totally look at it and to help us comply with laws and setting things up.”

   A delay of sentence was handed down to Heather Kissel in Baraga County Circuit Court by Probate Judge Tim Brennan. Brennan was filling in last Wednesday for Circuit Judge Garfield Hood.
   Kissel, 32, had earlier accepted a plea arrangement offered by Prosecuting Attorney Joseph O’Leary. Represented by Marquette attorney James Nancarrow, Kissel pleaded guilty to Assault With Intent To Do Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder. Kissel beat Suzanne Mleko in an Ojibwa Casino women’s room on Sept. 22, 2007.

   The Mervar family of L'Anse has suffered four crippling blows, all delivered by forms of Huntington's Disease.
   Karl Mervar was admitted to Bayside Village nursing home last March. Back at home his three daughters, Karli, age 11, Jacey, 15 and Erica, 17, are battling varying stages of Juvenile Huntington's Disease (JHD).
   The family member most affected by Huntington's is the one who is holding them all together: wife and mom, Jane. From dealing with her youngest child's life-threatening crises to helping young teens deal with the crippling disease, Jane embodies grace under fire.

    The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC) will be presenting a forum on “Facing Mining: What Rights do Citizens and Landowners Have?”
   The public session is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2008, at the Women’s Federated Clubhouse in Marquette. This forum is free and open to the public.
   There has been growing interest in mineral rights in recent years as the UP has come under a mineral prospecting boom.

   A portion of Baraga Area Schools' BEST Spring Fling proceeds will go around the bay this year and to a very worthy cause.
   The benefit slated for Saturday, April 19, 2008 at the Baraga Area Schools will help raise money for a pulseoximeter to be used by the Karl and Jane Mervar family of L'Anse. Three of the Mervars' daughters, Karli, Jacey and Erica, have Juvenile Huntington's Disease.
   Karli, age 11, was struck first by the condition at age six and is the most severely affected. Her oxygen levels must sometimes be checked to determine if enough is reaching her extremities. A pulseoximeter is needed to measure her core body oxygen levels.

   110th District State Rep. Mike Lahti spent two hours last Thursday at the L’Anse Village Office checking in with his constituents. The rambling informal discussion centered on many topics of concern to area citizens and local officials.
   The Hancock Democrat provided insight into the workings of state government and took many notes for follow-up on people’s concerns. In one case Lahti promised to see why one of his staff members didn’t get back to a constituent who had phoned in a concern.
   L’Anse Township Clerk Brian Jentoft thanked Lahti for his help in making the U.S. 41 water line extension possible. He also noted that the state was balking on reimbursing the township for $2,300 in election expenses for the upcoming August primary.

   L’Anse Village Council members learned about the ultimate village map at a council meeting on Monday, March 24. A GIS map that uses Global Positioning System coordinates could be created for the village that would serve just about anyone’s needs.
   Ken Marshall of the Western UP Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR) demonstrated a map that would track all land parcels and provide tax information. A map could be built that would include all existing sewer and water lines.
   “It would be an on-line map with just about all the information anybody would want,” L’Anse Village Manager Mike Hubert explained.

   The L’Anse school board tackled a light agenda for its regular meeting March 17.
   Agenda items included a one-year contract extension for Superintendent Ray Pasquali, announcing recipients for the annual Copper Country Association of School Board (CCASB) spring banquet winners and a closed session for negotiation strategies for upcoming bargaining talks.
   The meeting was held the evening before the unexpected death of trustee Lester Drift. Board President Joan Bugni said by law, the district must name a replacement within 30 days.

   Two long-time judges for Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw counties will not file for re-election. 12th Circuit Judge Garfield Hood and 97th District Judge Phillip Kukkonen recently announced their retirements.
   Judges will be elected next November to fill both positions. Hood’s and Kukkonen’s terms expire on Dec. 31, 2008.
   “Gar and I have parallel paths,” Kukkonen said. “We were sworn in on the same day, and we’re leaving after 18 years on the same day.”

   What rights do citizens and landowners have when they face mining and don’t own their mineral rights?
   The current mining exploration boom across the region may bring that question to the forefront for a number of people. Michigan’s surface and mineral rights laws will be the topic of discussion at the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s annual spring meeting in Marquette on Saturday, April 19, 2008.

   The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments on proposed mineral prospecting permits being sought in the Ottawa National Forest. The sites include 2,330 acres in Baraga and Houghton counties, southeast of Prickett Lake, and near the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness Area.
   The public comment period ends April 8, 2008.

   Majority Floor Leader Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit) and State Representatives Ed Clemente (D-Lincoln Park), Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City) and Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) have introduced a bipartisan economic revitalization package.
   “Michigan Cultural Redevelopment Districts” would create a new tool to leverage arts and culture for the purposes of economic development.
   "Communities with strong neighborhoods where the arts and cultural activities flourish attract visitors, residents and businesses, and promote vibrant local economies," Tobocman said. "Studies show that every dollar invested in the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Development generates approximately $10 in in-state spending. It's time for Michigan to take bold steps to create jobs and bolster our communities by using arts and culture as an economic development tool."

   On Feb. 6, 2008 the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners became the fifth and final board of commissioners to act on the Western Upper Peninsula Clean Indoor Air Regulation, paving the way for its implementation. The Keweenaw commissioners voted to opt out of coverage by the regulation.
   Because the Western UP District Health Department serves a multi-county health district, the regulation had to be formally addressed by the boards of commissioners of each of the five counties before it would go into effect for those who approved it. Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton counties voted to approve and enforce the regulation. Ontonagon, and Keweenaw have opted out.

   A sweeping energy efficiency upgrade is well underway in the Baraga Area Schools. Many mechanical and electronic improvements are being made, and the good news is that the energy savings over 10 years will finance the $374,763 project. A vast number of improvements should be completed and be computer-monitored by September.
   Everything from new main entrance doors to classroom lighting to ventilation and the school security system will be upgraded, replaced or fine-tuned to boost efficiency. The project is under the direction of Donovan Stevens of Technical Energy Performance Group of Byron Center, MI, near Grand Rapids. He was at the Baraga building last Friday overseeing installation of new lighting, air handling and heat pump motor controls, etc.

   Several cases came before Judge Garfield Hood in Baraga County Circuit Court on Monday, March 24, 2008. Alan Hollon was sentenced for a probation violation. He was originally convicted of Assaulting, Resisting And Obstructing A Police Officer, Causing Injury in connection with a December 12, 2007 incident in Skanee.
   Hood had sentenced Hollon under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA), giving him a chance to avoid having the conviction on his permanent record. Hollon was 17 at the time of the December incident. Among probation conditions Hollon had to meet to qualify for HYTA were to avoid alcohol and illegal drugs and continue attending the alternative high school.

   Well-known L’Anse businessman Larry Thomas died at home unexpectedly on March 19, 2008.
   Born in Woodstock, IL, Thomas married the former Carrie Lou Juul in September of 1960. In 1975, Thomas bought the Ford dealership in L’Anse and had owned an operated it since then, calling Baraga County his home for the past 33 years. He also served on the Ford Dealer Ad Council for the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin Ford Dealers Association.
   Thomas’ interests were varied and he served on a number of local civic organizations as well as the L’Anse Downtown Development Authority (DDA) where he held a number of positions during his tenure. According to L’Anse Lions member Delbert Kahler, Thomas joined that organization in 1975. He was also an active member of the Keweenaw Bay Shriners.

   Lester “Ogimaa-Giizhik” Drift, 42, died unexpectedly at Baraga County Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, March 18, 2008.
   Drift, a member of the Bois Forte Indian Community of Nett Lake, MN, was also a member of the L’Anse Area Schools’ Board of Education. Born in Duluth, MN in April, 1965, Drift came to Baraga County in 1984.
   In July of 1987, he married the former Frances Chosa in Zeba. In 1999, Drift started, owned and operated his own business, Drift Roofing. But those who knew Drift said he had a genuine concern for area youth which is partially what prompted him to become a school board member.
According to Drift’s brother-in-law, Donald Chosa Jr., he and Drift served as the first coaches for a Zeba Little League team back in the late 1980’s.

   Three Republicans have announced they will challenge veteran Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak for his job in Michigan’s 1st District. Stupak is seeking re-election for a ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The First District is one of the largest geographical districts in the nation, taking in the entire Upper Peninsula and 16 counties in the Northern Lower Peninsula.
    Stupak will be challenged by Republican Tom Casperson, the current Michigan 108th District Representative. Also running again will be Republican Don Hooper of Iron River. Republican Linda Goldthorpe of Helmer has also filed to appear on the Aug. 5, 2008 primary election ballot.

   Most Holy Name of Jesus Church in Assinins was blessed and re-dedicated in a mass celebrated by Bishop Alexander Sample Wednesday, March 19, 2008.
   The Catholic church overlooking Keweenaw Bay was gutted by a fire sparked in the downstairs kitchen on March 13, 2007. Nearly one year to the day, contractors completed renovations and repairs needed to bring the log church back to life.
   Last year's fire marks the second time in its long history that Most Holy Name of Jesus was razed by flames. On March 2, 1982 the original log structure, a replica of the church built by Bishop Baraga in 1844, burned to the ground after a fire began near a wood stove used for heating.

   Following a public hearing prior to the start of Baraga Village Council’s March 10 meeting, the body approved a Baraga American Legion easement request.
   Baraga Village Manager Roy Kemppainen said Legion Commander Rick Geroux attended the public hearing to answer questions from both the council and attending residents. Several residents did have questions concerning traffic impedance related topics.

   Baraga Superintendent Norm McKindles’ contract was extended by the Baraga school board at a regular meeting on March 10. The school board has an ongoing evaluation process underway and McKindles will also provide a self-review on both his performance and the overall well-being of the district.
   McKindles’ existing three-year contract was extended for an additional year, through 2011, on a 5-0 vote of the board. Each board member is working on evaluating McKindles using a standard form, although not all of them are completed. McKindles said he encouraged the annual evaluation process when he accepted the Baraga superintendency.

   The Baraga County Board of Commissioners approved annual raises for county employees Don Perry and Daune Smith at its regular monthly meeting Monday, March 10, 2008.
   Undersheriff Perry and Emergency Preparedness Director Smith will both receive a raise of $1,200 this year. County Clerk Wendy Goodreau said their names were accidentally omitted when the board approved raises for other county employees last month.

   Crowds filled Meadowbrook Arena last Saturday and Sunday for two presentations of the annual figure skating show themed “The Name Game”.
   L’Anse-Baraga Figure Skating Club designed the show numbers around songs with names in them.
   Skaters and their parents topped the winter ice season with a busy week. Professional photos stretched well into the evening on Tuesday, March 11. Skaters and their instructors and pros polished routines all week in practice.
   Volunteers cleaned and decorated the rink for a good portion of Friday.

   Politicians “went for the burn” as they roasted one another at the 29th annual UP Legislative Dinner held Saturday, March 15, 2008 at the William McGlue American Legion Post in L'Anse.
   The event is hosted by the UP Association of American Legion Posts to honor UP legislators for their work. The politicians provide insight into current legislation while poking fun at one another as they take their turns at the podium.
   This year's event was emceed by John Mella of Iron Mountain. Though all UP legislators had committed to coming, only two succeeded in making it to the table: Rep. John Lahti and Rep. Tom Casperson.

   Army Pvt. Joseph E. Waisanen has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
   During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.
   He is the son of John Waisanen of Spruce St., and brother of Justin Waisanen of Dynamite Hill Road, both of L'Anse.

   Western UP District Health Department reportedf more flu activity in the past week, said Dr. Gail Shebuski, Medical Director for the health department. Numerous cases of flu-like symptoms have been reported by area hospitals and the university health centers, according to the health department's report.
   Laboratory testing has confirmed influenza A. The health department said numerous cases have been reported from across the UP. In addition, Michigan Department of Community Health reported widespread flu activity in Michigan last week, with the highest flu-like illness reported in the southwest region of the state and the central region.

   Western UP District Health Department has appointed Bonnie Morley to the position of Health Education Prevention Specialist.
   Morley joins public health nurses, health education specialists and dietitians providing public health services and community health education, promotion, and wellness activities in the five western U.P. counties. Morley teaches the Michigan Model and Life Skills courses and conducts school and community health programs in Houghton, Keweenaw and Baraga Counties.

   It’s a “keeper!” The third annual Baraga County Lake Trout Festival is scheduled for Saturday June 7, 2008 and Sunday June 8, which coincides with the Michigan’s DNR Free Fishing/Project Go weekend. The festival combined with the Keweenaw Bay Classic Fishing Tournament will again bring fun for the entire family.
   With the continued generous support of local businesses and organization this festival will again be a free, no admission, weekend. Plans for the festival include kids carnival, arts and crafts fair, Little Miss Superior Contest, salmon/lake trout cook-off, junk art contest, entertainer Cathy Bolton, ducky river race by the Lion’s club, kid’s fishing pond and street dance by the L’Anse Fire Department.

   The Ford Center is proud to announce this year’s Maple Syrup Making Programs. Two public programs will be offered this year. The first one will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2008, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. This hands-on program has an open house format; people are welcome to come and spend as much or as little time at the different stations. There is no fee for the March program and no reservations are required.
   The second program will be presented on Saturday, April 5, 2008, from 9 - 11a.m. This interactive program will have speakers from the area and include a guided tour of the active sugarbush. Reservations are required for the April program and there is a fee of $5. A breakfast featuring pancakes with fresh syrup is included with this program.

   State Rep. Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) will meet with constituents at the Village of L’Anse Council Room, from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, April 3, 2008.
   “I encourage residents to come and discuss issues with me that are important to them,” said Lahti. “Hearing directly from my constituents about their concerns enables me to better represent the interests of the western Upper Peninsula in the Michigan Legislature. That helps me to use the resources of my office to help make dealing with any of our state departments quicker and easier for constituents.”
   No appointment is necessary. For information call Lahti’s office in Lansing, toll-free 888-663-4031.

   L'Anse Village Manager Mike Hubert told the L’Anse Village Council on Monday night that he would not be requesting an extension of his contract.
   Hubert said he loves L'Anse and plans to keep his residence in town. Hubert felt it was in the best interest of the village, and himself, to step down as the village manager. His contract expires June 27, 2008.
   Hubert, who comes from a business background, said he had trouble adapting to the process of government.

   L’Anse Township is examining its future land development. The township board hired community planners from UP Engineers & Architects to assist with preparation of a Land Use Plan.
   A community workshop on March 18, 2008, will give the public a chance for input and to share ideas and discuss land use and development issues. The session takes place on Tuesday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the L’Anse Township Hall on Main Street in L’Anse.

   An environmental assessment for the proposed Baraga Airport was aired at a public hearing last Wednesday, March 4, 2008.
   Over a dozen people gathered for the start of the hearing held from 4-7 p.m. at the Baraga County Courthouse, with more filtering in. Charts, maps, diagrams and assessment results were available for viewing, and comments were taken and recorded.
   Leading the presentation were Paul Strege, senior aviation engineer with Mead & Hunt, Inc. and Caroline Ammerman, senior environmental planner for Wilbur Smith, Associates. Mead & Hunt is designing the facility, with Wilbur Smith laying groundwork via the assessment and studies.

   All John Rice ever wanted to do was to work on the Great Lakes. At age 25, he is already five years into living his dream.
   Shore-bound until March 25 when the shipping season resumes after a two-month winter hiatus, Rice is enjoying home but eager to get back on open water. He is the son of Kris and Lee of L’Anse, and splits his time between their homes in the woods and town when he isn't sailing.
   "My dad used to sail, my uncle used to sail, and my great grandpa used to live in Sault Ste. Marie. I used to go down there when I was little," Rice said of a life choice that would appear hereditary. "After high school I called the Coast Guard in Toledo, OH, and they sent me paperwork."

   Abuse of prescription medications again led to cases heard in Baraga County Circuit Court by Judge Garfield Hood last Friday, March 7. Hood is quick to note that he sees more prescription drug abuse in Baraga County than in much more populous Houghton County.
   Three defendants received a fresh start as their court hearings concluded and their probation periods began last week. Jesse Philip Miller, 18, promised Hood he was a new man after serving approximately six months in Baraga County Jail.

   L’Anse Fire Department personnel recently practiced vehicle extrication using new tools on a newer vehicle.
   LFD member Mike Jensen said Matt Elmblad of State Farm Insurance and Mike Mathews, both of L’Anse, teamed up to offer a 2001 Volkswagon Beetle for firemen to practice on.
   “Members put tools and skills to the test in stabilization, spreading and cutting with hydraulic tools,” Jensen said. “They even had a chance to use some newly designed tools from Resqtec courtesy of Douglass Safety Systems.”

   A Sunday afternoon, March 8, 2008, fire destroyed a single-story home near the L’Anse Industrial Park.
   According to L’Anse Fire Chief Mike Bianco, his department received a call around 4:30 p.m. from a passerby who spotted the blaze. Bianco said no one was at home and by the time three trucks and eight firefighters responded, the house was totally engulfed.

   The cost of living just got higher for L'Anse Village residents and businesses which will see a marked increase in their electric bills.
   Increases for residential, commercial and industrial electric rates were approved by the L'Anse Village Council at its Feb. 28, 2008 meeting. Residential bills will rise 17.23 percent. The council also approved increases of 14.85 percent for commercial customers and 14.89 percent for industrial consumers in an effort to meet soaring electric costs.

   Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Council member Jennifer Misegan said she would like to see the tribe’s constitutional task force revived.
   At the council’s regular monthly session, Saturday, March 1, Misegan was on the agenda for two items: the constitutional task force and Zeba Hall.
   Misegan said the existing task force has been inactive for the past several years and suggested that it be revived. She said if existing task force members wish to continue in their roles, they should revive the process. If there are members not interested in continuing to serve, the council should find individuals who are and offer them a spot on the committee.

    The Michigan Department of Natural Resources was sued last week by four groups opposing a DNR surface lease for Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company’s proposed “Eagle Project” sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains. The case joins a legal challenge to the DEQ’s issuance of mine permits filed in December, 2007.
   The DNR suit, filed in Ingham County Circuit Court on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008, expands legal efforts to stop the Kennecott project on environmental grounds. The case will contend that state law requiring the DNR to protect natural resources is violated by leasing 120 acres of state land to Kennecott for its mine portal and industrial mining development. The leased land contains a Native American spiritual site known as Eagle Rock.

   Even though snow blankets the area, work on a new Hornet sports complex continues.
   According to Jerry Bugni, who is spearheading the effort to make the complex a reality, Mike Delene,owner of MD Inc. and David Tembreull who owns Huron River Contracting, have donated time and equipment to clear several acres of trees and stumps. That process began several weeks ago with the tree cutting. Bugni said work on removing stumps continues this week.

   A two-day jury trial that was scheduled in Baraga County Circuit Court was avoided at the last minute when the defendant accepted a plea arrangement. Heather Kissel, 32, of Baraga, pleaded guilty to one count of Assault With Intent To Do Great Bodily Harm, Less Than Murder.
   Kissel is represented by attorney James Nancarrow of Marquette. She appeared in Circuit Court on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008, before Probate Judge Tim Brennan, who presided in the absence of Circuit Judge Garfield Hood. A jury trial had earlier been set for Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 27-28.

   Spec. 4 Jolie Voakes is on a 18 day R & R from Iraq. She will be visiting with her sister Jan and niece Alyssa, at Fort Polk, LA. A short trip to Houston, TX, to see brother Jesse and family is also planned. Voakes will return to Iraq for eight months and return to Fort Polk.
   Voakes is with the 814th Engineers. She is a bridge builder, building steel and float bridges.
“Jolie enjoys her job and we are very proud of her”, said her father and step-mother, Keith and Dana Voakes.

   The Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. The grant is for creating a stewardship hub in the Upper Peninsula for the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative.
   "This proposal was submitted in partnership with the Keweenaw Land Trust, Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance, Michigan Tech Center for Water & Society, and the Isle Royale Institute, to implement the Lake Superior S. wardship Initiative (LSSI) in twelve area schools, working in partnership with 15 community organizations in Houghton and Baraga Counties.

   The Department of Homeland Security’s Grant Programs Directorate began accepting applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) on Monday, March 3, 2008. The deadline for receipt of the applications is April 4, 2008 at 5 p.m.
The AFG, which will be distributed in phases throughout FY 2008, will ultimately award approximately $500 million.
   “Many area fire departments have greatly benefited from this grant program. To help increase the odds for local fire departments, Michigan State University Extension in Baraga County is once again offering a Technical Assistance Workshops for area Fire Departments,” said Baraga County Extension Director and L’Anse firefighter Mike Jensen. He has worked with departments across the UP and the rest of the state to to be successful in obtaining awards.

   The 16th annual “Learning to Walk Together” traditional pow wow will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, 2008 in Northern Michigan University’s Vandament Arena.
   The event will feature three sessions with veterans’ honor songs, grand entry and several different male and female dance exhibitions. There will also be vendors and artisan booths. Grand entry will be at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

   By a 10-1 vote the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) council opted to drop a recall petition against councilman Fred Dakota.
   KBIC council chairman Warren “Chris” Swartz said the council met Feb. 22 and the issue was on the agenda. He said the vote was 10 against pursuing the recall question and one in favor. The sole “no” vote came from Councilwoman Elizabeth “Chiz” Matthews.
   “There wasn’t sufficient cause to proceed with the petition,” Swartz said.

   A 76-year-old Skanee man died Saturday, Feb. 23 of an apparent heart attack while snowmobiling with the Sno-Drifters club of L’Anse.
   Snow-Drifters’ club president Tim Kolbicz said Eugene Ott was with a group of snowmobilers headed to Big Bay around 2 p.m. when someone noticed the slow speed of Ott’s snowmobile. Kolbicz said Ott had slumped over the sled about two miles out of Big Bay.
   “He was healthier than a horse,” Kolbicz stated. “Rick VanAlstine started CPR and another snowmobiler called 911.”

   Steven Paul Thompson, 24, of L’Anse, appeared in Baraga County Circuit Court to plead not guilty to two counts of assault. The case stems from a fight in which Thompson allegedly attacked two men with a sword outside of George’s Bar in L’Anse on Jan. 19, 2008.
   Thompson is charged with attacking James Bergerson and Timothy Uren with a sword after an alleged fight that began in the bar and then moved outside. Thompson allegedly left the scene and returned a short time later with a large sword.

   Pat Kissel’s retirement brings the end of one era and the beginning of a new one to the Baraga County Treasurer’s Office. Kissel is a five-term elected treasurer who has overseen many changes in both policy and technology that have impacted county treasurer’s offices statewide.
   Kissel began her tenure with the treasurer’s office back in the era of longtime Treasurer Marie Kahkonen and County Clerk Bernard Lambert. She worked as Kahkonen’s Deputy Treasurer for six years, beginning in 1981, before she was appointed treasurer with Kahkonen’s retirement in 1987. She first ran for office in 1988, and has been elected every four-year term since.

   The L'Anse School Board addressed a busy agenda at its Feb. 25 meeting. Superintendent Ray Pasquali's annual evaluation, changing the district's grading scale to be more reflective of other area schools and universities and several presentations from staff and students were addressed.
   Pasquali requested his evaluation be held in closed session which is permissable under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act.
   The board remained in closed session about 40 minutes. Pasquali said he felt the review process was positive, and that board members offered good suggestions. Pasquali also said he was appreciative of the board’s support.

   Baraga’s village council took action at Monday night’s regular meeting to seek grants for improvement projects at its village marina and increase water and sewer usage rates.
   Prior to approving two grant applications, the council conducted a public hearing on the process. Village Manager Roy Kemppainen said plans call for construction of a boardwalk at the marina and also the addition of a fish-cleaning station similar to the one at the L’Anse Waterfront Park.

   Baraga’s school board approved 2.99 percent raises for its two principals and administrative support staff for the 2007-08 school year. The percentage is the same figure the teachers received. The board was waiting until the Teamsters contract was settled, but with those talks dragging on, decided to handle the administrative/administrative support contracts at its regular monthly meeting on Feb. 11.
   The vote on the 2.99 percent raises was 5-1 with board member Bill Jondreau opposing. The board annually addresses wages for the employees, although some have multi-year employment contracts. Included are high school and elementary principals Dennis Ruuspakka and Catherine Stanaway, Business Manager Sue Wilson, High School Secretary Joyce Budreau, and Elementary/Guidance Secretary Sandy Ruuspakka. Superintendent Norm McKindles was granted a 2.99 percent wage increase last July.

   Soldiers who once fought for their country now need to look out for themselves.
   That's the word preached by Department of Veteran's Service Officer Rick Stewart. Stewart visits Baraga County twice monthly to help vets access benefits they've earned–many of which they didn't even know existed.
   "A lot of WWII vets should have filed for disability compensation years ago," Stewart said. "They short themselves and their spouses. Troops making the transition from active duty need to come and see us, and find out what's available to them."

   A family get-together in Northern Lower Michigan has left members of the Bob and Jane Warr family of L’Anse facing long medical recoveries. But the family is thankful because injuries from a snowy vehicle crash could have been worse–and grateful for the tremendous outpouring of community support.
   “Everything was going great–then on one slippery back road things changed,” Bob Warr said. “But we’re all OK. We’re mending and healing.”
   Bob Warr is an Assistant Resident Unit Supervisor at Baraga Maximum Correctional Facility. Jane is an Emergency Room nurse at Baraga County Memorial Hospital. She is looking at perhaps a year of intense physical and occupational therapy to recover from serious hip and lower back injuries, but like Bob, she’s got plenty of support from co-workers and friends.

   Sarah LeClaire, granddaughter of Ronald and Ramona LeClaire of L’Anse, enjoyed the honor of presenting an award named after her to a student at Fort Worth Country Day School on July 25, 2007.
   LeClaire is a recent graduate of Fort Worth Country Day School. The Sarah LeClaire Award will be presented annually to the ‘Summerbridge Peer Mentor’ who best demonstrates spirit, leadership and dedication to the “Breaking Through to High School” program.

   Citizens Bank has hired Ryan Dove as branch manager for the Citizens Bank office located inside Pat’s Foods on Main Street, L’Anse.
   Dove is responsible for efficient and effective consumer banking, sales, service delivery and relationship management, identifying client needs and proposing appropriate services and products. He is also highly involved with small business and community development.

   The 29th annual UP Legislative Diner will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at the Wm. McGlue American Legion Post in L'Anse.
   This event is held each year by the UP Association of American Legion Posts to honor the hard work UP legislators do for the citizens of the Upper Peninsula and for the vast support they have given veterans.

   At least two people were injured following a Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 trailer fire on US-41 South in Bovine.
   According to L’Anse Fire Department (LFD) spokesman Mike Jensen, the department was called to the scene around 9:30 p.m. Jensen said one of the occupants called in the fire and that two of them had already left the scene and sought their own treatment at Baraga County Memorial Hospital by the time firefighters arrived.
   “It looks like the fire originated in the kitchen,” said Jensen. “When we arrived, there were visible flames throughout the trailer but more so in the kitchen area.”

   When Pettibone President Bill Loughman came on board two and a half years ago Pettibone didn’t have an international dealer anywhere in the world. All that is quickly changing and the Baraga company is seeing the benefits–and necessity–of competing on a global scale.
   “Pettibone was very domestically focused. To survive in a global economy we had to get creative and look outside the borders of the U.S.,” Loughman explained. “First, we had to create products that will be welcome in an overseas market. Second, we had to expand our dealer base. We didn’t have any international dealers so if we sold a machine overseas we couldn’t support it. Now we have seven international dealers. We signed up one two months ago in China.”

   The Baraga County Courthouse and annex are now open for business during the noon lunch hour.
   The Baraga County Board of Commissioners noted the change at its regular monthly meeting held Feb. 4, 2008 at the courthouse. Following some traffic monitoring at both sites, the board requested the buildings be kept open through lunch to facilitate the public.

   Christian Mleko, a 2007 L’Anse High School graduate, was just like any other young person embarking on his college education until the night of Jan. 19, 2008.
   On that below-zero night Mleko was on Northern Michigan University’s campus when he became involved in an accident.
   He was found the next morning, partially frozen in a snowbank near NMU’s Superior Dome. Mleko had suffered severe frostbite on many parts of his body, but was lucky to be alive.

   Sheena Marie Friisvall, 19, of L’Anse, accepted a plea arrangement in Baraga County Circuit Court on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008. Friisvall pleaded guilty to Police Officer Assaulting, Resisting,   Obstructing in connection with an incident that took place in Skanee on Dec. 12, 2007.
   Friisvall was part of a group that allegedly entered the Huron Bay Trading Post, stole beer, left in a vehicle and put that vehicle in a snowy ditch a short time later. Friisvall pleaded guilty to resisting Sheriff Deputy Rick Johnson’s attempt to take her into custody.

    L’Anse Village is looking to draw the line against unnecessary flood insurance.
    At its Jan. 28, 2008 regular bi-monthly meeting, the L’Anse Village Council discussed funding options for having new lines drawn for the downtown flood plain. Current flood plain lines were drawn prior to the Linden Creek Project.
    That project was undertaken and completed to prevent flooding in the downtown area. Village Manager Mike Hubert said if the flood plain is re-defined, property owners downtown could save money on flood insurance.

    Department of Natural Resources staff is recommending that DNR Director Rebecca Humphries approve a surface use lease and reclamation plan for Kennecott’s proposed sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains, Humphries will announce her desicion on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 at a Natural Resource Commission (NRC) monthly meeting in Lansing.
    Satisfied that staff questions regarding a surface use lease and mining and reclamation plan filed by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company have been resolved, Humphries will again consider approval of both items at the Feb. 7, NRC session in Lansing.

    Former tribal president, chairman and council member Fred Dakota joined three incumbent council members in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s (KBIC) swearing in ceremony midway through the council’s Feb. 2 meeting.
    However, by the end of the meeting, the council was presented a petition asking that Dakota’s appointment be nullified.

   Three cases were heard in Baraga County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 4, 2008.
Judge Garfield Hood sentenced three people to jail time.
   Alan Hollon of L’Anse Township was sentenced to serve 90 days in Baraga County Jail, with credit for 54 days already served.
   Hollon was involved in a Dec. 12, 2007, incident in which he and others allegedly entered the Huron Bay Trading Post in Skanee and stole beer. They left in a vehicle which shortly afterward was stuck in a snowy ditch.

    Jim Ekdahl, UP Field Director for the DNR, has joined the ranks of the gratefully retired. But don't expect Jim to be exceeding his bag limits anytime soon.
    A conservation officer to the core (he chose to remain a CO even after becoming an administrator), Ekdahl rose near the top of his field in his 33-year career with the DNR. He's seen a lot of changes in the job over the years, and the job has wrought changes in him.
    "My folks were both from Baraga County," Ekdahl said. "My dad graduated from Baraga High School, and my mom from L'Anse High School. It was one of those mixed marriages. I was an Air Force brat, but my first days of school were in L'Anse–about 20 days in kindergarten."

   No one was home when an overheated wood stove destroyed a Nisula home Sunday, Feb. 3.
   According to Laird Fire Department member Ed Hulkonen, the department responded to the blaze on M-38 around 5 p.m.
   Both L’Anse and Pelkie Fire Departments were called in to assist through the local mutual aid program.

   The unemployment rate in the Upper Peninsula rose to 8.0 percent in December, 0.8 of a percentage point higher than the 7.2 percent recorded in November. Baraga County’s December 2007, unemployment rate was 13.2 percent.
   Most of the 15 Upper Peninsula counties had higher jobless rates in December, with increases ranging from 0.1 to 5.3 percentage points above November rates. The counties recording modest reductions in their unemployment rates for the month were Alger, Menominee, Gogebic, and Keweenaw.

   L’Anse Area Schools’ board members tackled a light agenda for its Jan. 21 regular monthly meeting. There were no old business items and just a few under new business.
   Like other affected school districts, the L’Anse board went on record supporting an Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) Shoreline Management Plan for the Prickett Dam backwaters on the western Baraga County-eastern Houghton County line.

    Former Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) chairman, CEO and council member Fred Dakota emerged victorious in a Jan. 26 run-off election for a seat on the KBIC tribal council.
   Out of the 484 cast ballots, Dakota collected 257 or 53 percent of the tally while Charles   “Chuck” Loonsfoot Sr. gathered 227 or 47 percent of the total. KBIC Election Board   Chairwoman Diana Chaudier said there were 621 eligible voters making for a 78 percent turn-out rate for the runoff race. The two had tied with 190 votes each in the tribe’s annual Dec. 15 council election. A hand recount of the ballots two days later left the tally unchanged.

    Chucky Kantola is facing the battle of his life–and a fight for his life.
    Stricken with the mysterious Guillain-Barre syndrome, Kantola is paralyzed from the neck down, and unable to breathe without a ventilator. He’s been in Marquette General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit since early December.
    “They just moved him from ICU,” Kantola’s mother Patsy Kantola explained. “They want to send him to a nursing home in Gaylord for insurance purposes. That’s the only place that will take someone on a vent. I just pray a bed doesn’t open up down there, and he gets off the vent.”

    A sixth grade classroom’s good deed for Valentine’s Day has captured the interest of Baraga elementary students and community members–and will spread good cheer all the way to Iraq.    Led by students in Shari Pizziola’s LaTendresse Elementary class, students are eager to collect goods and donations for “care packages” for local soldiers stationed in Iraq.
   “We were talking about ideas for Valentine’s Day and we wanted to do something nice,” sixth grader Elli Morin said. “Mrs. Pizziola brought up the idea of sending care packages.”

   Jim Ekdahl, Upper Peninsula field deputy for the Department of Natural Resources, retired today, after more than 33 years of state service. He worked his early career as a conservation officer, serving in field and supervisory positions in Norway, Sault Ste. Marie, Pontiac, Lansing and Baraga.
   In 1994, Ekdahl was named the DNR's first statewide coordinator for Native American issues, responsibilities he kept for the remainder of his career.
   "Jim's dedication to the DNR has been exemplary," said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries.  "His ability to work on highly complex matters and gain consensus on major issues, especially in the realm of tribal rights, has been critical to helping the state successfully achieve a desirable outcome for both the citizens of Michigan and the tribes."

   2003 L’Anse High School graduate Joshua R. Schneider graduated from U.S. Marine Corps boot camp on Jan. 11, 2008. He has returned home for several weeks to work as a recruiting assistant.
   Private First Class (PFC) Schneider, the son of Richard and Laura Schneider of Covington, enlisted in the Corps in October of 2007 and was promoted to PFC prior to entering boot camp in San Diego, CA. Schneider will be in town until Feb. 4, before going to Camp Pendleton, CA, for eight weeks of schooling with the Infantry Training Battalion (ITB). Following that, Schneider will be assigned to his first duty station.

   On Dec. 12, 2007, WWII veteran, SSgt. Arthur Bernard Benson was the latest inductee to the Marquette County Aviation Wall of Honor at Sawyer International Airport.
   When the United States entered WW II following the Japanese bombing of the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Art Benson was a senior at Michigamme High School. He graduated in the spring of 1942, and went to work at the Anderson & Gloke Lumber Company in Imperial Heights, a small town not far from his Michigamme home.

   The fifth annual KBIC Women's Retreat Anwebiwin Agaaming was held on Jan. 18, and 19, 2008 at the MTU Ford Facility in Alberta. Over 60 women attended from age 13 up.
   The overnight event included crafting quilt squares and card stamping; education on diet (Dr. Dale Schmeisser, RD), financial planning and budgeting (Stewart Baker from Greenpath Debt Solutions), and traditional Ojibwa legends.

    Baraga Area Schools Board of Education supported UPPCO’s plans to sell land adjacent to the Prickett Dam reservoir for development.
    UPPCO’s “Shoreline Management Plan” outlining its strategy to sell land around the largely undeveloped lake and hydroelectric dam has been submitted for review to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
    UPPCO’s plans to sell land around Prickett, Bond Falls and other company hydro facilities around the UP have drawn considerable comment and controversy in recent years. Baraga school board’s support of the plan comes at the request of UPPCO, and is delivered to FERC in time for a Jan. 29, 2008, deadline for public comments.

   Construction continues on a $15 million project to convert the Warden electrical generating plant in L’Anse from natural gas and coal to a biomass plant. “L’Anse Warden Electric Company” (LWEC) will burn waste wood, paper mill byproducts, hardwood pallets, untreated railroad ties and a small percentage of ground tires.
   The 20 megawatt L’Anse plant was built in the late 1950’s and operated on coal by UPPCO for many years. Steam from the plant was piped to Celotex and electricity went into the grid. When the converted Warden Plant resumes operation steam will again be sent to the former Celotex factory, now called Certainteed Ceiling. Electricity will also be sent to Certainteed, and the rest will go out onto the grid.

   A new fire suppression sprinkler system is on tap at Baraga County Memorial Hospital's Skilled Nursing Unit (SNU).
   Ironically, the system will be installed just as the hospital board is searching for a site to build a new hospital.
   John Tembreull, BCMH Administrator, said Superiorland Electronics of Ishpeming has been hired to install the sprinker system at a cost of $37,210. Bids ranged to $79,910, and Superiorland, which has installed similar systems in other UP long-term care facilities, submitted the lowest price.

   Time is running short for the public to comment on the amended plans to sell land for development on the Prickett Dam backwaters. UPPCO, which owns the hydroelectric dam and reservoir’s adjacent lands, is seeking permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory    Commission (FERC) to sell off “non-project lands” that surround the reservoir.
   The largely undeveloped backwaters is a popular fishing and camping spot. The stump-filled reservoir on the Sturgeon River provides good habitat for many species of game fish, including bass, walleye and panfish.

   Baraga County voters didn’t follow the rest of Michigan in the Jan. 15 presidential primary while constituents in the county’s third district gave thumbs up to Paul Tesanovich to fill a county commissioner seat.
   In the only local race, Tesanovich and Kent Thomas were in the hunt for the remaining term of former commissioner Daune Smith. Of the 229 cast ballots, Tesanovich collected 127 (or 55 percent) compared with 102 (or 45 percent) for Thomas. Thomas received more votes in Spurr and Covington townships, but the larger L’Anse Township tally went to Tesanovich. The winner remains in office for the rest of 2008. Commissioner seats in all five districts will be up for grabs in this year’s November general election.

   Baraga’s village council spent most of its Jan. 14 meeting reviewing a tentative 2008-2009 budget.
   Village Manager Roy Kemppainen said CPA Joe Daavettila attended the meeting to review the annual budget with the council. Kemppainen said preliminary numbers show the upcoming year’s general fund balance increasing to $1.27 million for 2008-2009 compared with $1.12 million for the current fiscal year which ends Feb. 29.

   A L’Anse man could receive a life sentence stemming from alleged assaults in the village Saturday night, Jan. 19, 2008.
   Steven Thompson, 24, has been charged with two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. The charges stem from Thompson’s alleged attack on two men with a three-foot-long sword outside George’s Bar on Main Street in L’Anse.