March 2023 Marquette Monthly

March 2023

No. 407

Publishers

Jane Hutchens

James Larsen II

Managing editor

Jackie Stark

Calendar editor

Carrie Usher

graPhiC design

Jennifer Bell

Proofreader

Laura Kagy

Marquette Monthly, published by Model Town Publishing, LLC, located at PO Box 109, Gwinn, MI, 49841, is locally and independently owned. Entire contents Copyright 2023 by Model Town Publishing. All rights reserved. Permission or use of editorial material in any manner must be obtained in writing from the publishers. Marquette Monthly is published 12 times a year. Subscriptions are $65 per year. Freelance material can be submitted for consideration to editor@marquettemonthly.com. Events can be submitted to calendar@marquettemonthly.com. Ad inquiries can be sent to jane@marquettemonthly. com or james@marquettemonthly.com.

About the Cover Artist

A longtime resident of the northern U.P., Kevin Breyfogle has done sign painting, murals, illustration and portraits, but now paints in oils what he knows and loves the most — the wildlife and rugged landscapes of the north. His work is displayed in galleries and he accepts commissions. Reach him at krbreyfogle@gmail.com.

4 City Notes highlights of iMPortant haPPenings in the area

13 theN & Now Superior View the delft in esCanaba

14 oN Campus news froM u.P. universities & Colleges

15 New York Times Crossword puzzle CheaP thrills (answers on Page 60)

16 Feature Alex lehto-ClArk 906 adventure teaM finds a new hoMe

20 arts John SmolenS Marquette insPires MusiCians

24 iN the outdoors SCot StewArt how Color works

28 at the table kAtherine lArSon a look at an anCient grain

31

reads

r.

ProteCting salaManders

40 sportiNg liFe lindA remSburg

Casey De Vooght’s path to the paralympiCs

44 iN the outdoors JenniFer trudeAu sMelting season

48 lookout poiNt kAthy ihde sPread goodness day returns in MarCh

50 arts

brAd giSChiA shawn wolfMan loves Creating

53 poetry milton J. bAteS thaw

54 lookout poiNt lArry ChAbot an ode to libraries

55 iN

59

61 out &

city notes

Women voters group meets March 1

The League of Women Voters of Marquette County will hold its next membership meeting via Zoom at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, with social time beginning at 6:30 p.m. Members will receive the Zoom link via email. Visitors are welcome and may get the link by emailing lwvmqtco@gmail.com in advance. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For details, email lwvmqtco@gmail. com or visit their Facebook page.

UPEC to host annual celebration March 10

The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s annual celebration of what makes the U.P. a great place to be is based off a simple theme this year: smile. The event kicks off Friday, March 10 with virtual tours of the Partridge Creek Community Farm, the UPEC General Membership Meeting (for both, attendance on-site is via pre-registration only; public viewing/participation via livestream at the Ore Dock Brewing Company), comedy with Devon Grice and music with Ramble Tamble, (both at the Ore Dock). Cost is a $10 suggested donation for comedy/music. Visit upenvironment.org/2023-celebratethe-up or call 906-201-1949 for more information.

NCTA offers snowshoe hike

The North Country Trail Association is hosting a group snowshoe on March 5. Hikers will explore the area heading south of Mangum Road. The hike will likely require breaking trail, so plan for moderate terrain but a more difficult hike due to fresh snow. Due to uncertainty of the trail conditions, organizers plan to hike for two hours, rather than a proscribed number of miles, before heading back. Meet at 11:30 a.m. at the carpool lot in front of Lofaro’s Fresh Market in Harvey, where people can decide if they wish to carpool. Parking at the trailhead will be on Mangum Road. Participants should bring snowshoes, food, water and clothing layers. This event is limited to 20 participants. Advance registration is required by Friday, March 3 or until the hiker lim-

it has been met. The hike leader will be Nancy Kreft; email rideonnancy@ gmail.com with any questions.

MRHC to premier new food documentary

The Marquette Regional History Center is celebrating Downtown Marquette’s Restaurant Week with the premier of Marquette resident Jim Koski’s documentary The Greasier the Spoon at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8. The Greasier the Spoon looks back on the history of Marquette’s coffee shops, grills, all night hangouts and fine dining establishments throughout the years, with stories told by the people who owned them, the people who worked in them and the people who enjoyed them. There is a $5 suggested donation.

New MRHC exhibit features commercial photography

Follow the development of commercial photography in Michigan’s central Upper Peninsula with the Marquette Regional History Center’s new exhibit, “Exposing Photography: Anything but a Small Business,” open from March 6 through January 13, 2024. Starting in the mid 1800s, artists set up photography studios around the U.P. See the work done by BR Childs Art Gallery in Ishpeming, Lemon Studio in Marquette, John M. Longyear and night time wildlife photographer George Shiras III, as well as photographers from the Huron Mountain Club: Harold DuCharme, Tappan Gregory and William Harris. The exhibit draws upon the collections of the MRHC and photographic historian Jack Deo of Superior View. Cameras from professional photographers and amateurs will also be on display. The exhibit opening reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22. For details, visit marquettehistory.org or call (906) 226-3571.

Electric cars focus of upcoming Audubon meeting

The topic of the Laughing

Whitefish

Audubon Society’s next monthly meeting will be “What You Need to Know About Electric Cars,” presented by Steve Waller, naturalist and retired NMU teacher. The program will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 at the Peter White Public Library, George Shiras Room. The program will compares 12 popular EVs to each other, to three popular gasoline vehicles and will compare life with EVs

to the ICE age (age of internal combustion engines). Steve Waller will clarify the advantages, disadvantages, purchase prices, electricity (fuel) cost, range, charging, safety and practicality of owning an EV. Decide if an EV is the right vehicle for you. A Tesla model Y will be available on site to inspect after the program. Waller is a retired technical and environmental educator and writes for local publications. He has taught wind and solar energy classes at Northern Michigan University. Visit their website at laughingwhitefishaudubon.com for more details.

NAMI “Family-to-Family” series begins

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Alger/Marquette local affiliate is hosting an eight-week series of classes entitled “Family to Family.” The series is free and confidential. Classes will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, March 8 through April 26 at the SAIL offices, located at 1200 Wright St. Suite A in Marquette. The series will cover a broad range of topics, including information about schizophrenia, mood disorders (bipolar disorder and major depression), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and PTSD. The course is designed specifically for parents, siblings, spouses, teenage and adult children, significant others and friends of people with a mental illness. Call to register for the classes by March 2 or sooner to confirm the start date. For further information or to register, call (906) 235-0231.

Smartzone to host Women in Entrepreneurship event

Innovate Marquette SmartZone’s annual Women in Entrepreneurship event will take place Wednesday, March 8 at the Northern Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Women in Entrepreneurship is an annual event to inspire, empower and celebrate women in entrepreneurship and technology. The evening features a lineup of women entrepreneurs, tech experts and business professionals who will discuss the challenges they face by being a woman in entrepreneurship, ways they have overcome these challenges and how they have paved the way for other women in the community. The event will kick off at 5 p.m., providing an opportunity for attendees to network before the program begins at 6 p.m. This year’s event will feature a cash flow presentation and a panel discussion. Attendees will be invited to ask questions during a live Q&A. The event is free

and open to the public. Registration is required and space is limited. Visit innovatemarquette.org to register. Women in Entrepreneurship is sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the City of Marquette and Siren.

Growing From the Heart to host 2023 Spring meeting

Growing From the Heart’s annual spring planning meeting will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on March 18 at the Portage Lake District Library Community Room in Houghton. In the past, the organization has hosted events such as a foraging walk, a sauerkraut skill share and a spring seed starting party. The group is looking to add new events to its lineup this year, and invites the public to attend this free planning event to share ideas and to meet members of the group. Any questions or requests to be added to the mailing list can be sent to wupfoodsystems@gmail.com. Growing

From the Heart is a local grassroots mutual aid group that centers food sovereignty by sharing knowledge, seeds and plant starts, land for growing, redistributing excess food and hosting and sharing events that facilitate connections to supporting our local food systems from the ground up.

Ore Dock Brewing Company to host vinyl record show

Afour-day vinyl record show will be held from noon on Thursday, March 23 through 11 p.m. Sunday, March 26 on the second floor community room of Ore Dock Brewing Company, at 114 W. Spring Street in downtown Marquette. Thousands of new and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books, T-shirts, stickers and gift certificates will be available. Talk with Jon Teichman and Geoff Walker about trading old records and tapes for new favorites, or finding an unused media collection a new home. For details, call or text (906) 373-6183. Everyone is welcome at this free, all-ages event, presented by the NMU Vinyl Record Club.

Caregiver workshop slated for spring

Powerful Tools for Caregivers, a six-week online workshop designed for the non-professional, informal family caregiver, will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, March 22 through April 26, with an optional Zoom orientation at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15. Research studies find high rates of depression and anxiety among caregivers and increased vulnerability to health problems. Caregivers frequently cite

restriction of personal activities and social life as problems. In addition, caregivers often feel a lack of control over events and a sense of powerlessness which can have a significant negative impact on their physical and emotional health. The Powerful Tools for Caregivers online program will provide caregivers tools to help reduce stress and increase relaxation, make tough decisions, reduce guilt, anger and depression, communicate effectively, set goals and problem solve and take better care of themselves while caring for a relative or friend. The course is offered by Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) in partnership with Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice. There is no charge for this online workshop, but registration is required. Participants must also have a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet, microphone, webcam and email address to participate. Class size is limited. Registration ends when the class is full or on March 12. To register, visit upcap.org (click on Events) or call 2-1-1 for assistance.

U.P. Home Health celebrates 50 years

U.P. Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty is celebrating serving Marquette County for 50 years in 2023. Throughout this year, U.P. Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty will host a number of anniversary celebrations, including a 50th birthday party for staff and golden anniversary parties with community organizations, dedicated philanthropy, snapshots of then and now and more.

DNR deer habitat program grants available

The application period for the Upper Peninsula’s Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative competitive grant program is now open. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources initiative is a cooperative grant program designed to enhance deer habitat on private lands in the U.P. Now in its 15th year, the initiative is supported by the state’s Deer Range Improvement Program, which is funded by a portion of deer hunting license revenue. More than 114 projects in nearly all U.P. counties have improved thousands of acres of deer habitat. This year the program will cross the million-dollar threshold in hunter license dollars invested on U.P. deer habitat enhancements. The DNR has announced a March 31 deadline to apply for a total of $100,000 in U.P. deer habitat improvement grant funding for 2023. The maximum amount of individual grants is $15,000 and

the minimum is $2,000. Project applications must be received electronically or postmarked by Friday, March 31 and successful applicants will be notified by Friday, April 14. The complete grant application package is available on the DNR website at Michigan.gov/DNR-Grants. For more information or questions regarding eligibility, contact Bill Scullon at 906250-6781 or via email at ScullonH@ michigan.gov.

Application window open for West End grants

The West End Health Foundation (WEHF) is now accepting applications for its Spring Capital Grant cycle. Applications are due no later than April 1 and can be submitted using the submission portal, located on the WEHF’s website at westendhf.org/grants. The Capital Grant funding is awarded to select organizations working to advance the health and wellness of Marquette County’s West End Community. Grants can range from $1,000 to $10,000 with a total of $50,000 gifted, all dependent on available funds. Interested organizations with questions about eligibility can refer to the grant webpage of the WEHF’s website at westendhf.org/grants/. For application assistance or other questions, please contact manager@westendhf. org or 906-226-6591.

Centering Prayer offers new view on praying

An introduction to centering prayer will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 25 at the Messiah Lutheran church in Marquette. The workshop will introduce the four guidelines of Centering Prayer and will include two 20-minute silent Centering Prayer sessions. The teachings are based on Father Thomas Keating’s book, Open Mind, Open Heart. Follow Up materials and resources will be provided. A donation is suggested for the presenters traveling expenses. The co-presenters are the Reverends Jackie Falk and John Keller. For details and to RSVP, contact Laura Petrie at petriedish57@gmail.com.

Teal Lake Melt-Down tickets now available

TheTeal Lake Melt-Down is a fundraising contest hosted by the Negaunee Lion’s Club to select the exact day and time a replica mine shaft head-frame structure drops through the ice of Teal Lake in Negaunee. The closest entry to the exact day and time determines the winner. The winning entry is worth half of the contest net proceeds, or $500, whichever is

greater. Last spring, the head-frame structure went through the ice at 6:19 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. The prize amount was $2,431, with a winning guess of 6:20 p.m., April 30, 2022. The winning entry must be purchased at least 48 hours prior to the structure falling through the ice. In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by the earlier entry purchase date. In the event of an unforeseen occurrence (malicious act, tampering, acts of nature, equipment failure or other) all decisions of the Melt-Down Committee to award the winner are final. Cost per guess is $5 each. Tickers are available from Negaunee Lions Club members and at the GINCC office. Go to the gincc.org or negauneelions.com to purchase a ticket and enter a guess.

MRHC names 2022 award recipients

The Marquette Regional History Center announced the annual history award recipients for 2022. Northern Michigan University’s Central Upper Peninsula and NMU Archives will receive the Peter White Award, and John Parlin, MD will receive the Helen Longyear Paul Award. Marquette County has a rich history and cultural heritage that inspires many to interpret, preserve and share it. The Marquette Regional History Center began an awards program in 1984 to honor those people. The Helen Longyear Paul Award recognizes individuals, and the Peter White Award honors foundations, companies, organizations and institutions. Both recognize exceptional effort in the enhancement, restoration, conservation or interpretation of the history of the area. For details, visit marquettehistory.org or call 906-226-3571.

Environmental club partners to plant trees

The Marquette Senior High School Environmental Club has partnered with Tree-Plenish to help make a more sustainable community. The club plans to plant 240 saplings on May 13 to offset its school’s energy consumption from the past academic year. Residents of the community are able to help support the event starting now. They can order a sapling to be planted in their yard or sign up to volunteer to plant saplings on the day of the event. Saplings are $5 and residents can choose between American Hornbeam, Red Maple and Sugar Maple saplings. The website, tailored to their event, for ordering the trees and helping to offset paper use at MSHS is tpevents.org/school/2211. The deadline for ordering trees is April 13. Questions can be sent to the Environ-

DiD You Know...

when air travel came to the UP?

Although airplanes had barnstormed the U.P. since the early years of the 20th century, not until the 1920s and 1930s did various communities develop airports. Escanaba opened its first airport - the first in the Upper Peninsula - in the fall of 1928. At the low point of the Great Depression, the Houghton-Keweenaw County Airport in Laurium was dedicated on September 2, 1933. The new airport was located on an old baseball field just outside the village and a mile from Calumet. Its construction provided jobs for unemployed laborers from the mines.

mental Club advisor via email at satwood@mapsnet.org.

Escanaba becomes new port for Lakes & Oceans vessel

American Queen Voyages, part of the Hornblower Group, recently announced a new port of call in Escanaba, marking the first time a Lakes & Oceans vessel has visited the Midwestern port. Beginning in May, American Queen Voyages will be the only cruise line to stop at the unique port. The cruise lines Lakes and Oceans vessels, Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager will visit this port on a selection of voyages around the Great Lakes. American Queen Voyages has partnered with the community’s members to offer shore excursions, including a hop-on hop-off tour with visits into the town’s shopping district and will also feature educational cultural sessions on Native American stories and values with Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company.

Farmers market applications now available

The application for the Downtown Marquette Farmers Market 2023 season is now available. All market participants are encouraged to apply, including farmers/growers, producers, artisans, musicians, Community Table applicants, market partners and food trucks or trailers. Vendors can take advantage of flexible commitment levels including full-time, part-time or drop-in options. Aside from market vendors, musicians and local groups and organizations are encouraged to apply. Musicians will be compensated for performances at the outdoor Saturday Morning and Wednesday Evening markets. Local groups, businesses and non-profits may apply to the Community Table. The new, free Community Table option is available at no-cost for applicant’s whose mission aligns with local food system values or art.

Additional terms and conditions apply. Full details including information about the Community Table, market dates, fees, new offerings for 2023 participants, and a link to the market application can be found online at mqtfarmersmarket.com. There is no deadline to apply; however, vendors interested in full-time or part-time outdoor Saturday Market booth space should apply by the first week of April.

Deteriorating ice may

prompt early shanty removal

Anglers taking advantage of winter ice fishing should keep a close watch on ice conditions, as unseasonable weather may prompt shanty removal prior to the seasonal dates required by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. People venturing onto ice should use extreme caution as temperatures begin to rise or fluctuate. The repeated thawing and refreezing of ice weakens its strength, decreasing its ability to support the additional weight of people, snowmobiles, ORVs and shanties. Deteriorating ice, water currents and high winds increase the probability of pressure cracks, which can leave anglers and others stranded on ice floes or at risk of falling through the ice. Shanty owners whose structures fall through the ice are subject to penalties of up to 30 days in jail, fines up to $500, or both. If a shanty is removed by a government agency, the court can require the owner to reimburse that agency for up to three times the cost of removal. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ IceSafety. Daily use of ice shanties is permitted anywhere in Michigan if ice conditions allow and if the shanties are removed from the ice at the end of each day. In the Upper Peninsula, on Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters, ice shanties must be removed by midnight Wednesday, March 15. All other bodies of water in the Upper

Submitted by Dr. Russell M. Magnaghi, history professor emeritus of NMU and author, including the recently released Classic Food and Restaurants of the Upper Peninsula..

Peninsula must have ice shanties removed by midnight Friday, March 31.

Choral society offers spring concert

The Marquette Choral Society presents its Spring 2023 concert at Kaufman Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. April 29 and 3 p.m. April 30. The first half of the program will feature four short works by John Rutter, Frank Ticheli, David C. Dickau and J. David Moore, followed by the presentation of this year’s U.P. Choral Leadership Award. The award is presented annually to a group or individual in the Upper Peninsula who has supported or encouraged choral music in their community. After a brief intermission, the Choral Society will perform Paul Winter’s “Missa Gaia/Earth Mass,” written in 1981. The piece celebrates the beauty of the planet through the human voice, along with recordings of wolf calls and whale songs enhanced by a video presentation. Joining the Choral Society will be a children’s choir from Ishpeming Public Schools, as well as an instrumental ensemble including keyboard, percussion, strings and woodwinds. The Marquette Choral Society receives support from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. Admission is $15 for adults, and $5 for children under 10.

Tickets will be available through the Northern Michigan University Ticket Service: tickets.nmu.edu.

Food summit set for March 27

The 2023 U.P. Food Summit will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 27 at the Northern Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University. This event celebrates local food, highlights projects from around the Upper Peninsula, and provides networking opportunities. Keynote speakers are Roger LaBine, water resource technician for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Kathleen Smith, Manoomin Ganawandang or “She who takes care of the wild rice,” for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Both speakers will present findings on the impact of climate change on wild rice in the Great Lakes area. Visit the U.P. Food Exchange website, upfoodexchange.com for updates on the event.

Myconaut fundraising to expand research

Myconaut, a cutting-edge myco-tech start-up in Marquette, announced the launch of a crowd-sourcing fundraiser aimed at pre-selling its range of innovative

Bradford Veley is a freelance cartoonist, illustrator and farmer in the U.P. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and at www.bradveley.com

mushroom products with the hopes to reach $30,000 by May 7. Myconaut’s mission is to harness the power of mycology, or the study of fungi, to solve some of the world’s most pressing ecological problems. One of the company’s key areas of focus is the remediation of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of harmful chemicals that have contaminated groundwater, soil and drinking water around the world and pose a serious threat to human health. The funds raised will be used to expand the company’s research labs’ capabilities, with a focus on developing and implementing myco-remediation kits for large- and small-scale applications. Myconaut is looking to launch pilot projects this summer in partnership with NMU & the US Forest Service. The team at Myconaut recently hosted the US Forest Service, Trimedia, Sand County Engineering, The Remediators, Superior Watershed Partnership, NMU, University of Missouri and a Netherlands-based fungi lab at the Innovate Marquette Smartzone on January 31 to address PFAS remediation solutions. Myconaut’s myco-remediation kits are based on the latest research into the use of fungi and plants to remediate contaminated soil and water. The kits will be easy to

use and highly effective, making them more cost-effective and a regenerative solution for individuals, communities and businesses looking to address PFAS contamination. Visit fundable. com/myconaut for more information on Myconaut and its crowd sourcing campaign.

UPHCS awarded new grant

Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions and the Region 1 Perinatal Collaborative have been awarded $50,000 in grant funding for the Upper Peninsula Maternal Opioid Misuse Model program through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation. The UP MOM Model program will work with the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department to utilize a community health worker in its organization to implement the program’s strategy in Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties. The UP MOM model program uses best practices to support pregnant and postpartum mothers impacted by opioid misuse in the Upper Peninsula. The funding provided by the BCBSM grant will support sustainable initiatives that will advance health equity and reduce the risk of maternal mortality due to substance

use and opioid use disorders while assisting in the navigation of complex systems to receive care. UPHCS and the Region 1 Perinatal Collaborative are excited to partner with the WUPHD to implement this integrated care model and work on initiating a systemic response to improving health equity in the region’s pregnant and postpartum mothers impacted by opioid use disorders.

MooseWood announces photography contest

The MooseWood Nature Center has announced the 2023 amateur “Get Out and Explore!” Nature Photography Contest. The competition aims to promote getting outdoors and exploring Michigan’s natural places. Cash prizes and swag will be awarded. The photo contest is free to enter and all submissions will be online only. The competition, in its second year, offers a total of $850 in prize money, divided between best of show, and first and second place in multiple categories. In addition to monetary prizes, participants have the opportunity to win complimentary MooseWood Nature Center memberships, and one-of-akind MooseWood ceramic mugs. All entries to the “Get Out and Explore!” Nature Photography Contest must be

submitted by December 20, 2023. A panel of judges will review the entries and select the winners. The decisions of the judges are final. Winners will be announced in January 2024. Winning photographs will be displayed on the website. Visit moosewood.org for a full list of contest rules and submission details.

Marquette Community Foundation grants available

TheCommunity Foundation of Marquette County invites local non-profit organizations to apply for competitive grant funding beginning March 3 and closing April 7 at noon. Registered 501(c)(3) organizations may apply for project funding that enriches the lives of people in Marquette County, with the goal of supporting creative approaches that will have the greatest impact. In 2022, the foundation awarded $85,000 in grants to 51 organizations across the county through its competitive grant cycle and a total of $12.8 million in grants benefiting the wider community since it was founded in 1988. For complete grant guidelines and to apply, visit cfofmc.org. The foundation has a video tutorial on its website grants page: 2023 Grants Cycle Step-by-Step. Organizations may contact the foun-

dation at (906) 226-7666 or info@ cfofmc.org with any questions.

UPEC seeking volunteers

UPEC is seeking members and friends to help at the upcoming Celebrate the UP! event in Ishpeming and Marquette Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11. People are needed to serve as informal UPEC welcome hosts at various CUP events such as livestream watch parties, a comedy/ music show on Friday night, breakout sessions on Saturday and more. Volunteers will welcome and help direct people at venues. UPEC needs people from 4 to 10 p.m. on March 10 at the Ore Dock Brewing Company in Marquette, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 11 at Peter White Public Library, Landmark Inn in Marquette and the Women’s Federated Clubhouse in Marquette. A minimum commitment of one hour is requested; free food is provided. Visit upenvironment.org/2023-celebratethe-up for details.

Partridge Creek Farm offers beekeeping apprenticeship

Partridge Creek Farm, with support from the Superior Beekeeping Club, is offering a new program in an effort to steward new beekeepers on the west end of Marquette County. The PCF Beekeeping Apprenticeship will provide hands-on educational learning for eight participants at a low cost. Two additional scholarships are available. Superior Beekeeping Club also supports beekeepers region wide. Visit superiorbeekeepingclub.weebly. com/events.html for more info on the organization. Bees pollinate one third of all the food humans grow. Honey bees not only provide a sweet treat, but they sustain our lives. Partridge Creek Farm currently has four hives located in its downtown gardens that were donated by the Superior Beekeeping Club. The club has also supported educational youth programming over the past two years.

Marquette Arts and Culture Center seeking new artwork

Local community members of all ages are invited to submit a readyto-hang 2D art piece inspired by the subtle signs of spring in the U.P. and the beauty that comes with the changing of seasons. Artwork will be accepted until Friday, March 17. Please drop off submissions at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center, located in the lower level of the Peter White Public Library, during office hours (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The artwork will be on display from March 22 through May 30.

PWPL calls for exhibit proposals

The Public Gallery Program is a partnership between the City of Marquette Office of Arts and Culture and the Peter White Public Library that provides inclusive and accessible exhibit space for artists and audiences. Two gallery spaces, the Deo Gallery and the Huron Mountain Club Gallery, host rotating exhibits bimonthly, featuring professional and community art of all mediums. Exhibit proposals for 2024 are now being accepted. There is no fee to apply. Proposals will be juried, and applicants notified by early May. For more information, call the City of Marquette Office of Arts and Culture at (906) 225-0472.

Friends of PWPL to host spring used book sale

Friends of Peter White Public Library (PWPL) will hold a Spring Used Book Sale March 16 to 18 in the Community Room on the lower level of the library at 217 N. Front Street in Marquette. Thousands of clean used books will be available for purchase at bargain prices. Proceeds from the sale will support PWPL’s programs, materials and equipment.

CCCAC announces spring class lineup

Spring 2023 Art Classes Registration is now open for spring art classes at the Copper Country Community Arts Center. Classes are being offered in watercolor painting, sketching, letterpress printing, beading, writing and clay. Class space is limited and the deadline to register is one week before the start date of each class. Visit coppercountryarts.com to view the full Spring 2023 class schedule. The Copper Country Community Arts Center is a non-profit arts organization located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Email ccarts@coppercountryarts.com or call (906) 482-2333 for more information.

Cover art sought for Art Week booklet cover

The City of Marquette Office of

Arts and Culture announced a public contest for cover art for the City of Marquette Art Week 2023 Booklet. Submitted designs must be relevant to and inspired by the Art Week 2023 theme of “Home.” All submissions must be received by April 13. The winner will receive $100 compensation and their work will be featured on the cover of the Art Week 2023 printed booklet. The winner will be chosen by popular choice, with artwork made available for voting online at mqtcompass.com

from April 17 to 21. The winner will be notified by April 24.

Gov. Whitmer makes appointments to boards and commissions

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced the following appointments to state boards and commissions:

• Matthew J. Wiese, of Marquette, is the Marquette County Chief Prosecuting Attorney to the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board. He also serves as a Peer Review Consultant for the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. Wiese has a Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University and a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School. Wiese is reappointed for a term commencing Jan. 26, and expiring Dec. 4, 2025.

• Brigitte LaPointe-Dunham, of Baraga, CEO for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community was appointed to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees. She has experience working in the health insurance industry and tribal government. LaPointe-Dunham earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Sciences from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree in Management, Strategy and Leadership from Michigan State University. LaPointe-Dunham is appointed for a term commencing Feb. 3, and expiring Dec. 31, 2030. She succeeds Tami Seavoy, whose term has expired.

• Steven Lindberg of Marquette, State Representative for the 109th district from 2007-2012 and former educator and small business owner, was appointed to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Guidance Counseling from Northern Michigan University. Lindberg is appointed for a term commencing Feb. 3, and expiring Dec. 31, 2028. He succeeds Jason Morgan who has resigned.

• Greg M. Toutant of Negaunee, CEO of Great Lakes Recovery Center, was appointed to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees. Toutant earned his Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University and master’s degree in Education Counseling from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. He is appointed for a term commencing February 3, 2023, and expiring December 31, 2030. He succeeds Robert Mahaney, whose term has expired.

• The Veridea Group recently honored Great Lakes Recovery Centers as a recipient of its 2022 Christmas Fundraiser for Community Good; Veridea’s annual Christmas Party and Raffle, in which it matches raffle contributions dollar for dollar, raised $10,000 for GLRC.

• The Community Foundation of Marquette County recently received re-accreditation with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, which establishes effective legal, ethical and administrative practices for community foundations. National Standards represents the nation’s highest standard for philanthropic excellence.

• After months of negotiation and collaboration with state and local stakeholders and policymakers, InvestUP, its partners and the region as a whole are celebrating global supplier Billerud’s unprecedented investment of more than one billion dollars in a Delta County paper mill that will serve as the cornerstone of the company’s expansion into North America.

• Bruce Pesola, a life-long Marquette resident whose career has included developer, entrepreneur and hotel owner, recently gifted St. Vincent de Paul with a parcel of land that is contiguous to the St. Vincent de Paul property at 2119 Presque Isle Avenue.

• The Fire Station Cannabis Co. was named the fifth Best Cannabis Company to Work For (dispensary) in the nation by the Best Companies Group in partnership with the Cannabis Business Times; the Fire Station was the only Michigan dispensary listed among the eight 2023 winners.

• The Community Foundation of Marquette County, on behalf of the Huron Mountain Club Fund, announced the distribution of $63,454 in grants and awards to nonprofits in Marquette County and surrounding areas, including Bay Cliff Health Camp, Powell Township Elementary School, Powell Township EMT, Powell Township Fire Department, Peter White Public Library (PWPL), Trillium House, Yellow Dog Watershed, Special Olympics (Area 36) and Kids Cove Playground (Playground for All) for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

• Travel Marquette is proud to announce that CEO Susan Estler has been named Vice President of the Michigan Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus for 2023. This represents her third year serving as a board member for the organization and first as Vice President.

then & now

The Delft Theater in Escanaba, circa 1950.

The Delft Theater as it stands today.

Photos provided by Superior View Studios, located in Art of Framing, 149 W. Washington Street Marquette

on campus

New grant awarded to NMU to fund community research

Northern Michigan University education assistant professor

Kristen White is among collaborators from 10 partner universities and K12s — including Marquette Area Public Schools—to receive an award from the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) to participate in its Family Engagement Educator Preparation Innovation Project. Only nine collaboratives were selected from a nationwide pool of 76 proposals to receive grants totaling more than $150,000.

The nine collaboratives will implement select components of the Educator Preparation Framework for Family and Community Partnerships, released by NAFSCE in December 2022, and engage in a learning community through June 2023. The grants will incubate new ideas, uncover how the framework sparks innovation to prepare educators for family and community engagement in diverse communities, and create a platform to share and disseminate ideas and knowledge.

White’s group will focus on “systems change.” Her collaborators include representatives from Michigan State University, Ball State Universi-

ty, the University of Southern Maine and Bowie State University, along with Lansing, Marquette, Muncie, South Portland and Prince George’s public schools.

“One of the strengths of this project is that educators across the U.S. and in various contexts — for example, urban, suburban and rural — will have an opportunity to read and discuss scenarios for problem-solving with caretakers and families,” White said. “Participants will choose the issues they are currently grappling with. For example, some topics include families with incarcerated caregivers, caregivers of students who have suffered trauma, and connecting caregivers with community resources.”

White said a desired outcome of the study is to seek practices that professional teacher preparation programs can implement to enhance collaborating teachers’ competencies in mentoring pre-service teachers in family and community engagement.

“NMU’s participation in the project will help the School of Education, Leadership and Public Service to facilitate how collaborating teachers think about and approach working with culturally and linguistically diverse families,” she added. “The

Finlandia to host faculty art exhibit through April

Finlandia University’s International School of Art and Design is presenting a faculty exhibit at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock through April 13.

Recent works by full-time, adjunct, and emeritus faculty –– representing a diverse range of media and concepts –– will be on display. Artists include Carrie Flaspohler, Phyllis Fredendall, Gini Gesler, Levi Grannis, Kenyon Hansen, Lindsey Heiden, Joyce Koskenmaki, Laura Smyth, and Denise Vandeville. Ceramics, fiber art, digital art, sculpture, drawing and painting are several of the media that will be represented in this exhibit.

“This exhibit is a great opportunity to share and celebrate the talents of our faculty with the community and Finlandia students, faculty and staff,” said Carrie Flaspohler, gallery director/curator. “Their creative works are an inspiration, bringing insight, inquiry and poetry into our lives.”

Call 906-487-7500 or email gallery@finlandia.edu to set up an appointment to view the exhibit.

study’s results will impact how educators, families, caretakers and local businesses establish and strengthen relationships to support the social and academic development of children and youth.”

The Educator Preparation Framework was developed by NAFSCE in partnership with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, MAEC, the National Education Association and the Family Engagement Consortium on Educator Preparation.

“Engaging families in their children’s learning is the most comprehensive, cost-effective and culturally responsive way to enhance student learning and build strong communities,” stated the NAFSCE website in explaining the impetus for the framework. “But we can’t assume that educators have had opportunities to learn the practice of family and community engagement and that they will automatically build relationships with families without training and support. Ensuring that educators are equipped to Reflect, Connect, Collaborate, and Lead with Families requires intentional preparation.”

MTU to work with University of District of Columbia

Michigan Technological University and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and sense of belonging (DEIS).

With the shared understanding that DEIS contributes to a thriving and innovative workforce and society, Michigan Tech and UDC inked an MOU that empowers both universities to tap into each other’s strengths and expertise. The agreement was signed Feb. 3 at UDC’s Van Ness Campus.

The MOU’s scope includes student exchanges and graduate study articulations, faculty collaborations and visiting professorships, joint funding proposals and philanthropy.

Under the MOU, Michigan Tech will also provide mentorship in helping UDC attain R2 status within the Carnegie Classification system for research universities. In return, UDC will provide cultural responsiveness mentorship to MTU.

CHEAP THRILLS REPRINTEd fRom THE New York Times

By Christina iverson and samuel a donaldson/edited By Will shortz

79 Little squealer

83 Fencer’s score

86 Hebrew version of the English pronoun ‘‘I’’

6 Maker of the Nitro

5 gaming laptop

7 ‘‘The year’s at the spring/ And day’s at the ____’’: Robert Browning

8 Yankees manager before Girardi

9 Zealous activist

10 C-note

11 Tranquil discipline

12 Former name of a Kansas arena that commemorated a 1976 U.S. anniversary

13 It helps make a stew a goo

14 Poached fruit

15 Garnish for una margarita

16 Source of many a name on a campus building, informally

17 Starts eating

20 Poli ____

25 Reply to the Little Red Hen

26 Name hidden in ‘‘before long’’

It makes a red velvet cake red

cash

115 Bad-sounding creatures?

116 Ditto, in footnoteslegal

118 Word that means ‘‘ocean’’ in a religious title

119 Large crowd 120 It’s cried on a slide 121 Check 122 Classical poem

123 Beast with recurved horns

124 Triumphant shout at a crossword tournament

125 Freshness

126 Like some morning lawns

127 Smokey spot, for short

DOWN

1 Sharpens

2 ‘‘How ____ Your Mother’’

3 Work out

4 Some garlic prep

5 Regarding

beef?

some ancient

highlighter colors

82 Relish

84 Plant whose name derives from Quechua

85 Devious snicker

89 Barely gets the words out

92 Pros with deliveries, in brief 95 Painter Jan van 96 ‘‘Let’s do this!’’ 97 Civil rights icon ____

BurroughsHelen

98 Power structure?

100 Capers

104 Shakespeare’s ‘‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’’ has five of them

105 Beaming, as with joy

106 Liberal arts college in Kentucky

107 Locally focused lecture franchise

108 Pac-12 player

109 Santa’s favorite Hostess dessert?

110 Wilson of film

112 Carded at a bar, informally

113 Common spot for a sunburn

114 Gaggles

115 Chain email abbr.

117 Grammy winner ____ Lipa

Answer Key

To check your answers, see Page 60.

Let’s go on an adventure

906 Adventure Team gears up for new headquarters in Mar quette

By Alex Lehto-Clark

The 906 Adventure Team has big plans in store for their recently purchased parcel right on Lakeshore Boulevard. The organization is officially taking the next step: creating a gathering space for the biking community, a learning area for visitors and residents alike, and a permanent place to grow.

Marquette resident and 906 Adventure Team founder Todd Poquette said he started the team as a way to give back to his community while filling a need for more kid-focused bike training.

“As I got deeper into biking, I quickly realized that there were a bunch of, we’ll say, teams locally, and they were all adult focused and team-focused. If you were a weekend warrior or a regular adult or a kid, there was no group for that,” Poquette said.

Amy Maus, a board member and parent of a child who participated on the team, now volunteers her time with the organization supervising group rides and helping kids learn to bike. She said that the organization has given her so much more than

merely a chance to give back: she got to watch her daughter grow.

“In addition to the bike club making her a stronger rider, it also made her a stronger individual,” Maus said. “She developed more confidence in herself in general. And I think that’s partly because of doing hard things on a bike.”

And now, the plans for their purchased property are taking shape. A development in East Marquette, right on the water and in a centrally located area that will make it easier for families to hop on their bikes and head out on all the trails Marquette has to offer.

“We are very well aware that if you’re a mom or a dad living in east Marquette and you have a couple of young kids, if you want to take a ride and show ’em the trails, it’s a whole hour and a half just to get ready. You’re bringing the trailhead to the residents. It’s exciting,” Poquette said.

Both Poquette and Maus testified to how the Team’s challenges fostered resilience in their kids. Poquette’s 12-year-old son, Cable, has been a part of the 906 Adventure Team since its inception. To him, biking has been

Kids involved with the 906 Adventure Team push their bikes up a tricky section of trail. (Photo courtesy of Todd Poquette)

an essential part of his entire life.

“My first bike was a strider,” Cable explained, a sort of pedal-less bike that teaches kids how to balance at a very young age. “I rode it through the house.”

Maus said her daughter was apprehensive at first about the bike club. “She would have all of this anxiety, but she’d get out there and ride. She’d tell me about the ride after, and she’d tell me she was right near the front, and she’d say ‘I had so much fun, Mom’,” Maus added.

Like many Marquette families, biking is something that brings both Maus’s and Poquette’s family together, spending time outdoors doing something they love.

“When we started running the adult events, we made a very strong position. This is not an elite activity. This is for everybody. I don’t care if you ride your bike once a winter, once a summer, or once a year, I think that type of messaging makes them feel welcome,” Poquette said.

The Adventure Team is also responsible for many bike races that have put Marquette County on the map, including the Marji Gesick and the Polar Roll. But Poquette and Maus both said these races are just another way to get people out on their bikes.

“We don’t do the mass start, my family and I. The plan is to go out and have a fun time,” Maus said.

Revenues from these races fund the 906 Adventure Team programming as well as local trails, and now, this new development.

“The exciting part will be that big greenspace. They want to see something that’s going to fit in with the city of Marquette and what we do is a natural fit. It was very clear from the residents’ feedback that they don’t want a hotel”, Poquette said.

The access to a physical space will also help them teach biking skills in a safer, more controlled environment.

“You’ll see a space that offers progressive difficulties. There will be basic elements of the park,” Poquette said. “Ideally, we’ll be able to also work in skill building activities and classes. Without a property and a basecamp, it’s hard to do that. We’ve spent eight years living in trailers.”

The most important factor, Poquette stressed, is making this a community-based project. Community, he said, is one of the most significant elements of why he started the 906 Adventure Team in the first place ––as a way to give back and as a way to lay down roots. After years of being out of town working in operations for Cisco

Corporate, Poquette left that job and started a new career at Border Grill, a regional chain that originated in Marquette County.

“We lived here in Marquette County, but I was never home,” Poquette said. “It just made more sense to me to find something local to pour into. When I left Cisco and worked for Border Grill, I was at home more. The dynamics of life changed,” Poquette said.

Maus said her role as a volunteer has built up her self-confidence, and her mountain biking ability.

“Initially, the thought of volunteering was stressful. It turned out to be the highlight of that summer. This is what we’re teaching kids. This is how

we deal with stress,” Maus said. Maus and Poquette stressed the importance of this new development to the organization’s future. Currently, the 906 Adventure team does not have an office. Maus said that the significant expansion plans for the future will require space.

A big part of 906 Adventure Team is building confidence in its participants, which means the group cheers each other on when they ride together. (Photo courtesy of Todd Poquette)

“I think it will make it more official,” Maus said, “it’ll also help us with our volunteer capacity.”

Currently, there are a handful of “Adventure teams” throughout the midwest, including in lower Michigan and Wisconsin. These organizations use the Adventure Team’s training and structure, and all of their volunteers are trained either online or in person by the 906 Adventure Team.

“We hold a leadership summit here to train coaches, but what happened was that we really didn’t have the facility to support that.” Maus said.

“The boring part is, everyone will be working at that office,” Poquette said. “With this new place, we will be available to make the trails more accessible. What we do, aside from getting kids out into the woods, is we’re removing barriers and making these activities more accessible by being resources to people.”

Poquette said having people available in a physical office is a win-win, for community members and visitors alike, regardless of age.

“Normally the biggest obstacle for people who want to do something new is knowing where to start,” he said. “So we’re going to be able to be there and to address those questions,” Poquette explained.

As for the Adventure team, the Poquettes and Maus are eager to see more participants. Anyone aged 5 to 17 is welcome to join the organization. Anyone can show up and be part of the group, regardless of membership status. The team is open to all, boys and girls. Last year, 45 percent of 906 Adventure Team leaders were women. Poquette noted that’s above the national average in similar groups.

Cable said that the other kids are the reason he really enjoys the 906 Adventure Team.

“My favorite part is getting to see my friends, going out in the woods and adventuring. I think I get a sense of leadership out of being in an adventure bike club. I just get better at being social,” Cable said.

As for the new development, Poquette said it will be at least a year before any construction commences.

”I would say by the end of this year we will have the plan in place and then I would expect to have construction begin in the spring of 2024,” he said.

For Maus, the idea of the organization’s new location is more than a big step, it’s part of what kept her grounded during the tough years of the pandemic.

“While things were really stress-

ful at work, I just imagined this green space, with all of these bikes and kids and parents,” she said. “It turned out to be the greatest bright spot in my world.”

Those interested in the development and the organization’s plans can follow the 906 Adventure team on facebook or check out their website, 906adventureteam.com for updates

and more information.

Alex Lehto-Clark is a poet and essayist who lives in Ishpeming, Michigan. He has called Upper Peninsula home for twelve years and graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in English.

Kids ride together during a 906 Adventure Team outing. (Photo courtesy of Todd Poquette)

Playing Marquette How music shapes a community

By John Smolens

It is not difficult to imagine Marquette as an island — an island nestled between Lake Superior and the Forest Primeval. We have the sounds of the lake, the wind, the trees, the shorebirds, the fog horns, ships’ horns, the 3 a.m. train whistles. Even the silence here possesses unique qualities.

What one also hears often in Marquette is music. Choirs harmonize in churches and schools. Bands rip it up in brewhouses. Summer nights, Music on Third offers a smorgasbord of genres on the sidewalks in the Village, and groups perform on the steps of the Peter White Public Library, their beat ricocheting down Front Street.

There are concerts at Kaufman Auditorium and the Reynolds Recital Hall; Lakeview Arena has been rocked by the likes of the Beach Boys, Def Leppard, Rush, Joan Jett, and KISS (TWICE!). Buddy Guy, Rory Block, Samantha Fish, John Hammond and Duke Robillard, to name just a few, have brought the blues to Marquette.

Folk music fills the woods during the Hiawatha Festival, Da Yoopers sound like they just got back from the second week of deer camp, and Conga Se Menne will always be the world’s greatest Finnish-Reggae band.

The Rolling Stones, often touted as the greatest rock and roll band, once flew in to Marquette to pay tribute at the memorial for their head crew chief “Chuch” Magee. One of the first signs of autumn is the sound (which carries for miles) of the NMU marching band practicing outside the Berry Events Center.

In Marquette, you can’t go too long without hearing the oom-pah rhythm of a spirited Nordic polka.

•

Ask local musicians why Marquette is so musical, and their re-

sponses can be as varied as the genres and styles of music they play.

Jeff Krebs’s day gig is at Yooptone Music. He’s a member of the Union Suits, whose repertoire includes roots, blues, swing and folk tunes, and he also assumes the persona of Papa Crow when he sings and plays guitar for children at schools and parties. A master of understatement, Jeff attributes the importance of music in Marquette to “this relatively harsh environment.” And yet he adds, “You can’t beat an evening of jamming around the fire...I grew up in Yooper family- and friend-jams like that.”

Walt Lindala, who co-hosts The Sunny Morning on Sunny 101.9, and for more than 20 years has played guitar in the Flat Broke Blues Band, said that “Marquette is not only musical, but very creative in general, because of its proximity to Lake Superior.” The idea of the Marquette Blues Fest

started at the Lindala kitchen table, and since 2004 Walt and his wife April have been instrumental (sorry, couldn’t resist) in the series of September concerts which commemorate the end of our brief, pastel summers.

“Every festival, when one of the headliners is on, I go for a walk around the grounds. It always blows me away that we pulled off another one. Walking out of the eye of the proverbial hurricane…gives me some real perspective into the magnitude of what we, as a collective group of volunteers, have done,” Lindala said.

Danielle Simandl’s musical career path has meandered far and wide. Raised in Marquette, she earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in violin performance from Lawrence University and DePaul University, respectively, and she now performs throughout the Midwest. She plays with orchestras and chamber

Left, Joe Rayome with his guitar. Rayome finds inspiration in Marquette for much of his art. (Photo courtesy of Joe Rayome) Top, Jeff Krebs at his shop, Yooptone Music. (Photo couresty of Jeff Krebs) Above, Danielle Simandl, a violinist raised in Marquette who now performs throughout the Midwest. (Photo courtesy of Danielle Simandl)

groups in Chicago, Wisconsin, as far west as Iowa’s Quad Cities and in Marquette. For the last 13 years, she has served as the executive director of the Superior String Alliance (SSA), a Marquette-based non-profit that hosts a summer music camp for middle and

high school string students, a strings club for elementary string students and a professional concert series through the SSA Chamber Players. Furthermore, Simandl is co-executive director of the Pine Mountain Music Festival, which hosts classi-

cal music performances throughout the U.P. Why is music so central to Marquette culture? Simandl credits the educational possibilities available to children starting, as she did, at a young age.

“Marquette has an amazing music program in the public schools…there is a vast network of Marquette folks of many ages with musical skill sets who end up performing, attending performances and supporting the arts in Marquette,” she said.

Summer nights, Joe Rayome can often be found playing his own compositions on local stages, and he wrote and recorded NMU’s student recruitment song, “Everything I Ever Learned.” Though much of the year he lives in the Big Apple as a working artist and musician, his song lyrics of-

ten draw from life in the north woods, and many of his paintings depict Marquette’s architecture and waterfront. He considers Marquette “an artistic crossroads. Wherever inspiration meets creativity you’re bound to find paintings, poems, sculptures, stories and songs. Perhaps the real question is how could Marquette not be musical? The music has always been there. We’re just tapping into it.”

Some of Marquette’s most dedicated musicians are only occasionally heard in public. Nevertheless, that is no true measure of their commitment to their art. Dr. Greg Sulik, whose medical offices are on the corner of Third and Ridge streets, rarely misses a day when he plays classical pieces on his restored Bechstein baby grand piano, built in Berlin in 1932. Given

Right, McKenzie Arquette Trio performs at the Landmark Inn in Marquette. (Photo by John Smolens). Below, Dr. Greg Sulik with his father, playing his Bechstein baby grand piano, built in Berlin in 1932. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Greg Sulik)

a chance, he will play for you a composition by one of the “Three Bs” and intermittently pause to discuss the beauties of a particularly intricate passage or the connections he sees between Bach and DNA.

“The simple answer is that the arts reflect nature, but it’s more complex, eh?”

He suggests that living in the U.P. causes us to “value things that are more in tune with the guttural and elemental side of life. Trivial things concern us less. Music and other forms of art provide an outlet of expression, not available on a verbal level, reflective of the raw power we witness on a daily basis, just by being here.”

•

Marquette is an island. A magical, musical place, where, as with all islanders, we have to make do, and part of that involves creating our own culture. Our geographical separateness

(some would call it isolation) tends to pull us together. Music is but one of the catalysts. It’s the musicians who play for tips across the street from the post office; it’s three young jazz musicians, the McKenzie Arquette Trio, at the Landmark, paying homage to American standards composed generations before they were born; it’s walking by Dr. Jack Kublin’s house on a pastel summer evening when the windows are open, and the piano chords and arpeggio runs sweeten that warm lake air. Music helps us see — and, of course, hear — who we are, where we are. The responses from the musicians I spoke with were as varied as their styles of music; however, they have one thing in common: they all love playing Marquette.

John Smolens’s new novel A Cold, Hard Prayer will be published in the fall.

Walt Lindala, whose day job is as co-host of a radio program, plays with his band, the Flat Broke Blues Band. (Photo courtesy of Walt Lindala)

By Scot Stewart

Top, all reflections on the middle branch of the Ontonagon River offer an array of color. Right, a fragrant water lily of the purest white in bloom. Opposing page, top left, red maple leaves with drops of dew. Top right, a Blackburnian Warbler sports a bright plume of orange. Middle left, yellow marsh marigolds show off their brilliant color. Middle right, it’s not just living things on earth, but minerals that provide a wealth of color, such as this green malachite. Bottom left, a blue tree swallow alights on a slim perch. Bottom right, a purple passion flower in full bloom.

Author’s Note: This is Part One of a two-part series, which made me take a huge leap into physics. It seemed like every sentence needed another one to explain it. I flunked physics the first time I took it in high school, so you know where this is going. Go slowly as you read it, skip over parts you don’t need, and ponder the wonderful phenomenon you have seen.

“It takes sunshine and rain to make a rainbow. There would be no rainbows without sunshine and rain.” ––

Roy T. Bennett

Winter lasts a long time in the Upper Peninsula. It offers special challenges, like shorter –– yes, much shorter –– periods of daylight. It removes much of the life we love so dearly during the other seasons, like insects, (well butterflies and bumble bees for sure), leaves, many of the singing birds and so their songs, flow-

ers, even fragrances. In short, winter seems to change things in ways most don’t find to their liking. It steals many of the colors of the outdoors.

At the heart of this is light and color. Those two go hand in hand to provide joy for most. Light, ah light. It is something so familiar to those with sight, but trying to explain it is a totally different matter. Light is a form of energy that travels in waves. The best known, natural energy-producing light comes from the sun. The waves themselves come in different sizes, called wavelengths, and have both electric and magnetic characteristics. These waves include not only visible light waves, but also radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, gamma

rays, infrared and ultraviolet light, all outside the limits of human vision.

“Color helps to express light — not the physical phenomenon, but the only light that really exists, that in the artist’s brain.” ––

Henri Matisse

For humans, visible light rays make vision possible. The white light from the sun contains a spectrum of wavelengths and a whole array of colors. Seeing those different colors, however, is another matter. Human eyes have retinas, which in turn contain a trio of proteins called opsins, which are found in the retinas’ cones. Ed Yong’s book, An Immense World, provides an

(Photos by Scot Stewart)

amazingly simple description of how these proteins assist vision to determine colors. He describes how these three proteins react to the exposure to long (red), medium (green) and short (blue) waves of light. From this contact, two different processes occur. One involves the interpretation of these colors, but more importantly, the colors are also compared by the three proteins. This comparison provides for additions and subtractions of these basic colors to identify subtle differences and is called opponency.

The colors of objects are formed when light of different wavelengths strikes those substances. When it comes to the familiar colors, red is the longest wavelength, on one side of the spectrum near infrared light, and blue is the shortest, near ultraviolet light side. Each color of light has its own frequency –– the number of waves passing a point in a given amount of time. Different materials have their own chemical formula –– the types and amounts of different atoms. The atoms themselves have electrons, tiny particles moving around the center or nucleus of those atoms.

Light waves are actually made of photons. Photons contain invisible areas of energy that can act as waves. The waves are larger than electrons and protons of atoms. When light, these waves of energy, strikes a given atom with electrons having the same natural frequency as a particular color, it sets that atom’s electrons vibrating and the light of that frequency is absorbed, and that color will not be seen.

That color is absorbed and the energy from that color is converted to heat energy. Black substances absorb all light waves. It is why dark clothing and dark roadways can frequently get so warm. They convert more light energy into heat energy. Colors with different frequencies are reflected back out if their frequencies are not absorbed. When that reflected light carries only one color, that one is visible and that is the color that is seen.

Materials can interact with light waves in two other ways. White objects usually reflect all light back. Transparent and translucent materials allow some or all light to pass through them. Glass, like stained glass, and those rose-colored glasses absorb some wavelengths of light and allow others to pass through, depending on the impurities in the glass.

Water can act a lot like glass. Depending on the angle it can reflect the whole spectrum of visible light and ultraviolet light too. It is hard to beat the bright silvery reflection on a lake of sunlight streaming through the dark clouds of a nearby storm. The angles of the water’s surface can also pro-

vide a jigsaw of white reflected light and a view below. Sunlight hitting the surface of shallow water on a rippled sand spit can light up the sandy bottom and bounce off the edges of the water lapping over the ripples below. It can create a network of jagged, connected white light patterns with a golden tinge from the sand below.

“The meaning of a word to me –– is not as exact as the meaning of a color.” –– Georgia

O’Keeffe

Wherewould the world be without color? Like a 1950s TV show, right? Color brings life to the world and helps separate much of what is seen into more easily identifiable parts. It brings joy to the eyes, especially in the winter months in the far north. But color is much more involved in the workings of nature.

The relationship between light and color is exquisite. One needs to look no farther than a rainstorm to watch the airborne droplets perform their mandatory function as those tiny prisms magically divide the white streams of light from the low-sitting sun into an arc or archway or two of color in the form of a rainbow, proving the mix of all the colors makes the white light of sunlight. That sun must be below 42 degrees above the horizon for the droplets to accomplish their amazing feat. Those rainbows are spectacular finales to dark and often thunderous events before them. While rare, there are rainbows early in the day when the sun is low and the rain is off to the west, usually oncoming, but not seen nearly as often.

When the sun is closer to the horizon, the path its light makes through the atmosphere is longer. Water vapor, dust, smoke and other particles in the atmosphere scatter the shorter wavelengths of light –– particularly the blues –– and make the visible light warmer with beautiful pinks, corals, oranges and reds.

“Color Vision Deficiency isn’t the end of the world. It’s just a different view of it.” –– Karen

Rae Levine

Some people do see colors differently. There are several different types of color blindness. It can be caused by a recessive genetic condition passed through a family on the male, X-chromosome. Men need only to inherit the gene from their mother’s X-chromosome, so they are more likely to have it. About 8% of men have a form of color blindness. Women must inherit the gene from both parents. Other color vision issues can come from glaucoma, macular degeneration, other diseases like diabetes, or from taking some

medications. Special glasses or contacts can sometimes reduce the effects of a condition. Some may have difficulties distinguishing between red and green or between blue and yellow. Others may not see the colors as brightly or have difficulties with various shades of a specific color.

A totally different condition involving the brain can affect people’s experience with color too. Synesthesia is a rare condition involving a cross-over of the senses. For some, the mention or thought of a word connects a person with a particular color. Grapheme-color synesthesia is a condition connecting people with a direct tie between certain words and numbers and specific colors. While this condition is rare in adults, slightly more that 4% of children are thought to have it.

“Bubbles have more colors than a rainbow.” –– Tom Noddy

Surprising, spectacular colors can show up in very unusual places. How is it possible that a bubble can contain as many colors as a painter’s palette? Layers of soap sandwich around a layer of water to make up soap bubbles. As sunlight, with all its different wavelengths of colors, bounces around the layers, a property called “thin film interference” occurs. This is similar to the phenomenon where big waves bounce off a breakwater and rebound to meet incoming waves, creating even bigger waves. The wavelengths of light combine to create different colors seen coming from all different angles. The thickness of the water layer essentially determines the colors the bubble produced.

Even in black and white, the brilliance of this blooming wood lily stands out from the backdrop it finds itself in. (Photo by Scot Stewart)

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIGHT AND COLOR IS EXQUISITE.

Because of the ephemeral survival of bubbles, they usually disappear quickly. But while they are shining in the sun, they can also act as a lens to produce images of the surrounding trees, people or clouds. It is like a double exposure with so much to contemplate before it pops. They are intoxicating and there is a sudden need to see more to further explore the colors and the reflections. The hope is there is something there to create the next bubble. After a while the kids will wonder why the adults are still playing in the soapy water.

“There are colors we can’t see, but they’re connected to the ones we can. There’s a connection between everything.“ –– Wayne

Shorter

Whatis it about that rainbow? With its neatly arranged alignment of seven colors, it provides a pleasing, and, at its peak, a brightly lit palette of color across the sky. When that rainbow is set against the dark clouds of a passing storm, it only stands out even more brilliantly, more determined to announce a joyous return to normalcy. The image creates a feeling not unlike the one felt on seeing a bright set of Christmas lights outside in the depth of a dark December evening.

The aurora borealis –– the northern lights –– offers a similar, but even better experience because of the uncertainty of its existence and presentation. At the heart of it is, of course, energy. From time to time, there are great eruptions of plasma, super-heated materials from the outermost part of the sun, its corona. These eruptions are usually connected solar activity of sunspots. The explosions fire out protons and electrons, subatomic particles, and a magnetic field. As this ejection reaches the earth’s atmosphere, the particles interact with its oxygen-producing red and green light and nitrogen atoms, creating blue and purple light. There is nothing in nature that comes even close to this light show as it creates a supernatural thrill, shaking viewers right to the bone.

When the aurora appears, its duration and activity in the sky are different ev-

ery time and can be extremely difficult to predict, making it even more exciting and mysterious. It can faintly light up the sky with small low arcs of light or illuminate the night with huge gyrating curtains waving across the sky that some say will crackle and creak. Eventually, a lively aurora will recede into an overhead vortex, shooting down from directly overhead then fade away. It can last a few minutes or most of the night. Once a person has seen it, they are hooked and are willing to stay out for hours in the cold, glad they wore their long underwear, with the hope the aurora will fire up again.

“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.”–– Wassily Kandinsky

Seeing all the bands of color of a rainbow neatly lined up against each other in a perfect spectrum opens a door to understanding the inner workings of physics and joy of thrilling sights all at the same time. On one hand, it seems so odd that if all the colors are added together, it creates white. Take all the colors away and it’s black. Just the opposite of crayons.

Color television changed the way people looked at entertainment and the world. It brought the color of nature, the color of the universe into the living rooms of millions of families and helped them see the world around them in a new way. It helped them see the wonder of life and the connection they had with that world when they felt that wonder, exhilaration, and joy erupt inside them.

MM

Scot Stewart has lived in Marquette long enough to be considered a true Yooper even though he was born in Illinois. He is a teacher and loves to be outdoors photographing and enjoying nature.

Editor’s note: Check out the April 2023 edition of MM for Part Two

The Color of Nature: Animals, Plants, and Fungi.

Barley An ancient grain with a versatile playbook

By Katherine Larson

Stephen Maturin “had rarely felt a more general irritation nor less certainty of being able to control it, and he plied his spoon as though salvation lay at the bottom of the soupplate. In a way it did: the barley-broth, glutinous and lenitive, helped to bring his inner man more nearly in harmony with his outward appearance ...”

If Patrick O’Brian (here quoted from Desolation Island, the fifth of his magisterial 21-volume Aubrey/ Maturin series) is right, then surely barley soup is the proper subject of this month’s “At the Table” column. For now it is March, that irritating month when literature tells us to expect spring but Mother Nature reminds us who’s in charge. We are tired of being cooped up. The once-pristine snow looks tawdry, smeared with car exhaust and road salt. The soups and stews and braises that have carried us along for so many months are, frankly, getting to be fairly boring, but springtime fare is far away.

Surely we too need something glutinous and lenitive to help us find salvation at the bottom of our soupplates. Or at least lenitive, meaning soothing; glutinous is okay too, but it’s the soothing we want.

I had a stash of pearled barley left over from adventures a few months ago in first-century Palestinian eating, and in the face of some general frustrations it seemed time to give barley soup a try.

I started with what Guindon Farms sells as a “soup bone,” although candidly there is at least as much beef as bone on this cut. Taken from the beef shank, it yields meat that is both tender and deeply flavored, plus a broth that is almost velvety in texture. To achieve this, after seasoning the meat lightly with salt and pepper, add a little olive oil to a large pot and then, on high heat, sear the meat on all sides until it’s well browned. Set it aside on a plate, reduce the heat to medium-high, and add three large car-

rots, a large onion, a couple of ribs of celery, all chopped into dice of a size suitable to fit into a soup spoon. Cook this, stirring, for about five minutes until lightly browned, and then set the vegetables aside as well.

Why? Why do we keep emptying the pot? Because the meat will have to braise low and slow for perhaps three hours, while if the vegetables braise that long they will end up as flavorless mush. We’ll do this initial cooking to give them color and flavor — and to pick up all the good brown bits left in the bottom of the pot when the meat was seared — then set them aside, to be added back in at the suitable time.

What is suitable to be cooked now is that hunk of beef bone, so back it goes into the pot along with about three quarts of stock. If, like many of us, you keep homemade chicken stock in your freezer, use that. If, more unusually, you keep homemade beef stock in your freezer, by all means use that. But if you are using a commercial stock, choose chicken: a good brand will be actually made from chicken, while most commercial “beef” broth gets what flavor it has from a yeasty simulacrum. Add a couple of bay leaves and some herbs — me, I like to put some dried thyme, dried parsley and whole peppercorns in an old tea ball to steep while the soup is cooking and to fish out with ease when it’s done. Bring it all to a simmer and let it simmer gently for about two hours.

Where’s the barley? That, like the vegetables, is added later, after those two hours. Ideally, we’d add a cup of

pearled barley at the two-hour mark and the vegetables half an hour later, with everything done after three hours. If that’s too fussy for you, go ahead and add the vegetables with the barley, which will need a full hour to cook. This is also a good time to add garlic: at least four cloves, to my taste, but then we’re all garlic-heads in my family.

When everything is done, take out the tea ball and the bay leaves. Remove the soup bone, take off the meat (which should be falling off the bone) and cut it into spoon-friendly pieces, discarding fat and connective tissue; then return the meat to the pot.

At this point you can serve it. Or you can decant it into suitably-sized containers for freezing, saving out just what you want to eat today or tomorrow. What you don’t want to do is let it sit for an extended period in the fridge, dipping into it from day to day, because the barley would absorb too much liquid and the whole thing would take on an unpleasantly gloppy quality. As it is now, however, there is only one word: superb. Or maybe three words: glutinous, lenitive and superb. Ply your spoon briskly.

With that barley soup, how about some barley beer? Actually, beer made from barley goes back thousands of years; there are even linguists who argue that the word “beer” comes not from the Latin infinitive bibere (“to drink”) but rather from the Proto-Germanic word beuwoz — derived from beuwo — meaning “barley.”

Soup I know, but about beer I need-

Barley can make a nice pilaf, here with squash and dried tart cherries. Leftovers can be cooked into pilaf patties. (Photo by Katherine Larson)

ed an expert, and I found one in Mike Miller of Escanaba, a devoted brewer from whose garage, in five-gallon increments, comes an astonishing variety of delicious beers. All from barley.

Miller calls barley the “soul of beer,” explaining that it is one of the most critical ingredients in the beer-making process, along with good water. Indeed, most beers are made from barley, the main exceptions being wheat (or “weiss”) and gluten-free beers. Any bottles and cans that might currently be in your refrigerator are probably barley-based.

That barley, of course, does not show up as kernels. First it is “malted,” a process involving wetting the grain, germinating it, drying it out and then kilning it. It is the kilning which, via variations in time and temperature, yields a huge variety of different malts — well over 400 available to brewers worldwide, Miller said, giving them “quite a broad palette to choose from when brewing.”

The base malt is the most import-

ant part, comprising 90% or more of the malts involved. Beyond that, the brewer will pick a secondary malt which will influence the beer’s “character and color,” and perhaps also a finishing malt to help with such matters as “head retention and mouthfeel.” Miller added that the finishing malt can often be another grain, perhaps oats or wheat, but both the base and secondary malts are typically barley. An essential part of the brewer’s skill is in knowing what, and how much, to pick.

Miller himself can use that skill to imitate well-known commercial beers: Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser uses flaked rice as a “secondary adjunct” for its beers, for example, while the giant Miller Brewing Company (now owned by Molson Coors) uses flaked corn instead. Mike Miller, as an artisan and beer enthusiast, takes note of the vigorous disagreements exhibited by aficionados of those two commercial behemoths, and chooses to follow his own personal path.

Barley pilaf patties with braised lamb, cucumber-scallion-mint salad, garlic yogurt, and persimmon-pomegranate garnish. (Photo by Katherine Larson)

FOR NOW IT IS MARCH, THAT IRRITATING MONTH WHEN LITERATURE TELLS US TO EXPECT SPRING BUT MOTHER NATURE REMINDS US WHO’S IN CHARGE.

That path includes buying most of his malts from Briess, a small company in Chilton, Wisconsin, that supplies many Upper Peninsula breweries. “It’s close and they offer very good products,” Miller said. And, just as with grapes used for wine-making, barley used for beer-making is strongly affected by “terroir — the soil and the climate in which the grain is grown make quite a difference, and even vary from year to year as weather conditions change. All from that one little kernel.”

So what sort of beer would Miller make to serve with beef barley soup? He pondered. “I’d serve a nice hearty Munich-style beer, a Bock or an Oktoberfest or a Märzem.” Märzem seemed to me to be peculiarly suitable for this soup and this article, given that the word means “March beer” in German; it is a medium- to full-bodied lager with origins in Bavaria.

Why “March?” Because a Bavarian regulation dating back to 1539 forbade summertime brewing since the danger of explosions from overheating kettles was thought to pose too high a risk during the warmer months. March beer, then, was the last batch to be brewed before the process could start up again after the feast of St. Michael, September 29. And, since beer takes some time to ferment — Miller won’t drink his own beer before two

or three months have passed — the March beer was what was available during Oktoberfest celebrations.

We, happily, do not have to work around sixteenth-century regulations, and so we can enjoy our own robust barley beers with this delectable soup.

And what to serve with it? Let’s stick with barley! Alex Palzewicz of Northwoods Test Kitchen at Barrel + Beam makes crackers from the brewery’s spent barley. Other uses for spent barley, Miller says, include pretzels, pasta, pizza dough, cookies, muffins, dog treats and food for both livestock and wild game.

In Patrick O’Brian’s seventeeth book of that same series, The Commodore, Jack Aubrey offers Stephen Maturin some beer. Maturin is grateful: “If you please. I particularly need a light, gentle sleep tonight; and beer, a respectable ship’s beer, is the most virtuous hypnotic known to man.” Filled with barley soup and barley beer, we too may enjoy a light, gentle sleep and a better tomorrow. MM

Katherine Larson is a writer, teacher and former lawyer. In her opinion, Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, which begins with Master and Commander, comprises some of the world’s finest literature plus a lot of good food writing.

Mike Miller, with his Miller Fyre Aged Brauerei paraphernalia. (Photo by Katherine Larson)

superior reads

Inspiring kids through incredible stories

Review by Victor Volkman

Dorothy is Moving Mountains

By Dorothy Paad

Dorothy Paad is a remarkable young woman from the central U.P. that happens to have Cerebral Palsy. Notice I put her condition last because she is extremely accomplished and hardworking despite whatever life has thrown her way. Dorothy’s first book, Dance Your Dance, Sing Your Song, was a celebration of her early college years at Northern Michigan University and struggling as a Dance major. Although her books have been illustrated with funky, adorable cartoon animals to represent characters, the stories they tell are 100% human. These illustrations, by Matthew Forgrave, help lend a lightness which makes the books accessible to younger folks.

Paad’s second book in the series, Dorothy is Moving Mountains, is as equally biographical as the first. Specifically, it covers the period starting when her physical therapist asked about her favorite activities outside the house, and she answered with the melancholy reply, “Nothing. I feel lonely, but I don’t think I can do anything.” From here on out, you know that the author is being brutally honest about her feelings. Fortunately, her physical therapist suggests that Paad try “adaptive skiing” and then the real adventure of this U.P. Notable Book Award winning story begins.

I had no knowledge whatsoever of adaptive sports until I met Rick Ritter some 20 years ago. Ritter is a social worker who subsequently wrote Coping With Physical Loss and Disability – a book of self-reflective exercises for any adult who has suffered loss of function whether through cancer, accidents or other disorders, including paraplegia and quadriplegia. This book has an appendix with an extensive list of adaptive sports. After suffering a grievous knee injury in Army basic training, he thought his outdoor adventures were over. However, he was eventually introduced to “hand cycling,” a sport where bicycles are propelled by the arms instead of the legs, and he gained a new lease on life. In fact, he went on to compete in many meets and hand-cycled his way across Mongolia. Anyway, this is the

first time I’ve seen adaptive sports applied to a children’s book, and the results are magical indeed.

Getting back to Paad’s story, her PT put her in touch with Bud and Denise Delano, proprietors of Moving Mountains Adaptive Program (www. movingmountainsap.org). These two adaptive specialists helped Dorothy master the adaptive ski sled, which looks something like a seat mounted on top of two downhill skis, complete with right-sized poles, that you can schuss your way down the mountain with. In practice, most or all adaptive skiers will be trailed by an assistant with two ropes that can be used for guidance, or as Paad put it: “She had two [ski instructors] for safety, one to teach and give directions and one to watch, to make sure no one gets hurt.”

The visceral honesty of Dorothy Paad’s stories is what makes them relatable to the universal human experience. For example, she does not shy away from the factors that gave her trepidation before taking the plunge (literally) into adaptive skiing. First, she must confront the fallout from

years of bullying in high school which has destroyed her confidence, something that many readers will relate to. Next, she must face Sensory Processing Disorder, a condition which may affect balance, hearing and other brain activity, which could be overstimulated by a fast ski ride down the mountain. On the first day she has to overcome her fear of going too fast, falling over, or getting hurt. Like many young people, Paad is nervous meeting new adults – the ski instructors – for the first time. Last, but not least, Dorothy has a twinge of separation anxiety. As someone who is very attached to her mom and dad, going without them down the mountain was just one more stressor.

How will Paad do on her maiden voyage down the mountain? I wouldn’t dare spoil that for you, dear reader! Dorothy is Moving Mountains is, at its core, a reflection of how the human spirit can triumph over any disability, any circumstance and any disadvantage through courage, support and a willingness to be helped. I give Dorothy is Moving Mountains the

highest recommendation for schools, libraries, families and anyone who needs a lift about rising above their own circumstances, whatever they may be. The only writer I’ve ever met who could be as truthful about disabilities in children’s books was the late Michelle Katyal (pen name “Jewel Kats”) with her book The Princess Panda Tea Party: A Cerebral Palsy Fairy Tale (2014). I’m happy to say Paad has picked up the torch for a new generation. Ask your librarian, local bookseller or visit DEPBooks.com to get into the Dorothy Paad series. I guarantee you will have a smile and maybe shed a tear.

MM

Victor R. Volkman is a graduate of Michigan Technological University (Class of ’86) and is the current president of the U.P. Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA). He is senior editor at Modern History Press and publisher of the U.P. Reader

How to submit a book

Send Upper Peninsula-related book review suggestions to victor@LHPress.com. Books submitted for review can be sent to: MM Book Reviews, 5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

Author Dorothy Paad

Album reignites creativity for young artist

Ether and Bone released by indie folk singer-songwriter Niikah Hatfield

By Elizabeth Fust

After catching a glimpse of the album cover, many may hesitate and think, “I know that face.” She certainly has been involved in the Marquette community her entire life. The name that goes with the face is Niikah Hatfield, creative extraordinaire. You may recognize her from Niik Creative Co (her pottery studio), from the Seed and Spores booth at the farmer’s market (her family’s farm), from Marquette Fringe events (for which she is the Performance Director), or from her first album. From that wealth of experience comes a treasure trove of creativity, her recently released Ether and Bone the latest gem to emerge.

“I’m an artist of many forms –– or a creative. I go between both terms...” Hatfield said in introducing herself and her backstory. “Identifying myself as an artist is sometimes hard, but yeah, I love creating things and interacting with the world through a creative lens.”

Hatfield’s story starts in Marquette. She was born and raised just outside of town. She studied ceramics and creative writing at Northern Michigan University and graduated in 2020. While actively creating through ceramics, dance and writing, her debut album Existence was released in 2018. It was a solo album –– just her vocals, her guitar, and her lyrics and songs. Now Ether and Bone has been created as a collaborative project. The team started with Myles Walimaa, who recorded Existence, and without whom the recently released Ether and Bone wouldn’t have been possible.

“He reached out and he’s like, ‘we should do album number two.’ And so it was a very playful beginning and I was like, ‘yes, I have enough songs ready.’ I knew I would record another album at some point,” Hatfield said.

That point was reached in 2020. The process of production took place over the last two years and the ensuing album was released earlier this year. Ether and Bone is an indie folk singer/songwriter, or alternative indie, album. The eight featured songs were all written over the course of three years, from 2019 to when the album was produced in 2021.

“It’s a very personal, intimate album. It carries a lot of just really potent moments in these songs over, you know, a period of time from when I was 19 to 22,” said Hatfield, who is now 24.

The timeline of Hatfield’s song-creating process spans personal events and growth in her own life, including the Covid-19 pandemic and unrest during that time. The second track of the album, Burn, was influenced by the 2020 riots in Minneapolis.

Artist Niikah Hatfield, with her guitar. Hatfield is an artist who works in many mediums, from music to pottery, and finds inspiration in her daily life. (Photo courtesy of Zachary Schneider)

I WAS KIND OF AT THE POINT THIS FALL WHERE I’M LIKE, ‘WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY TO THE WORLD?’

“I didn’t really realize until I wrote the song that it was also about that because I’d been hearing all of this in the news and this identity that I thought of our culture was literally burning before my eyes,” she said.

From Road to Ether and In Flesh and Bone (two tracks that lend their names to the album title), and all the other songs on the album, Hatfield drew on experiences and emotions of the last handful of years.

“I was kind of at the point this fall where I’m like, what am I trying to say to the world? And I was thinking about that and then I was listening to the album, hearing my own voice and realizing I had to release my voice out into the world. It was kind of this time capsule that I had to also give voice to these experiences. I think that was the biggest part, because they touch on tender places in my life,” she said. “It’s a very vulnerable thing to share

them with the world, and I kind of had to come to terms with all of that, and in that process realized that the voice I was looking for was my own. It wasn’t some external thing that I was going to find, it was just me coming to terms with the words I had written and the stories I had to share. Especially your young twenties are a tender time and so to give them a place at the table and say that they’re worthy of being heard and seen, and listened to, it’s just a very real process.”

It wasn’t a process she had to undergo alone. While her first album was solo, Hatfield puts great importance on the team that made Ether and Bone what it is. With Myles Walimaa heading the campaign to produce the album, a collective of creatives met to make it happen. The band consisted of Noah Pickett (a brilliant drummer and first-person Hatfield thought of for the band), Gretchen McKenzie (a friend

Niikah Hatfield, pictured at her pottery studio on Presque Isle in Marquette.

(Photo by Emilee Covers)

from childhood and incredible bassist), and Dylan Trost (who contributed both guitar and harmonies, and whom Hatfield said she was incredibly lucky to have in her band). Walimaa was the production wizard and Ryan Staples provided sound mastering.

It all came together in a very short period of time. The group practiced for a month and recorded everything within a week.

“It was a very surrendered process, in a way, of I brought the songs to these amazing musicians and it was just a very fun process of all pulling out different threads and creating something that was unique to the musicians in the room,” Hatfield said.

Collaborative, intimate, giving a voice to emotions and creatives - the contents of the album, and the creation of it, speak to a deeper image captured in its title.

“It also speaks to the spectrum of human experience that I’m interested in,” Hatfield said. “The ether is this very nostalgic, airy, textural place, very emotional. And then all the way down to, you know, this very physical experience of being a human in a body.”

She went on to say that Ether and Bone is also a nod to an artist who inspired her, Alela Diane, and her song Ether in Wood. Inspiration, collaboration and finally: creation.

“Since this album has come out .

. . I’ve been writing songs again. That’s also a really fun part of this creative process, really interacting with this energy and working with songs that are from a previous period of my life. . . A lot can change in two years, and so to still be like, ‘I want to release it.’ And also I had to rebuild a relationship with this album, with the songs and the stories behind these songs, the relationships that they kind of allude to in those periods of my life, and in that process of reclaiming my connection to them and myself, I’ve also been able to open up my creativity again and start songwriting,” Hatfield said.

Two albums out, and a surge of inspiration to write and return once more to song, so what comes next? There will be a third album, Hatfield reassured. In fact, it already has a name - but you’ll have to wait to find out what it is.

People will continue to see Hatfield out and about in Marquette, and they’ll hear her too. No official dates right now, but she will be performing live.

Hatfield’s albums can be heard on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Bandcamp, and can purchased on

her website and at Niik Creative Co on Presque Isle in Marquette. To stay up to date on Hatfield’s musical and other creative pursuits, follow her at @niikahhatfield on Facebook and @ novanoir.music on Instagram.

Elizabeth Fust has a bachelors in writing from NMU. Although not a native Yooper, she refuses to leave the place. She is a self-published children’s book author and frequent short story contributor to the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association’s annual U.P. Reader. She has countless unfinished novels and procrastinates on those masterpieces by learning about the wonders of the U.P., meeting fantastic Yoopers and— on occasion—writing it all down for Marquette Monthly. Follow Elizabeth’s writing on Facebook and Instagram at Elizabeth Fust Books.

Above, Niikah Hatfield with her dog, Pita. (Photo courtesy of Emilee Covers) At right, the cover of Hatfield’s newest album, Ether and Bone. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Mattarella)

lookout point

Training to become reading tutors offered in spring

Ripple effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuing quarantine, are still being felt in many areas of the country, including elementary education.

One area that has seen particular impact is in reading levels of young children. Marquette resident and retired Marquette Area Public Schools teacher Iris Katers is hoping to help combat that reading loss through tutoring, and is seeking other area residents to become tutors as well.

“Some of the best tutors have been trained middle/high school students and community volunteers and grandparents,” Katers said. “You need a quiet place with no distractions three times per week. Thirty minutes is best, but some student’s attention span is 15 minutes no matter what you try at first. Every student is different and has different gaps that need to be filled. I have tried two students at a time, but 1-to-1 gets the fastest results.”

While there are many developed tutoring and teaching methods for reading comprehension, Katers has invested in METRA Structured Tutoring, a process that provides oneon-one tutoring with specific goals to increase reading comprehension. Katers is hosting a free training session March 23 and April 21 for those interested in becoming METRA tutors. The trainings will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marquette Alger Regional Educational Service Agency, located at 321 E. Ohio St. in Marquette. Trainings are limited to 25 people with manuals. If school personnel and the public are interested, more training will be held through the spring and summer.

In METRA-structured tutoring, a trained tutor uses a manual specific for the age group being tutored. The tutor gives a short placement test to discover what basic skills are missing or need strengthening, and begins at that point in the manual. Then, in 15to-30 minutes sessions at least three times per week, teaches a small group of consonant and vowel sounds. Those sounds are used to make real words and syllables of longer words. Students learn specific words, called “sight words,” that are the most commonly used words in the English lan-

guage. They cannot be easily sounded out and should be known on sight (the, where, should, etc). More and more sound and sight words are added with practice. The student reads sentences and stories with just that information. Students master small bits of information and use that information to read, understand what they are reading, ask questions, confidently attack new words, learn more sight words and become confident in themselves and their skills. No screens are involved.

“Our U.P. community can make a difference in our children’s lives and many can be caught up over the summer,” Katers said. “We just need to get trained and do it.”

To begin, the Katers family has purchased 20 Book 2 manuals for tutors training grades 3 through 6. Training will apply for any manual: for beginning reading, middle school, high school, adult and English as a second language. One manual can be used by many tutors.

Manuals and preregistration are required for the training. To pre-register or ask questions contact Katers at grandparentsteach@gmail.com or (906) 362-8932. Once trained, a tutor with practice can train others.

Katers has volunteered to be on call if there are questions once tutoring starts.

“I have used this tutoring program for years because it works fast,” Katers said. “I know exactly what a student needs to learn from the pretests. Does it teach comprehension, encourage reading on their own and love of reading, studying? Of course. Why don’t classrooms use it? This is mainly 1-to-1. Schools must teach 25 students in a short period of time. The day is jam packed. Most students are successful. However, COVID lockdowns and absences interrupted everything and we must fix it now. Children are getting older. They are already in grades where reading should be a tool to learn other things rather than the intense subject that it is in K-2. Generally, special reading programs take care of the few students that need to be caught up. However, there are so many students who need help and few hours in the day.”

in the

outdoors

Protecting wildlife

Campaign to protect migrating salamanders creates new challenges

By SWP Staff

Over the last few years the City of Marquette has received national media attention for a successful program to protect a population of blue spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) during their annual spring migration inside Presque Isle Park. The plan was simple: limit car traffic to reduce salamander mortality (i.e.; salamanders were getting squished by cars while trying to cross the road at night).

Starting in the spring of 2020, city staff, in cooperation with the staff from the Superior Watershed Partnership and biology students from Northern Michigan University, started closing a section of roadway that the salamanders must cross to reach the vernal ponds and wetlands where they spawn. The program has been a resounding success, with salamander deaths dropping from over 400 per season to less than 10 per season.

Ironically, the viral media attention has created another threat to this slow-moving amphibian: too many people. On some nights, hundreds of people now walk past the car barricades to try and catch a glimpse of the colorful little salamanders as they wriggle across the wet pavement. For the most part, people have viewed the salamanders in a respectful manner; however, too many people could create the same problem as too many cars. What to do?

In an effort to promote more sustainable tourism and better protect our sensitive natural areas Travel Marquette, in cooperation with SWP, trail groups and local businesses have been sharing the Leave No Trace principles with local residents and visitors. Start-

ed in the 1970s, the Leave No Trace program offers a list of seven common sense practices to observe when enjoying nature, whether a wilderness area or a city park.

The principles address such things as proper planning, staying on trails, disposing of trash, leaving things as you found them, being careful with fire, sharing sites and respecting wildlife. Each principle includes numerous recommendations to minimize environmental impact from humans. For instance, the Respect Wildlife principle includes: do not disturb, do not touch, do not feed and perhaps most importantly in regards to our local salamander migration, “give wildlife extra space during sensitive times like winter, mating season, and birthing season.”

In order to better respect wildlife (i.e.; salamanders) the City of Marquette, in cooperation with SWP and NMU, have made several improvements to the Presque Isle salamander protection program for the 2023 migration season.

First, an additional 300 feet of Peter White Drive will be closed to car traffic in the evening. Monitoring has confirmed this section of roadway is frequently used by salamanders during the migration period. It should be noted that the road is only closed at night from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. (the road is open to cars during daylight hours). The evening road closure will take place from March 15-May 15 but dates could change due to a changing climate.

Second, SWP staff and NMU students will be on-site periodically throughout the migration to conduct

A blue-spotted salamander. (Photo courtesy of SWP)

monitoring and to answer questions from visitors. However, project partners will not be publicizing the peak migration periods via social media or other public media outlets. It is hoped that this will prevent the mass turnouts that occurred last year.

Obviously having hundreds of people walking the road on a night when hundreds of salamanders are attempting to cross is asking for trouble. Hiking boots or bicycles can injure or kill a salamander as efficiently as a car tire. But it’s more than the risk of inadvertently harming a salamander. From an evolutionary perspective it’s respecting what has, until recently, been an unseen, undisturbed, midnight migration ritual. It has also been suggested to limit evening site visits to 25 people at one time.

Third, the SWP has committed funding for the first salamander bypass to be installed at a future date in cooperation with the Marquette Parks

and Recreation Department. A salamander bypass is a narrow tunnel with a grated top installed under a roadway to facilitate safe migration.

Lastly, during the summer and fall, the SWP will provide the Great Lakes Climate Corps (GLCC) assistance with a wide variety of habitat restoration, water quality and sustainable tourism projects. That includes helping improve conditions for sustainable salamander migrations.

These hearty little creatures have been quietly making their annual migrations for millennia, but with social media, increasing tourism and other emerging environmental threats, it will take a community approach to keep things sustainable.

The SWP will be offering a number of community volunteer events this summer and fall. Visit superiorwatersheds.org to learn more.

Journey to the Paralympics

Skandia native perseveres through amputation, stroke to reach her goal

By Linda Remsburg

Casey De Vooght was raised in Skandia, an area with plenty of snow and opportunities to play in it. Yet she never skied until a serious injury as a young adult changed her life and set her on a course to the 2026 Paralympic Games to compete in Nordic skiing and biathlon.

Obstacles along the way have not deterred her from a goal she set one day in a VA medical center in 2021 while recovering from having her right leg amputated.

“I was lying in a hospital bed, looking online, and I found a picture of a sit-skier in biathlon. It caught my eye, and that’s when it happened,” De Vooght, 27, of Negaunee said. “I saw that and texted a friend, ‘That’s what I want to do. We’re doing it.’ That’s when it all started.”

The skier in the picture was Oksana Masters, a multi-sport athlete who has earned 17 medals in the last six Paralympic Games. The games are an international sports competition, com-

parable to the Olympics, for people with disabilities. They are held every four years, shortly after the Olympics in the same city.

De Vooght played sports growing up, but her life was on a much different trajectory prior to that day in the hospital. She competed in basketball and track and field at Gwinn High School. After graduation, she spent a few years there as an assistant coach for both sports. She also enjoyed hunting and excelled at competitive shooting. But skiing?

“I never skied growing up,” she said. “Never once touched cross country skis or a ski pole ever in my life until after the amputation. Once I started skiing, I fell in love with it.”

De Vooght graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2017 with a degree in community health education and nutrition and promptly enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

“I’ve always been that person to give back,” she said. “Once I grad-

uated, there was no better way to go than joining the service. It’s the ultimate giveback to the community and country.”

She enlisted and began what she expected to be a 20-year career in Security Forces.

“Law enforcement is one of those spots where you can have the biggest

impacts,” she said. “I planned to go enlisted for a few years and then commission over to an officer.”

Then, during a routine military training in 2018, her leg was seriously injured.

“It was one of those fluke accidents that shouldn’t happen, but it did,” she said.

The accident caused severe damage to the blood vessels in her leg. She continued active duty on crutches for two painful years. In summer 2020, her doctors discussed the possibility of amputation. They said there was approximately 1% chance of saving the leg. She decided to take those odds and resolved to save it. She was medically discharged from the military that fall.

“I reached out to a good friend in Marquette that is a physical therapist I saw before joining the Air Force. She loves challenges. We put our heads together, and she was willing to give it a shot to see if we could save it,” De Vooght said. “When she agreed, I moved back to work with her.

“When I started seeing her, I had no movement of my knee at all. We pushed through to January, and we realized we just weren’t making progress. It was getting worse instead of better. By April 2021, I went into sepsis,” she said.

At that point, she saw a specialist at the University of Michigan and was transferred to the VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor where she had an abovethe-knee amputation. From then on, she focused on her recovery and the road to the Paralympics.

“I’m a very determined person,”

she said. “I’ve always been that way — ever since I was a kid. When I set my mind to something, I’m going to try to find a way to achieve it.”

She healed quickly, and that summer joined the Team USA Nordic Ski and Biathlon Paralympic Development Team. She began a rigorous training regimen.

“The training gives you something to focus on,” she said. “It’s a way through the recovery. Trying to ski with a prosthetic has its own challenges. For me, that was also determination to do it.”

De Vooght has several prostheses. She has a microprocessor-controlled knee for walking and everyday use. She has another prosthesis for running. She uses a waterproof mechanical knee at the beach. For skiing, she uses a Moto Knee and Versa Foot made by the Biodapt company.

“I love the Versa Foot Moto,” she said. “I put that on, and I don’t even notice I have a prosthetic on. I have it set up for my skis, and I get on my skis, and it fits. It’s like another part of my body.”

De Vooght skis standing up, unlike Masters who

seated on a chair attached to skis.

She does most of her training at Blueberry Ridge and Forestville ski

skis

WHEN I SET MY MIND TO SOMETHING, I’M GOING TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO ACHEIVE IT.

Left, Skandia resident Casey De Vooght trains in biathlon which combines skiing and shooting. Bottom left, De Vooght teaches youngsters using Nerf guns about biathlon at an event hosted by Superiorland Ski Club in January. Above, De Vooght visits the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, CO in December 2021. (Photos courtesy of Casey De Vooght)

trails near Marquette. She works with her coaches virtually. The first year on the team, she took in training camps around the country. But she has yet to compete.

“I haven’t really competed yet because of the injury and other medical things that keep popping up,” she said.

Most notable of those “other medical things” was a rare cervical spine stroke last September that left De Vooght without function of her left arm below the elbow. It also caused some cognitive deficit. She spent most of October and November at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center relearning to use her hand and arm and building back her cognitive processing time.

While the cause of the stroke remains uncertain — her doctors don’t know whether it’s related to the inju-

ry of her leg — there’s no denying its impact.

“The stroke is limiting my training, for sure,” she said. “I can’t travel for competitions like I’d planned on.”

Even with this latest health challenge, De Vooght perseveres toward her goal of competing in the Paralympics. She’s back to training locally six-to-eight hours a day, six days a week — with speech therapy and physical therapy on her arm and hand added into the mix.

A typical day for De Vooght begins at 4:30 a.m. with either strength or endurance training. An endurance day might include skiing, stretching and sitting in an ice bath followed by physical or speech therapy. In the afternoon she has another training session. She also meditates.

“I focus a lot on meditation. I take

Casey De Vooght wears her Moto Knee and Versa Foot prosthesis made by the Biodapt company of Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Casey De Vooght)

Marquette Mountain Resort to host adaptive sports event

Marquette Mountain Resort is opening up its slopes to veterans and persons with disabilities for free ski and snowboard lessons and runs as part of Adaptive Adventures Ski and Ride Camp, March 9 to 10. This is the first year the resort is hosting the event, which is run by Adaptive Adventures Military Operations in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

“I’ve been fortunate to have volunteered with Adaptive Adventures for a number of years and I’m very pleased Marquette Mountain Resort will be hosting this special three-day event,” said Kaet Johnson, general manager of Marquette Mountain Resort. “It is a great opportunity to work with a very worthwhile non-profit organization, as well as the local and regional VA facilities.”

Adaptive Adventures Military Operations provides injured veterans, active military personnel and their families the chance to participate in customized sports and recreational activities. Often, non-military persons with disabilities are welcome to take part, and Marquette Mountain Resort is open for them during the event.

“We will provide lessons with skilled instructors in adaptive skiing and snowboarding for people of

that just as seriously as I take the physical stuff,” she said. “It keeps me grounded, and it gives me peace. You can have a stressful day and take five minutes out of your day, and just sitting there and meditating or being in nature can change your whole day.

“That’s why I ski too. When I have stressful days, I go skiing. I get on skis and nothing else matters.”

De Vooght works part time with the Noquemanon Trail Network as a trail host. NTN Executive Director Lori Hauswirth said De Vooght is a positive problem solver constantly looking for ways to help others.

“I know Casey’s passionate drive and commitment will propel her to success in her pursuit of the Paralympics,” Hauswirth said.

De Vooght hopes her visibility as an athlete helps others, especially those with disabilities, expand their view of what is possible. She hopes that by sharing her lessons learned, she helps them overcome their own obstacles. It’s another way for her to give back.

One of those lessons is to “Listen to your body,” she said. “I grew up as a farmer, and if something happened, you sucked it up and you pushed through. Since all this has happened, I’ve learned that pushing through physically is not always the right way to do things. If your body says take a break, you need to listen to it.”

all abilities and skill levels. Additionally, lunch, lift tickets, equipment rental and any adaptive equipment is provided at no cost to veterans,” Johnson said. “We’re also welcoming people who want to volunteer for this special event. We’re looking for experienced skiers, snowboarders, instructors, ski patrol members, athletes and healthcare professionals to come join us. Lunch, lift tickets and equipment rental are also free for volunteers.”

Veterans are encouraged to contact their local VA Recreation Therapist for participation information. Those who want to participate or volunteer should contact, Dan Loch, Adaptive Adventures National Alpine Manager at dan.loch@adaptiveadventures. org or (720) 744-0783. Visit adaptiveadventures.org to register for the event.

“We sincerely hope our local veterans and service members come to the mountain for what is sure to be a fun and memorable event,” Johnson said. “We’re also hoping with the success of this Adaptive Adventures Ski and Ride Camp, we’ll partner again for future events to give back to those who served with the full range of our adventure activities, including kayaking, cycling and hiking.”

challenge for me. I have friends that are very supportive and take mental health very seriously, and so do all my healthcare professionals. That’s been a big part of this recovery for me.”

Her foremost piece of advice: “Don’t give up,” she said. “Anyone — not just athletes — can be challenged by an obstacle every day. It can be the littlest thing in a normal day, and I think the biggest thing is to just find a way to keep going.”

As De Vooght keeps going toward the 2026 Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, she continues to draw on her experience growing up on a farm in Skandia.

“Every day on a farm there’s an obstacle that comes up, and 90-some percent of the time you figure out a way to push forward. It’s been the same way with injuries for me,” she said. “Something comes up like the stroke — it was another obstacle — and I find a way around it to keep doing what I love.”

MM

She also shares the importance of self-care and developing a strong support system.

“I’ve focused more on my mental health than I ever did before,” she said. “Physically, I know I can push through. I like a challenge. But these things mentally have been a bigger

Linda Remsburg is a long-time resident of Marquette County. She works in youth development and nonprofit capacity building as an associate with Grow & Lead: Community and Youth Development. She has a BA in journalism from Michigan State University and spent her early career as a news photographer and writer.

Casey De Vooght sports her team USA jacket. (Photos courtesy of Casey De Vooght)

Smelting season

Origins of a spring tradition and the character of a mighty little fish

By Jennifer Trudeau

When the days again become longer than the nights, when dusk falls after 5 p.m. for the first time in months, thoughts turn nostalgically, wistfully, toward spring. The snow will probably melt, one muses; it always has before. The ice will break up. Temperatures will climb. There will be grass, maybe flowers. Things besides snowmobiles will move around outside; remember robins? Remember morels? Remember smelting season?

Ah, smelting season! Once upon a time, “smelting” was the principal harbinger of spring’s arrival. Back in the day when the smelt run began, little fish in tremendous numbers moved out of the depths of the Great Lakes, swimming inland. They first darkened Lake Michigan’s coastlines, then the rivers. When creeks and streams ran black, the clarion call to an annual

celebration went out across the land.

Overnight, vehicles lined highways, dirt roads, pathways and riverbanks near rivers, streams and creeks fluttering with fish. Nets and hip waders were suddenly everywhere. For the haul, one used whatever vessels were handy: full-size trash cans, laundry tubs, gallon jugs, those big metal milk canisters and hip waders, removed for the purpose. Barrels and 5-gallon buckets brimming with fish were wedged into pickup beds, arranged into formation like gigantic six-packs. Some folks filled the very truck beds, right to the tops of the wheel wells.

In the Beginning

There was a time the annual smelt run used to kick off community-wide festivities. During the glory days, so dense were the waterways with fish that people liked to say you

could walk across on them to the opposite bank without getting your feet wet.

Everyone participated in the seasonal doings: grandparents, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins and dogs, out there in the dark because the smelt run best after 7 p.m., up into the wee hours of the morning.

Melvin (“Mel”) Manty, from Rock, was born in 1935. His earliest memories of smelt season date from about the time he was 10 years old, standing on the dark riverbank with a flashlight. He went “smelt dipping” every year for decades, eventually taking his own family.

“We went every year, usually on the Days River,” he said. “You’d take a net and a bucket. We’d all be out there at night, lighting bonfires. People burned old tires. Didn’t take

maybe five minutes to get your fish. Sometimes you couldn’t lift your net out of the water. First smelt of the season you were supposed to bite its head off, right there.”

Cooking and cleaning happened right beside the water. Although, fish were sometimes fried whole and eaten — guts, tail and all. Manty liked his fish cleaned. For those fortunate enough to have refrigeration, there might be fish for weeks. The Manty family got a refrigerator in 1949, but until then, their smelt had to be eaten fresh; what they couldn’t consume went into the garden as fertilizer — a common practice. Most people ended up with more smelt than they could eat.

Manty’s earliest memories coincide with the greatest period of regional activity around the spring smelt runs. The Michigan DNR estimates that

from about 1950 through the ’60s, the smelt spawning run had essentially become its own holiday: community events were hosted locally in various locations around the Big Bay de Noc and tributaries, wherever smelt ran heaviest.

Beginning around the 1950s, Rapid River hosted “Smelt Festival,” an event lasting a week or more, which drew people from all over the area. Live music, bonfires, socializing, boozing and, of course, fish fry after fish fry everywhere you turned. Similar partying was going on all along the coasts of the Great Lakes (up here, some called it “smelt drinking”): in Minnesota near Duluth; in Wisconsin and Canada, even along the shores of the Chicago area, where fish ran every bit as heavy as in the U.P. Those days of plenty sustain their party-like atmosphere even now, in memory, in-

cluding Manty’s.

“Sometimes the fish were just an excuse for a party; people went out there to drink.”

Be Fruitful and Multiply Smelt, smelt everywhere for a couple of weeks, as easy to dip from the tributaries as the water itself. There was no limit, and perhaps the jubilee-like community atmosphere fed the common practice of pulling fish in greater numbers than could be cleaned, shared or even eaten. The predictable result was overfishing –taking smelt faster than they could reproduce.

Rainbow smelt (they’re colorful in the sunlight underwater) are forage fish, introduced to Michigan in

the early 1900s specifically as a food source for another introduced species, Atlantic salmon. The smelt went into Crystal Lake, an inland body of water south of Traverse City, and escaped from there into Lake Michigan, then established themselves in the rest of the Great Lakes. They were first spotted in Lake Superior in the early 1940s.

Forage fish like smelt make up a critical link in the food chain, feeding on plankton and even smaller fish (including, famously, their own young). In turn, smelt are eaten by predator game fish like salmon, walleye, lake trout and steelhead. Birds like gulls and Mergansers also like them. A large rainbow smelt might reach 10to-12 inches; average is 4-to-6, with

Left, smelters in the early morning hours hard at work. (Photo courtesy of Michigan DNR) Right, Rock resident Mel Manty and his dog, Bubba. Manty grew up smelting, and passed the tradition on to his kids. (Photo courtesy of Teri and Robert Manty of Powers)

FIRST SMELT OF THE SEASON, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BITE ITS HEAD OFF, RIGHT THERE.

females larger than males.

Everywhere in the natural world, empires fall eventually. It wasn’t as if the smelt would have just dominated unchallenged, ruling the spring rivers and water-routes explosively forever — they have regular workaday troubles of their own. For example, only when water temperatures get into the low 40s can the spawn begin. The temperature doesn’t stay in the ideal range for long; a week or two, possibly three at most, if they’re lucky. If there’s too much spring rain, well, that’s no good, either; it messes with water temperature range and feeds into the spring currents, and that’s a whole other kind of problem.

There’s the actual swim inland and upstream, contending with wind and wave action. Storms off the Great Lakes bring more wind and waves, which affect the preferred laying waters for nurseries along the shorelines, affecting egg-laying behavior as well as the safety of the eggs.

Smelt are just trying to make a living like the rest of us, and human pre-

dation added a significant complication to the smelt equation. If numbers have fallen a little in response, what with this, that, and the other thing, well, that’s not really such a surprise, is it?

By the Numbers

Manty’s final smelt-dipping trip was with his youngest son, then 3 or 4 years old (he’s 42 now). It was the early ’80s. Smelt had been less numerous for a while by then, Manty remembers, but that year they’d netted only one fish. Smelt were still there, but getting increasingly harder and harder to find.

Some Mid Pen seniors in the late ’80s remember pulling them up with nets by the bucketful, but by then, you had to really want it, and the hunt had become as much a part of the process as the dipping. Manty’s experience is reflective of many others from the same period. By the mid-’90s, the tradition was fading fast.

The Michigan DNR cites multiple factors influencing the declining Great

Lakes population: preying on larger fish which were smelt predators, and that was one thing; then came Zebra mussels, those sneaky ubiquitous creatures, pigging up the plankton supply, which is the preferred diet of smelt all through the Great Lakes, and that was another.

Fish populations naturally fluctuate from year to year anyway, under the best circumstances, same as grouse, rabbits and deer. There isn’t one cause.

Factoring in these and other varying conditions of the spawn itself, with the current state of smelt fishing (yes, it still does happen every year, it’s just a shadow of its former majesty), and the end result is a population which is actually not so much in decline as, simply, in balance.

These days, hook and line smelt fishing is open year-round. There’s a two-gallon limit, though, and while net dipping is still popular, you’ve

got to want it; the results are likely to teach you something about humility. But the greatest loss with the disappearance of smelting season is human and social.

Manty’s favorite smelting memory is of the year he and his uncle built a dipping net by hand from old car parts. They bent a long brake rod around a tree trunk to fashion the hoop, attached something forgotten for netting and rigged the whole busi-

ness to a tamarack pole. It served the purpose. Did they clean up with smelt that year? Probably, he says; they always did. He doesn’t remember the fish. What he does remember from that year is the afternoon they spent making the net.

He was 10 years old.

Jennifer Trudeau is a freelance science and nature writer from the Rock area.

Left, an angler dips for smelt on a Michigan Great Lakes tributary. Right, a net full of smelt. Below, the smelt are ready for their close ups. (Photos courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources)

Dedicating one day, for goodness’ sake

By Kathy Ihde

Spread Goodness Day is returning March 10, for another day of kindness, good deeds and cool shades.

Though its founder, Anna Dravland, will not be out in the community due to continuing health issues, she’s still very much connected to the annual day of goodness.

“Spread Goodness Day is still happening,” said Dravland. “But I can’t physically participate.”

Disabled by a rare stroke on November 16, 2017, just weeks after launching Spread Goodness Day, the then 34-year-old collapsed on an empty Marquette street while walking to work at Travel Marquette.

Nancy Maas — an NMU nursing instructor — drove past her. Realizing that something was wrong, Maas leapt out of her car, calling 911 as she raced towards Dravland, saving her life.

“Spread Goodness Day started before I had my stroke,” Dravland said. “It was my passion project outside work. Now, it’s the center of every-

thing I do.

“When I woke up, I was paralyzed. I couldn’t speak properly or remember my last name,” said Dravland.

Dravland had just started working on Spread Goodness day three weeks prior to the stroke, which left her partially paralyzed.

“We realized we couldn’t ignore what had happened to me, so we made the choice to include my story,” Dravland said. “It changed everything we were doing.”

Since the stroke, Dravland had to quit her job at Travel Marquette, unable to deal with the stresses of dayto-day work in a busy office. Other health issues have persisted as well, but through it all, Dravland and her team has managed to keep Spread Goodness Day alive, even making it an official annual holiday in the City of Marquette and State of Michigan.

According to Dravland, the holiday is meant as a global day of “explosive” goodness, encouraging individuals, schools and organizations to spread

Anna Dravland, founder of Spread Goodness Day, with kids wearing Spread Goodness Day shades. (Photo courtesy of Anna Dravland)

goodness together — to show the epic power that one act of goodness has to change the world.

“It comes down to simplicity,” said Dravland. “It’s easy for people to participate in, no matter who they are, where they are, or how much money they have.”

The day in recent years has been marked with significant local publicity, including media coverage and plenty of local participation. Many Spread Goodness Day participants can be seen each March 10, doing good deeds with Spread Goodness Day’s iconic shades on.

“It’s contained participation. What some schools have been doing is giving kids permission to wear shades that day, and telling them, ‘You’re allowed to wear shades. Wear some bright clothes,’” Dravland said.

The shades are a nod to a bright future, where spreading goodness is part of every day.

“We’ve done Spread Goodness Day for five years. Last year, we had Ambassadors in 20 states, we had a bigger budget and were able to send out a lot of shades (sunglasses), shirts, and swag,” she said.

Dravland said she has been especially impressed with the involvement of kids and schools in the day’s festivities.

“The school engagement has blown my mind,” she said. “Kids feel it in a different way. It’s the excitement, the energy, and something about wearing sunglasses: It makes them happy.”

It might also be that the act of spreading kindness is such a simple concept — and an easy one for kids to jump on board with. Helping others or being kind just makes people feel better.

“Kids are little sponges; I love the kids,” Dravland said. “I love making them feel powerful: I tell them, ‘You make a difference to your classmates, your teachers, your family: you make a difference.

“The kids love their sunglasses, their shades,” she added. “We usually send shades to schools around the country. Unfortunately, we don’t have a budget for that this year. Hopefully, donors will step up.”

Though Spread Goodness Day has been an integral part of Dravland’s life, additional health issues have forced her to sit this year’s day out. On disability since her 2017 stroke, continued issues with an intestinal disorder have caused her health to worsen.

At 19, after being treated for a ruptured cyst, her surgeon informed her she had congenital intestinal malrotation. According to Dravland, intestinal malrotation is poorly understood.

“When you have something rare, you need answers,” Dravland said. “I was slowly starving to death over about eight months. I couldn’t eat; I couldn’t pass my waste. All the stomach doctors I saw told me Intestinal Malrotation only affected babies, which is not true. It affects people of all ages.”

In August 2022, she began receiving new treatment for the condition at the Cleveland Clinic. And though she is optimistic about her health goals, the road is long.

“Since the stroke, we’ve discovered other conditions that have been debilitating,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed. When I get sick, it affects my caregivers and family. I need to make sure I stay healthy and stable for them. I’m happy where I’m getting to, I’m able to do more for myself. But I still struggle to read my emails because it hurts my eyes and head. I exercise and eat. I take care of my house, day-to-day…

“At the end of the day, my life is about staying stable, advocacy and Spread Goodness Day. I tell people it doesn’t work without all of us. All we’re asking is that you do something good on Friday, March 10,” she said.

For now, Dravland said she is happy to continue her work with Spread Goodness Day when and where she can, picking it up on days when she feels better, and putting it back down on days that require more rest.

“We might not do anything for three or four months,” she said. “That’s the beautiful thing about it. It’s always there to give me whatever energy I need. It didn’t suffer; it’s not about spreading the most goodness, it’s about spreading goodness.”

Most of all, it’s about genuine human connection.

“Spread Goodness Day shows the power we have to change the world in a single day,” Dravland said. “When we condense our energy together, we explode good out into the world. Look how powerful we are with every decision we make: we can literally change the world.” MM

Copper Harbor writer Kathy Ihde and her husband, Jeff (her sidekick photographer) like to spread goodness every day. The Ihdes are active volunteers of several organizations, though their favorite volunteer gig has been working with Music and Theatre Kids in Fort Atkinson, WI, for 22 years, and five years in Calumet, MI, (they have no children of their own). Meeting Anna Dravland was emotionally fulfilling for them; she’s an extraordinary woman. The Ihdes will definitely be out Spreading Goodness on March 10th.

Art, always

How Shawn Wolfman creates, creates and creates some more

By Brad Gischia

Shawn Wolfman bends close to the wall, dabbing color onto brick. Each spot of color up close will just be a blur but when viewed from a distance, from a passing car on Washington Street perhaps, you’ll see the whole picture, the mural on the side of the Blackrocks Brewing Facility in Marquette. Wolfman began drawing when he was small. It wasn’t until the late ’90s and early 2000s that he considered making it a full-time gig. He moved to Ohio in 2002 and began to apprentice at New Breed Tattoo in Dayton. New Breed is owned by Bryan Brenner and St. MarQ, two wellknown tattoo artists.

“They hired me and sent me into the gang to work with all the people there,” he said.

While at the shop Wolfman shadowed the artists there.

“I was lucky enough to have a friend who worked there already,” he said. “I worked with him for a while.”

Apprentice tattoo artists don’t have the chance to start slinging ink right away. They start slow, learning the craft and perfecting their technique and artistry before permanently altering someone’s appearance.

“I cleaned up and sterilized tools. During that time I’d get assignments. Draw this. Try that style,” Wolfman said.

After he became proficient, his employer allowed him to start tattooing people.

“You start out really basic. I don’t think I got paid for a tattoo for almost 8 months,” Wolfman said. “Once you start working on people. you have to let them know you’re in your first 50 or so tattoos and you don’t charge them, but you encourage tips. It stays that way until you get a bunch under your belt and feel confident.

“It was very formative. I learned a lot of different things,” he said.

Wolfman worked in the tattoo industry for many years after that.

“I worked with a big crew down there and was able to learn a lot of different styles,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to be influenced by different types of artists. Everyone had their own thing going.”

He moved back to Marquette and opened up The Inkwell Tattoo shop on Third Street in Marquette. It was fortuitous.

“We were neighbors and I’d walk by the shop all the time,” said Andy Langlois, co-owner of Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette. “I saw his work in the shop and thought, wouldn’t it be cool to have something like that in the pub.”

So Langlois commissioned Wolfman to do just that.

“His style is unique, and we thought it would look really cool,” Langlois said.

The first commission led to two more.

“I ended up doing three for them,” Wolfman said. “One on the back door, and then two on the brewing facility on Washington Street.”

On the back of the building there is a dragon, long and spindly and full of color with thick outlines and the name of the brewery inside of the body. There was later an ordinance issue with having the name in the mural and that had to be fixed. Fortunately the artist was easy to get a hold of.

“They really took care of me,”

Wolfman said.

After his work on the back of the building the owners offered him the front as well.

“It was a great opportunity to have a lot of eyes on my work,” said Wolfman. “I based the art off of a smaller piece that I’d done for the pub. It was a T-Rex skull that incorporated that, actually geographical blackrocks location into the design. I made it a lot bigger.”

For the team at Blackrocks, having an opportunity to be involved with public art was one they just couldn’t pass up.

“I like being able to display art,” Langlois said. “You can go to his studio and look at small pieces, but having the big stuff (murals) in your face, and that’s great.”

Wolfman draws his inspiration from a lot of things, but none so much as the things he loved as a child – specifically movies.

“You know they keep rebooting and recycling all of these franchises that I liked as a kid,” he said. “Someone who gets the original, has a passion for it and sees my artwork… man that’s great. It stirs up memories

that they have and they’re passionate about it.”

The relationship to tattooing and the art Wolfman is working on now is very symbiotic.

“It’s similar to how I draw anyway. Sort of a comic book style with bold lines and bright, colorful fills and fades.”

But he doesn’t necessarily stay in one medium.

“I did tattoo nonstop for so long that now I like to bounce around between mediums,” he said.

Most of his non-tattoo work is centered around markerboard and watercolors. It’s where he’s most comfortable.

“I try to dabble in everything though,” he said.

Wolfman and his wife closed up shop and moved to Munising at the

beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that time was great for him artistically.

“We were quarantining,” he said, “and I was kind of climbing the walls. All of that time I was able to draw something every day.”

All of that art and all of that time tattooing as a daily routine helped Wolfman figure out how to keep forward progress on projects.

“Momentum and inspiration can be tricky,” he said. “I feel like it’s become ingrained in our culture that no one really has an attention span. It’s kind of the reason I haven’t succumbed to the smartphone.”

Wolfman has a cell phone but it’s of the old flip variety.

“I have a laptop to run all of my social media stuff, Instagram and Facebook, but I can close it,” he said.

Left, artist Shawn Wolfman at work on a mural that now graces the Blackrocks Brewery production facility in Marquette. Above, artwork created by Wolfman for sale during a recent BayCon event in Escanaba. Below, Wolfman working on another mural. (Photos courtesy of Shawn Wolfman)

WE WERE QUARANTINING

Then the music gets turned up and Wolfman says he can stay more focused and maintain that focus. Another way Wolfman keeps from getting burned out is to have several projects going at once.

“Maybe I’m not feeling this one and I can jump into something else in a different medium,” he said. “It’s similar to when that spark, whatever inspires me whether it’s a character or a person that I want to work on, it hits me and I just have to do it.”

When that inspiration hits, it’s often best to get on it as soon as possible.

“I need to do that piece. It represents something to me or makes me feel a certain way. I want to capture that feeling, and when it’s successful, I know that people will relate to it as well,” he said.

Wolfman spends a lot of time sketching out ideas, when he’s not working on larger pieces.

“Sketching is important. I spend a lot of time drawing, even if it’s something that doesn’t ever leave my sketchbook” he said. “I doodle for hours. It’s therapeutic.”

After the doodle is complete, he transfers it to a clean sheet, usually using graphite onto watercolor paper, because he can trace it out. Then he will spend up to 12 hours on a 5” by 7” painting.

“It’s hard to gauge how much time I spend on any one thing, because I usually have three or four going all the time,” he said. “The time definitely adds up when you’re doing a bunch of them.”

Wolfman recently did a series of 11 paintings of the Munsters from the television series.

“That was a lot of fun,” he said.

He is also working on several new projects, some prints of horror icons Leatherface and Jason, and is in talks with the ByGeorge Brewery in Munising to do another mural.

“I hooked up with Shawn just through him coming into the brewery for the occasional beer,” said George Shultz, owner of ByGeorge. “I knew about his success as a tattoo artist and

really dug the work he did on the side of Blackrocks production building, so I asked if he’d be willing to do some art for us.”

The area that will play host to the mural is made of corrugated metal, making the application of the mural a little on the tricky side.

“That will be a challenge we’ll have to figure out, but it will be a lot of fun,” Wolfman said.

Wolfman has already created beer graphics for ByGeorge and sells stickers in the brewery.

Wolfman’s art can be viewed on his Facebook page or on Instagram at shawnwolfmanart. He’ll also have a table at BayCon in Escanaba on April 22 at Bay College, and that’s something he’s excited to be involved with.

“I look forward to the energy and the crowd. I want to do more stuff like that,” he said. “People are excited. You end up having really great conversations and really spin off on stories with the people at the show. People’s excitement is visible and that’s energizing.”

Shultz knows the importance of that energy.

“The whole premise behind ByGeorge Brewing, whether it’s the craft beer, the artwork, or the name in general, is about individual expression with no boundaries,” he said. “Along with that expression comes the joy of sharing your creation with others. Shawn exemplifies this and it’s a pleasure having him do artwork for us.”

At the end of it all, Wolfman just wants people to keep doing what they love.

“I feel like it’s easy to get discouraged,” he said. “You almost have to keep telling yourself that whatever you’re doing, you do it for you and make it because you’re passionate and you feel it. If you do it for those reasons, you’re going to resonate with someone else.”

Brad Gischia is a writer and artist native to Upper Michigan. He has published two children’s books and done illustrations for both comic books and novels.

AND I WAS CLIMBING THE WALLS. ALL OF THAT TIME I WAS ABLE TO DRAW SOMETHING EVERY DAY..

Thaw

By Milton Bates

Hearing trickles turn into torrents, we know the bluff behind our house is letting go of winter, flushing it down a dozen gullies into Lake Superior.

A neighbor’s woods appears to be on life support. Plastic tubing links his maples to a clearing where a fire burns beneath evaporator pans. Our lives, too, could use support, a little sweetness after months of bitter. Why not connect those drip lines directly to our veins and save the firewood?

Last week my brother showed me the blisters on his palms, all he had to show for shoveling crushed stone onto fifty yards of liquid clay. The frost is unimpressed by his exertions. It keeps welling up, turning his driveway into a truck trap.

You and I have the luxury of nowhere in particular to go. Thaw, we say, drawing out the vowel as the sun draws vapor from the crusty remnants of snow in our backyard. We linger over coffee after supper, savoring the afterglow. Your hands lie relaxed and open on the table, as though to gather in what’s left of daylight.

About the Author: Milton J. Bates is the author of books about Wallace Stevens, the Vietnam War, and the Bark River watershed in Wisconsin. His poetry includes the collection Stand Still in the Light (2019) and two chapbooks, Always on Fire (2016) and As They Were (2018). He lives in Marquette, where he received the city’s Art Award for writing in 2020.

The Marquette Poets Circle is very thankful for the support of Marquette Monthly with respect to its five-year anthology Maiden Voyage

The 10-year anthology, Superior Voyage, is available for purchase. It has been selected as a 2023 U.P. Notable Book by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association.

lookout point

An ode to libraries

These public places offer more than books alone

By Larry Chabot

Public libraries have been around for centuries. America’s first lending library was opened in Philadelphia in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin. It’s been said that there are more libraries in America than there are McDonald’s; one source claims that our country has exactly 117,341 libraries of all kinds, and that the average American checks out eight books a year.

In Marquette, Northern Michigan University has two libraries (and is home to the Central Upper Peninsula archives), Marquette Branch Prison has two (which get heavy prisoner use), and there’s one at the Jacobetti Veterans Home. Other public libraries in Marquette County are in Ishpeming, Negaunee, Richmond Township, Forsyth Township, and the Republic-Michigamme School. Almost every sizable town has a collection of books and other items, as do many homes, businesses, and non-profits.

Marquette’s Peter White Public Library (PWPL) is the largest public library in the Upper Peninsula, with 22,700 cardholders, 63,000 square feet of space on three floors, and about 300,000 items in a stunning variety of categories. Founded in 1871, it’s owned by the citizens of Marquette, and the residents of eight surrounding townships are eligible to hold cards.

Among its many resources are searchable newspapers (area papers

and the New York Times), national magazines going way back, what questions were asked of immigrants before and after they sailed to the New World, and a big collection of clipping files on personalities, events, institutions, and calamities. Among the real gems for historians are the more than 250 radio scripts produced by Kenyon Boyer, on an appetizing variety of topics.

Patrons can watch movies, shop the used book store, select items from the free table, find great bargains at the library’s semi-annual used book sale at affordable prices, and enjoy lectures in the community room.

Need to borrow a ukulele (they have two of them), a digital telescope, cameras, even baking dishes? Help yourself. The PWPL’s works of art can be borrowed temporarily for home use, as can all kinds of other good stuff. They only ask that you return them.

The PWPL has 20 computers if you don’t have one of your own, and lessons on how to use them. You can borrow books from them, or from other places through the wonders of interlibrary loan.

An elevator serves all three floors, there are a number of community rooms for meetings, some comfortable chairs by windows with great views, and a huge database of subjects, like Birds of the World for example. Curbside service? They have it.

Unlike earlier institutions which were filled with hard copies of their contents, modern libraries have worldwide access to a wonderland of material, accessible from home through the patron’s own computer. The Catalog Source feature is easier for finding things than roaming the aisles reading book titles, although this, too, can be a pleasant and fruitful walk.

The Library of Congress in Washington is said to be the biggest library in the world, a fabulous place with a great website. It’s collections of free photographs (you own them, after all) is enormous. All of its treasures can’t be listed here, so a trip into its web site will be endlessly fascinating.

Without a doubt, libraries are one of the greatest inventions ever.

About the author: Larry Chabot worked across the street from the Library of Congress and has browsed its online collections many times over the years. He has also shopped at most of the Peter White Public Library’s popular used book sales, sponsored by Friends of the Peter White Public Library (which also runs the used book store), and spent countless hours at their microfiche machine, reading old newspapers and finding story ideas. The library is digitizing local newspapers in a joint venture with Northern Michigan University detailed in a March 2022 MM story.

Illustration by Mike McKinney

Cultivating the wild

How native plant gardens help local ecosystems

By Deborah K. Frontiera

As the snowbanks finally begin to melt away, many start to think about their yards and gardens. Those gardens are also beginning to, more and more, feature native flowers, shrubs and grasses that are not only lovely to look at but benefit birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife. American native plants have, in many areas, been forced out by decorative non-native and invasive plants. While no one should think they have to get rid of all their roses, tulips, petunias and other ornamental plants, many gardeners are beginning to make some space for “wild” plants as well.

Over the last 400 years, people have been ripping up local ecosystems until, in the lower 48 states, much of the land has been altered by human activity and many species are struggling. Yes, we need vegetable gardens, wheat, soy, corn, and other greens. Yes, we like to walk on a mowed lawn and see manicured spaces. But these farms and manicured spaces can be complemented by areas of native plants.

Wild Ones, a literal grass roots organization, is aiming to help people bring a little more original fauna to their homes and yards.

Marcia Goodrich, MTU employee

and head of the Keweenaw Wild Ones, stated that if more people “converted as little as one-tenth of a typical yard to native plants, it would make a huge difference for local ecosystems.” She also holds that while we may not be able to save the polar bears with LED (not that those energy-saving devices aren’t important, too) people can make a difference for local wildlife. Goodrich said “not creating little islands for bees, butterflies and birds in your yard is a missed opportunity to create not only a beautiful but natural place.” Think about adding some Goldenrod, milkweed (common red milkweed), purple coneflower,

Mark Jalkanen’s wild garden in Dodgeville, just outside of Houghton. (Photo courtesy of Marcia Goodrich)

IT’S SHORTSIGHTED TO GARDEN ONLY FOR LOOKS, WHEN YOU CAN GARDEN FOR LIFE.

black-eyed-Susan, or blazing star to the mix of flowers already growing in your garden. Many of these are perennials and once established, continue to come up and bloom every year without much additional work.

Another option to help local ecosystems is to raise lawn mower blades a couple of inches. Slightly taller grass attracts beneficial insects and natural predators that munch on insect pests.

“It’s shortsighted to garden only for looks,” Goodrich contended, “when you can garden for life.”

In other words, balance Grandma’s peonies with natives that are every bit as lovely.

Mark Jalkanen started wild gardening 10-to-15 years ago in a “haphazard way.” He had a yard full of ornamentals and vegetables and a friend mentioned a native plant nursery.

“Ya, I can use these,” he said.

He tried a little at a time and loved the results. Each year, he got better at it, and now his house in Dodgeville (outside Houghton) and another house next to it are filled with native plants. Jalkanen put in a walkway among tall flowers and grasses at his moth-

er’s home, so she could enjoy the outdoors. She was happy there until her passing in the fall of 2022. Jalkanen started with seed “just to see what came up.” He does not rake out the fall leaves or pull dead plants in the fall, letting snow fall as it would in the wild. He recently started 25 wild gardens on land he bought in the Twin Lakes area, and was thrilled to be there one day when the milkweed pods burst open, spilling their fluffy seeds to spread on the wind.

“Beauty isn’t just in the photo moment,” he said. It’s watching every moment of change he sees in his gardens, and he’s addicted. “It’s an exercise in patience; wait and see the results. Mother Nature proves it.”

He’ll often toss some native seeds in along with his bulbs to fill things in.

Another “newbie” in the Marquette area, Suzanne Sharland, shared these experiences and tips: “I’m new to the Wild Ones and a rookie with native gardening, composting and revitalizing soils. Since we don’t have a Marquette County Wild Ones Chapter, the Keweenaw ladies have gladly included me. They host various meetings

and educational events over Zoom and are always sending new ideas and locations to find native plants. I’m experienced with the MSU Extension Master Gardener program, and the two together have brought my knowledge to the next level. One educational opportunity that the Wild Ones introduced me to is Blooming Boulevards; the host and educator is fabulous. The classes are held on Zoom and are scheduled to make a difference at the right times throughout the growing season.”

She added, “Something to keep in mind if by chance your better half questions your decision, compromise. For our compromise, we created a putting green for my husband, identified two spaces to go native and an additional space that needed soil replenishment. Some of our favorites that we have added include apple trees, oak trees and lots of purple coneflowers. Something I never thought I’d do — we have also let the goldenrod rip. The bees and hummingbirds love it.”

The couple has also created a ‘soil lasagna’ (They got the idea from Oregon State University Extension. Read more about it at Extension.oregonstate.edu).

“The neighbors thought we were nuts, but the space is looking so much better,” Sharland said. “In fact, now we keep soil piles in the back of our property and are frequent visitors to our area compost site. My better half can even be found refining what we bring back before it is allowed to be added to our soil piles.”

One source of information is Wild Ones (www.wildones.org) whose mission statement is: “Native plants and natural landscapes promote environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.”

Their brochure gives tips to help gardeners SHINE: Start small, Honor

Three bees and a butterfly on New England Aster, a native plant in the Keweenaw. (Photo courtesy of Marcia Goodrich)

others, Inform others, Network with others, Exercise patience. Their main office is in Neenah, WI, but there are two chapters in the U.P. The Keweenaw Chapter can be reached at wildoneskeweenaw@gmail.com or 906231-5521. Or keweenaw.wildones.org or at: facebook.com/groups/wildoneskeweenaw.

The Keweenaw chapter is also affiliated with the Michigan Butterfly Network, Hancock Beautification Group, Keweenaw Green Burial Alliance, Keweenaw Garden Club and Noteworthy Women’s Barbershop Chorus. The other U.P. chapter is centered in Escanaba, and that chapter can be found on Facebook.

Membership benefits in Wild Ones include an E-journal and archived journals; members-only website; Facebook discussion group; Seeds for Education grant program; annual member meeting and conference; new member handbook; photo contests; Citizen Science and networking with conservation partners; and much more.

Local chapters also answer questions, provide support, and do programs. Goodrich’s group looks after a couple of plots at the Hancock Beach and Poorvoo Park, and the Kessner Park recently added a plot. There is a bioswale in Hancock, installed by the City of Hancock to capture rainwater run-off as well as add beauty to

the city. Chapters also have members who help get rid of invasives such as spotted knapweed. Civic clubs and others help with these projects.

It might surprise some people to know that those pretty Lilies of the Valley are invasive and can really take over in a wooded area, pushing out native plants. Periwinkle, Snowon-the-mountain, Bishop’s weed, Japanese Barberry, Japanese knotweed and buckthorn are also problem invasives.

Goodrich reminded all people that “plants are the foundation of most life. They capture the energy of the sun and bring it into the ecosystem. Without plants there would be no insects, no birds or mammals. The ecosystem collapses.”

Imagine what we could do for the environment if everyone tried one little spot. MM

Deborah K. Frontiera has anything but a “green thumb,” but after talking to the people mentioned in this article, she’s ready to give her garden another try. She plans to put some native perennials around the flagpole at her “camp” at Rice Lake. She has written many articles for Marquette Monthly and is the author of several books. Learn more about her on her website: www.authorsden.com/deborahkfrontiera.

Marcia Goodrich’s native plants garden in bloom. (Photo courtesy of Marcia Goodrich)

Fact vs. Fiction

March

films include documentaries, fantasy and mystery films

Reviews by Leonard Heldreth

The films this month include two documentaries, a fantasy by a major director and a serial-killer mystery.

Good Night Oppy

In 2003-2004 two spacecraft named Opportunity and Spirit were launched toward Mars over a threeweek interval; known as MER-A or MER-1 (Mars Exploration Rover), the two landed on opposite sides of the red planet. Their goal was to collect and broadcast data for over 92 Earth days, the scientists guesstimating that’s how long the rovers would survive in the harsh climate and dust storms of Mars. Instead, Opportunity (known as Oppy) lasted 14 years and 138 Earth days. Spirit, also expected to last 90 days, kept sending data until it got stuck in 2009 and ceased sending data in 2010, a period of time exceeding 20 times its expected life span. Opportunity lasted 57 times its expected life span, succumbing finally to massive dust storms that clouded its solar cells. The mission is considered one of NASA’s most successful ones. Oppy explored Victoria Crater and Endeavor crater, examined meteor sites and remains, and traveled across Mars for 28 miles.

Over the 15 years of the project, the control crew at NASA developed an attachment to the rovers, and several tears were shed when it became necessary finally to pull the plug on the inert machines, especially Oppy. Anthropomorphizing — the process of investing non-human things with human traits — could be argued to be the real subject of this movie; it’s certainly a major part of drama as the Earth-based crew tries to solve one problem after another, including the robot equivalents of arthritis and dementia.

The last signal sent to the rovers was a recording of Billie Holiday singing, “I’ll be seeing you.” Anyone who enjoys information about Mars and its exploration, as well as the bonds that form between humans and the machines they work with, will want to take a look at this documentary.

Wildcat

Wildcat is a documentary about how two young people try to raise an immature Peruvian ocelot to sufficient age (18 months) so it can be released from a wild animal shelter and returned to the wild to survive. In the process, the two have to contend with their own personal problems as well as caring for the young wildcat, and it’s a question of who needs the most care.

Harry Turner is an Englishman in his early 20s who was deployed to Afghanistan when he was 18 years old. He survived his tour of duty but emerged with burn marks on his arms and severe PTSD. Hiding from himself and his family, he flees to a wild animal shelter in Peru, which is run by American Samantha Zwicker. She is there to do research as part of her PhD from Oregon, but she is also dealing with trauma of her own, having grown up with a violent, alcoholic father. The question is whether these two mentally wounded young people can heal themselves while caring for Keanu, the young ocelot. After the earlier death of Kahn, an immature ocelot shot by a poacher, Harry goes to pieces, weeping, and threatening suicide, so the question is not a rhetorical one. Can he absorb any more losses? The movie follows the couple as their relationship develops and as Harry teaches Keanu the skills a young wildcat must know — what dangers to avoid, how to catch rodents and other cat survival skills.

Harry’s family comes to Peru to visit him, and they have a good interaction for the first time since his tour of service, but after the family leaves, Harry slides back into PTSD, and Samantha has to call the suicide hot line. Releasing Keanu back to the jungle is traumatic for Harry, but he survives and leaves the compound for another position. People who saw him at the film’s premier, which Harry attended, thought he was psychologically better, and a trail camera caught a photo of Keanu apparently in good health, but unlike many nature documentaries,

the future of the three main characters remains ambiguous. Nonetheless, the film is very much worth seeing, even though everyone is struggling to survive, and sometimes it’s hard to tell who is healing whom.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

Anyone interested in story-telling has encountered the genie-in-thebottle trope; sometimes it’s Aladdin and a lamp, or Scherazade telling a story interrupted each night to extend her life another day, or a similar variation with a powerful figure who will grant three wishes to the “lucky” participant if he or she will free the genie (or djinn) from the bottle, lamp, or other confinement — it’s an old tradition with as many variations as there are stories to tell. In this case the lucky participant who gets to rub the bottle, in this case a small perfume container that needs to be polished up, is Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), a British professor of narratology, and therefore someone savvy to the tricks and subterfuges of genies who tell stories. The genie, played by Idris Elba with Spock-like ears, is world-weary, suspicious, funny, absurd, and willing to negotiate (he’s been trapped in too many containers over the centuries). He offers Alithea three wishes, but she wants more information before using them, so he tells her stories from his past adventures, starting with the Queen of Sheba and a self-playing lyre that accompanies her stories and the song of Solomon.

The following tales range over various subjects, some better than others, including one in which a very heavy man has a weakness for obese women. To tell more would be to tell too much. Let’s simply say that like all good stories, the narrative comes to a rounded ending. Although the stories

are uneven, the sets and costumes are splendid. Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton are superb in their roles, and the interaction between the very black genie and the very white English scholar raises all sorts of questions about orientalism, colonialism, and other background issues that will not be gone into here. Just a reminder that George Miller, the director, now in his eighties, has demonstrated his directorial ability in such features as Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, and all four Mad Max films with a Mad Max prequel currently in production.

Solace

It takes a lot of originality to create a new variation on the serial-killer motif, and reviewers were divided over whether director Afonso Poyart achieved it or not. Originally conceived as a sequel to Fincher’s classic 1995 thriller Se7en, to be entitled Ei8ht, the connection was dropped by Poyart when Fincher objected. Instead, the stand-alone version uses two men with psychic abilities to track down a killer who chooses his victims because they already have terminal diseases, turning the murders into mercy killings and raising significant moral questions.

FBI special agent Joe Merriwether (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is in search of serial killer Charles Ambrose (Colin Farrell), although he’s not sure at this point what connects the victims. He enlists the help of a psychic doctor, John Clancy (Anthony Hopkins), who has helped him with tough cases in the past. This time Clancy declines until he meets Merriwether’s colleague, Katherine Cowles (Abbie Cornish) and receives a psychic shock when he touches her. Clancy jokes about how he was expecting them, the first of several jokes about how Clancy knows what’s going on because he’s psychic

and anticipates some of what is happening. Unfortunately for the FBI, the killer has stronger psychic powers and anticipates their every move. The catand-mouse game results in more murders, and Clancy meets the killer, who confesses that he is killing only people who will soon die, which includes most of the main characters. Ambrose, the killer, has only a short time to live and wants Clancy to take over as his agent to eliminate people who are suffering, but Clancy declines. The two battle on a subway train and come to terms with their situation, and Clancy reveals one last secret (a fairly predictable one) to bring the film to a close.

Whether the acting of Hopkins and Colin Firth will make up for the worn and somewhat predictable plot depends on the viewer; the real question is whether the viewer can be psychic enough to unravel the plot twists before the detectives.

MM

Leonard Heldreth became interested in films in high school and worked as a movie projectionist in undergraduate and graduate school. His short “Cinema Comment” aired for some years on WNMU-FM. In 1987, he started writing reviews for Marquette Monthly. He taught English and film studies at NMU for over 30 years.

Answers for the New York Times crossword puzzle, located on Page 15.

Out & About

Out & About is a free listing of Upper Peninsula events. Events included must cost $25 or less (except fundraisers).

All events are free and in Eastern time unless noted. We print information sent to us by a wide variety of people and organizations. It pays to double check the date, time, place and cost before heading out.

E-mail your April events by Friday, March 10 to: calendar@marquettemonthly.com

Index

on the town …………………………………………………… 62 art galleries …………………………………………………65-66 museums ……………………………………………………… 68 support groups…………………………………………………74

march events 01 WEDNESDAY sunrise 7:30 a.m.;

Curtis

• Friends of Seney 2023 Winter Film Fest. The film Animal Babies: First Year on Earth will be shown. Concessions will be available. 6:30 p.m. Pine Performance Center, Erickson Center of the Arts, corner of Main and Saw-wa-Quato streets. ericksoncenter.org

Ishpeming

• Open Crafts Night. 6:30 p.m. Makers Marketplace, 113 Cleveland Ave. (906) 458-0626.

Marquette

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activities to stimulate senses. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Congregate Meals for Seniors–Dine in or Curbside Pickup. Meals available to those age 60 and older. Call to reserve a meal. $3.50 suggested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Senior Visual Art Classes with Marlene Wood. This drawing class

CopperDog Races | March 3 to 5 | Calumet, Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor

Jeremy Stenuit via unsplash

on the town

Baraga

• Ojibwa Casino Pressbox.

- Saturday, March 18: Chad Borgen and The Collective. 9 p.m.

164449 Michigan Avenue. (906) 353-6333.

Gwinn

• Hideaway Bar.

- Mondays: The Hideaway AllStars. 7 p.m.

741 M-35. (906) 346-3178.

• The Up North Lodge.

- Saturday, March 18: St. Patrick’s Day party.

215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-9815.

Houghton

• The Bonfire.

- Friday, March 3: Chad Borgen and The Collective. 7:30 p.m.

- Saturday, the 4th: Chad Borgen and The Collective. 8 p.m. 408 E. Montezuma Ave. (906) 523-5833.

Ishpeming

• The Rainbow Bar.

- Saturday, Mach 25: Chad Borgen and The Collective. 9 p.m. 120 E. Canda St. (906) 486-8998.

Marquette

• Blackrocks Brewery.

- Mondays: Open Mic. 6 to 9 p.m.

- Tuesdays: Trivia. 7 to 9 p.m.

- Wednesdays: Open mic. 6 to 9 p.m.

- Thursday, March 2: DayDreamers. 6 p.m.

- Saturday, the 11th: DayDreamers.

- Friday, the 24th: Lupine. 7 p.m. 424 N. Third St. (906) 273-1333 or blackrocksbrewery.com

• Drifa Brewing Company.

- Tuesdays: Musicians’ Open Mic. 6 to 8 p.m.

- Thursdays: Trivia. 7 p.m.

- Saturdays: Bonfire night. 3 to 9 p.m. 501 S. Lake St. 273-1300.

• Flanigan’s.

- Tuesday through Thursday: Karaoke. 9:30 p.m.

Cover charge on weekends only.

429 W. Washington St. (906) 228-8865.

• Lake Superior Smokehouse.

- Saturday, March 25: DayDreamers Acoustic. 5 p.m. 200 W. Main St. (906) 273-0952.

• Ojibwa Casino.

- Friday, March 3 and Saturday, the 4th: DayDreamers. 9 p.m. 105 Acre Trail. (906) 249-4200.

• Ore Dock Brewing Company.

- Friday, March 3 and Saturday, the 4th: Steve Leaf with special guest Cal in Red.

- Friday, the 10th: Comedy night with Devon Grice. 8 p.m.

- Friday, the 10th: Ramble Tamble. 9 p.m.

- Saturday, the 11th: The MakeBelieve Spurs.

- Friday, the 17th: Tallymoore. Hiawatha Music Co-op members, $4; non members, $10. 7 p.m.

-Friday, the 24th and Saturday, the 25th: Big Donut.

- Sunday, the 26th: Pop culture trivia. 6 p.m.

- Friday, the 31st: Anna p.s. 8 p.m. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. unless noted.

114 W. Spring St. (906) 228-8888.

• Rippling River Resort.

- Thursdays through Sundays: Fireside music by various musicians. 6 to 9 p.m.

4321 M-553. (906) 273-2259 or ripplingriverresort.com

• Superior Culture.

- Wednesday, March 1: Electric Words and Music. 7 p.m.

- Thursday, the 16: Speakeasy Poetry Open Mic. 7 p.m. 717 Third Street. (906) 273-0927 or superiorculturemqt.com

Negaunee

• Pasqualis Pub.

- Friday, March 3: Comedy night with Kevin Cahalk and Mike Marvel.

- Friday, the 17th: Comedy night with Bob Phillips and Ron Feingold.

- Friday, the 31st: Comedy night with comedians to be announced. $8. 8 p.m. 100 Cliff St. (906) 475-4466.

Republic

• Pine Grove Bar.

- Friday, March 3: Derrell Syria Project. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Saturday, the 4th: Adam Carpenter

& the Upper Hand. 7 to 11 p.m.

- Friday, the 10th: DayDreamers Acoustic. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Friday, the 17th: Troy Graham. Noon to 2 p.m.

- Friday, the 17th: Ethan Bott. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Saturday, the 18th: Toni Saari. 3 to 6 p.m.

- Saturday, the 18th: Diversion. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

- Friday, the 24th: One Human Band. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Friday, the 31st: Matt Byce. 7 to 10 p.m. 286 Front St. (906) 376-2234. MM

Lupine | March 24| Blackrocks Brewery, Marquette

will focus on faces. Bring your own supplies. Marquette residents, free; nonresidents, $5. 1 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Teens Game On. Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited to play video games, board games and other games. 4 to 7 p.m. Teen Zone, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Junior Graphic Novel Geeks. Youth in grades 1 to 3 will look at graphic novels that feature magical creatures and places and can draw their favorite characters. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Marquette County Quilters Association Meeting. All skill levels are invited for socialization, program events and show and tell. Yearly membership fee, $20. 6:30 p.m. Lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. marquettequilters.org

• NMU Orchestra Children’s Concert. 6:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu

• League of Women Voters of Marquette County Zoom Membership Meeting. All interested community members are welcome. 6:45 p.m. Email lwvmqtco@gmail.com for the Zoom invite.

• La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. NMU Library. (906) 227-2940.

• NMU Theatre and Dance: Salome. This darkly thrilling one-act tragedy by Oscar Wilde will feature adult themes and moments of intense violence. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

• Drink & Draw. Those age 21 and older are invited for an evening of drawing while enjoying adult beverages or your drink of choice. Bring you own drawing supplies and drinks. 8 p.m. The Art Drop Shop and Studio, lower level, 130 W. Washington St. theartdropshop@gmail.com

Negaunee

• Knitting Group. Those interested in crocheting, knitting and other fiber arts are welcome to bring their projects and share with others. Coffee provided.

1:30 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

• Wings of Fire Interest Group. Youth age eight and older are invited to discuss the series, write fanfiction, make crafts and other activities. 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700. 02 THURSDAY

sunrise 7:28 a.m.; sunset 6:35 p.m.

Escanaba

• Bay Film Series Warrior Lawyers: Defenders of Sacred Justice. This documentary film will discuss Native

American role models, Nation Re-Building and Tribal Justice. Students in kindergarten through Bay College students, $2; others, $5. 7 p.m. Besse Center, Bay College, 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.tix.com or (906) 217-4045.

Houghton

• Sō Percussion Concert. The percussion group will be joined by beatboxer Dominic Shodekeh. MTU students, free; Youth age 17 and younger, $5; adults, $20. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• Metalsmithing Demonstration. Mavis Farr will demonstrate metalasmithing by forging sterling silver and copper to make wearable piece of art. 3 p.m. Zero Degrees Gallery, 525 N. Third St. jmarchimes@charter.net

• NMU Theatre and Dance: Salome This darkly thrilling one-act tragedy by Oscar Wilde will feature adult themes and moments of intense violence. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

Negaunee

• Music, Movement and More. This parent-led story time is for all ages. 10:30 a.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

03 FRIDAY

Calumet

• CopperDog Race Start. Cheer on the mushers and their dog sled teams as they start the CopperDog 150, CopperDog 80 and CopperDog 30 races. 6 p.m. Fifth St. copperdog150. com

Crystal Falls

• Gem of a Season Concert: The Founding. The six-piece progressive folk band from Kalamazoo will perform. Students, $5; adults, $23. 7 p.m. The Crystal Theatre, 304 Superior Avenue. thecrystaltheatre.org or (906) 875-3208.

Gwinn

• Story Time. This story time is geared towards preschool-age children with stories, crafts and a light snack. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.

Marquette

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Youth age 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• NMU Theatre and Dance: Salome. This darkly thrilling one-act tragedy by Oscar Wilde will feature adult themes and moments of intense violence. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

Negaunee

• The Next Chapter Book Club. This community-based book program is for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Reading materials provided. 1 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

• Natural Track Luge Public Sliding. Learn to luge on the beginner luge track. Instruction, helmets and footwear provided. Youth ages 15 and younger, $15; ages 16 and older, $25. 6 to 9 p.m. Lucy Hill, 230 E. County Rd. upluge.org

Calumet

• Winter Markets. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Calumet Art Center, 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228.

Copper Harbor

• CopperDog 15 Race Start. Cheer on the mushers and their dog sled teams as they start the CopperDog 15 race. 3 p.m. Downtown. copperdog150.com

Eagle Harbor

• CopperDog Race Stage 2 Start. Cheer on the mushers and their dog sled teams as they begin their second stage of the CopperDog 150 and CopperDog 80 races. 9 a.m. Downtown. copperdog150.com

Escanaba

• Ink Society Writers’ Group. 10:30 a.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

• Multicultural Story Hour. 1p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Gwinn

• Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association Races. Racers will compete during more than 20 classes of racing. $5 per carload. Registration, 8 a.m. Practice, 10 a.m. Racing, 11:30 a.m. Forsyth Tonwship Ball Park, off Johnson Lake Rd. uppermichiganiceracing.com

Marquette

• Genealogy: A Virtual Roots Tech Event. Learn how to get started researching your ancestors, tips on using online databases, census records and more. Members of the Marquette Genealogical Society will be on-hand to assist. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 350 Cherry Creek Road. marquettecountymigeniesociety@gmail.com

Winter Birds | March 4 | Marquette

Scot Stewart

art galleries

Calumet

• Calumet Art Center. Works by local and regional artists. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228.

• Copper Country Associated Artist. Works by members and workshop participants in watercolor and oil, drawings, photography, sculpture, quilting, wood, textile, clay, glass and other media. Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 205 Fifth St. (906) 337-1252 or ccaartists.org

• Gallery on 5th. Works by local and regional artists. Days and hours vary. 109 Fifth St. (906) 369-0094.

Copper Harbor

• EarthWorks Gallery. Featuring Lake Superior-inspired photography by Steve Brimm. Daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 216 First St. (910) 319-1650.

Escanaba

• Besse Gallery.

- Celebration of Women’s History Month will be on display through March 31.

Days and hours vary. Bay College, 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.edu

• East Ludington Art Gallery. Works by local artists. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1007 Ludington St. (906) 786-0300 or eastludingtongallery.com

• Hartwig Gallery. Featuring works by local, regional and national art-

ists. Days and hours vary. 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.edu

• William Bonifas Fine Arts Gallery.

- Youth in Art, featuring works by Delta County area students, will be on display March 23, with public receptions at 3 p.m. March 15 and 16th.

Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3p.m. 700 First Avenue South. (906) 7863833 or bonifasarts.org

Hancock

• Finlandia University Gallery.

- Faculty Exhibit, featuring works by Finlandia faculty members, will be on display through April 12.

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. 435 Quincy St. (906) 487-7500.

• Kerredge Gallery.

- Youth Arts Month, featuring works by students in kindergarten through grade 12, will be on display March 4 through April 1.

Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Community Arts Center, 126 Quincy St. (906) 482-2333 or coppercountryarts.com

• Youth Gallery.

- Youth Arts Month, featuring works by students in kindergarten through grade 12, will be on display March 4 through April 1.

Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Community Arts Center, 126 Quincy

St. (906) 482-2333 or coppercountryarts.com

Houghton

• The Rozsa Galleries.

- Snowsports, featuring works by MTU faculty and staff, will be on display March 22 through April 29, with a public reception at 5 p.m. on March 24.

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 to 8 p.m. Rozsa Center, 1400 Townsend Dr. mtu.edu/ rozsa

Marquette

• Art—U.P. Style. Art by Carol Papaleo, works by local artists, gifts, classes and more. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. 130 W. Washington St. (906) 225-1993.

• DeVos Art Museum.

- 2023 Faculty Biennial, featuring works by faculty in the School of Art and Design, will be on display through March 31.

- Snowdrift, an accumulation of artwork that examines the many expressions of snow, will be on display through June 30.

- New Acquisitions, featuring works by Kinngait artists, Leon Lundmark and others, will be on display through June 30.

Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Corner of Seventh and Tracy streets. NMU. (906) 227-1481 or nmu.edu/devos

• Graci Gallery. Works by regional and national artists. Featuring fine craft, contemporary art, and jewelry. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, by appointment or chance. 110 N. Third St. gracigallery.com

• Huron Mountain Club Gallery.

- Winter Charm, a mixed media exhibit, will be on display through March 31.

Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472.

• Lake Superior Photo and Gallery. The studio features landscape photographic art by Shawn Malone, including naturescapes of the Lake Superior region. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 211 S. Front St. (906) 228-3686 or lakesuperiorphoto.com

• Marquette Arts and Culture Center Deo Gallery.

- Lake Superior Art Association Members’ Show, featuring works by LSAA members, will be on display through March 31, with a public reception at 6 p.m. on the 9th.

(continued on page 81)

(continued on page 66)

Audrey Cooper | Forest Lights | Youth Gallery, Hancock

art galleries

(continued

Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2280472.

• Peter White Public Library

Lower Level Reception Gallery.

- Seen and Unseen, featuring photography from the NMU Photography Program, will be on display through March 31. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472.

• Presque Isle Station. This working pottery studio features pottery by Michael Horton and Terry Gilfoy, along with works by local artists. Days and times vary. 2901 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 225-1695.

• The Gallery: A Marquette Artist Collective Project. Works by local and regional artists. Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Suite U7, 130 W. Washington St. mqtartistcollective.com

• The Studio Gallery at Presque Isle. Works by local and internationally acclaimed artists. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. 2905 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 360-4453.

• Wintergreen Hill Gallery and Gifts.

- Works by Sean O’Leary will be on display through March 3.

- Works by Jacob Darner will be on

display March 4 through 31 with an opening reception at 5 p.m. on the 4th.

Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 810 N. Third St. (906) 2731374.

• Zero Degrees Gallery.

- Mixed media collages by Renee Michaud will be on display through March 31, with a public reception at 1 p.m. on the 11th.

The gallery features works in oils, watercolors, mixed media, jewelry, photography, metals, woods, recycled and fiber arts and much more.

Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 525 N. Third St. (906) 228-3058 or zerodegreesgallery.org

Munising

• UP Scale Art. Featuring works by local and regional artists. Open by chance or by appointment. 109 W. Superior Ave. (906) 387-3300 or upscaleart.org

Rapid River

• The adhocWORKshop. Owner Ritch Branstrom creates sculptures with found objects inspired by the land in which the objects were found. By appointment or chance. 10495 South Main Street. (906) 3991572 or adhocworkshop.com

Sand River

• Aurelia Studio Pottery. Featuring high fire stoneware, along with functional and sculptural pieces inspired by nature, created by potter and owner Paula Neville. Open by appointment or chance. 3050 E. M-28. (906) 343-6592.

Dacee Wiitanen | Midnight Barn | Youth Gallery, Hancock

from page 65)

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. Lessons, 10 a.m. Games, 11:30 a.m. Citizens Forum, Lakeview Arena, 401 E. Pine St. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com

• Photographing Winter Birds. Scot Stewart will discuss photographing winter finches, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. Adults, $5; families, $10. 10 a.m. MooseWood Nature Center, 1 Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Older siblings welcome. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Holi Color Festival and International Women’s Day Celebration. Stop by to celebrate color and women in the arts with Holi powder, music, history and creative projects. Wear light-colored clothing so the Holi powder will stick (until washed). $5 suggested donation. 4 p.m. The Art Drop Shop and Studio, lower level, 130 W. Washington St. theartdropshop@gmail.com

• NMU Theatre and Dance: Salome. This darkly thrilling one-act tragedy by Oscar Wilde will feature adult themes and moments of intense violence. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

Negaunee

• Natural Track Luge Public Sliding. Learn to luge on the beginner luge track. Instruction, helmets and footwear provided. Youth ages 15 and younger, $15; ages 16 and older, $25. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lucy Hill, 230 E. County Rd. upluge.org

05 SUNDAY

sunrise 7:23 a.m.; sunset 6:40 p.m.

Eagle Harbor

• CopperDog Race Stage 3 Start. Cheer on the mushers and their dog sled teams as they begin their third stage of the CopperDog 150 race. 9 a.m. Downtown. copperdog150.com

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-4856.

Little Lake

• Bingo. 1:30 p.m. American Legion Post 349, 1835 E. M-35. (906) 346-6000.

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations vary. downtownmarquette.org

06 MONDAY

sunrise 7:21 a.m.; sunset 6:41 p.m.

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations vary. downtownmarquette.org

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional development. 9:30 to 11 a.m. Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@greatstartma.org

• Book Babies. Newborns to age 17-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• NCLL Spring Kick-off Heath and Safety Seminar. This interactive discussion will range from the Finnish health practice of Asahi to Marquette County’s smart 911 program. 1 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 458-5408.

• Superiorland Pet Partners. Youth of all ages are invited to meet and read to trained therapy dogs. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Craft Magic Series: Felt Magic with Jody Trost. Join fiber artist Jody Trost for a beginner needle felted workshop. Space is limited. 6:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds produced by bronze singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. (906) 362-9934.

Negaunee

• All-Ages Online Storytime. Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes from the comfort of your own home. 11a.m. via Facebook Live. facebook.com/ NegauneePublicLibrary

07

TUESDAY sunrise 7:19 a.m.; sunset 6:42 p.m.

K.I. Sawyer

• Gwinn Area Community Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional development. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Room 13, K.I. Sawyer Elementary School, 411 Scorpion St. sjhobalia@greatstartma.org

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations vary. downtownmarquette.org

• Book Babies. Newborns to age 17-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W.

museums

Calumet

• International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum. Learn about the history of Guts Frisbee. Days and hours vary. Open when events are held. Second floor ballroom, Calumet Coliseum, Red Jacket Rd. (906) 281-7625.

Escanaba

• Upper Peninsula Honor Flight Legacy Museum. The museum chronicles the history of the U.P. Honor Flights with the history of the trips. Donations appreciated. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by request. Inside the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, 1001 N. Lincoln Rd.

• Upper Peninsula Military Museum. The museum honors Upper Peninsula Veterans, and features exhibits and dioramas portraying the Upper Peninsula’s contribution to U.S. war efforts from the Civil War through the Afghanistan wars. Donations appreciated. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by request. Inside the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, 1001 N. Lincoln Rd.

Hancock

• Quincy Mine Hoist and Underground Mine. There are two options for touring the site. On both the surface tour and the full tour, visitors will see the museum, inside the No. 2 Shaft House and the Nordberg Steam Hoist and ride the cog rail tram car to the mine entrance. On the full tour, visitors will take a tractor-pulled wagon into the mine, seven levels underground. Prices, days and hours vary. quincymine.com

Houghton

• A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum.

Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• Oil Painting, Pastels and Drawing Classes with Marlene Wood. Bring your own supplies. $20. 1 to 3 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Dumbledore’s Army. Students in grades 4 to 6 are invited for Harry Potter related crafts. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Maritime History on Tap. Bruce Lynn will present The Shipwreck Coast’s Lost Whalebacks: The Story of Barge 129 and Sagamore. $5 suggested donation. 7 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 226-2006.

• What’s Up? Astronomy Series. Scott Stobbelaar of the Marquette

Astronomical Society will discuss what can be seen in the U.P. skies. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl.info for Zoom link.

08 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 7:17 a.m.; sunset 6:44 p.m.

• Friends of Seney 2023 Winter Film Fest. The film Woodpeckers: The Hole Story will be shown. Concessions will be available. 6:30 p.m. Pine Performance Center, Erickson Center of the Arts, corner of Main and Sawwa-Quato streets. ericksoncenter.org

Ishpeming

• Open Crafts Night. 6:30 p.m. Makers Marketplace, 113 Cleveland Ave. (906) 458-0626.

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations vary. downtownmarquette.org

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activities to stimulate senses. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Congregate Meals for Seniors–Dine in or Curbside Pickup. Meals available to those age 60 and older. Call to reserve a meal. $3.50 suggested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Wilson Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Learn how injured wildlife are cared for until they are released back into the wild.

View the largest collection of minerals from the Great Lakes region and the world’s finest collection of Michigan minerals. Exhibits educate visitors on how minerals are formed, fluorescent minerals and minerals from around the world. Prices vary. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1404 E. Sharon Ave. museum. mtu.edu or (906) 487-2572.

• Carnegie Museum. Features rotating displays of local history, natural science and culture. The Science Center is dedicated to interactive exhibits about science for kids. Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. 105 Huron St. carnegiekeweenaw.org

• MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections. Features a variety of historical memorabilia, highlighting life in the Copper Country. Open by appointment. Lower level of the J.R. Van Pelt Library, MTU. (906) 487-3209.

Iron Mountain

• World War II Glider and Military Museum. During World War II, the Ford Motor Company’s Kingsford plant built the CG-4A Gliders for the U.S. Army. View one of seven fully restored CG-4A G World War II gliders, military uniforms from the Civil War through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, memorabilia, restored military vehicles and more. Prices vary. Days and times vary. 302 Kent St. (906) 774-1086.

Ishpeming

• Ishpeming Area Historical Society Museum. New exhibits include a military exhibit and artifacts from the Elson Estate. Donations appreciated. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gossard Building, Suite 303, 308 Cleveland Ave. ishpeminghistory.org

• U.S. National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame & Museum. The museum features more than 300 Hall of Fame inductees, presented in photographs and biographies, and displays and exhibits of skiing history and equipment, an extensive library, video show, gift shop, special events and more. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. US-41 and Third St. (906) 485-6323 skihall.com

K.I. Sawyer

• K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum. The museum promotes and preserves the aviation history the air base brought to the area. Air Force-related materials are on display, including photographs, flags, medals and more. Donations appreciated. Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. 402 Third St. (906) 236-3502 or kishamuseum.org

Marquette

• Baraga Educational Center and Museum. View artifacts and tools used by Venerable Bishop Baraga. Donations appreciated. Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment. 615 S. Fourth St. (906) 227-9117.

• Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center.

- It’s all Downhill: Alpine Skiing in the U.P., an exhibit featuring the skiing history in the U.P., will be on display through April 30. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. NMU, corner of Seventh Street and Tracy Avenue. (906) 227-3212 or nmu.edu/ beaumier

• Marquette Regional History Center.

- Exposing Photography: Anything but a Small Business, the exhibit will feature the works of U.P.

photographers, their studios and equipment, will be on display March 6 through January 13, 2024, with a public reception at 5 p.m. March 22. The museum includes interactive displays as well as regional history exhibits. Youth 12 and younger, $2; students, $3; seniors, $6; adults, $7. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 145 W. Spring St. (906) 2263571 or marquettehistory.org

• Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum. A variety of interactive exhibits offer learning through investigation and creativity. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prices vary. 123 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 226-3911 or upchildrensmuseum.org

Munising

• Alger County Historical Society Heritage Center. Exhibits include the Grand Island Recreation Area, Munising Woodenware Company, barn building, homemaking, sauna and more. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. 1496 Washington St. (906) 387-4308.

Negaunee

• Michigan Iron Industry Museum. In the forested ravines of the Marquette Iron Range, the museum overlooks the Carp River and the site of the first iron forge in the Lake Superior region. Museum exhibits, audio-visual programs and outdoor interpretive paths depict the largescale capital and human investment that made Michigan an industrial leader. The museum is one of 10 museums and historic sites administered by the Michigan Historical Center. Michigan Recration Passport required for parking. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4p.m. 73 Forge Rd. (906) 475-7857.

NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 1 p.m. Heritage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 4360-2859.

• Five Wishes. Learn about the Five Wishes, an advanced directive to record your end of life care wishes. NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 3 p.m. Heritage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 458-5408.

• Junior Teen Advisory Board. Students in grades 5 to 8 are invited to meet new people, plan events and gain volunteer experience. 4:15 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Clear the Clutter. Professional organizer Dar Shepherd will discuss how clutter affects your life, and how to declutter and organize. 6:30 p.m. Lions Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 360-3000 or shepherdorganizing.com

• Documentary: The Greasier the Spoon . The documentary by Jim Koski will look back at the coffee shops, grills, hangouts and fine dining establishments throughout the years in Marquette. $5. 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. marquettehistory.org or (906) 226-3571.

• La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. NMU Library. (906) 227-2940.

• LWAS: What You Need to Know About Electric Cars. Steve Waller will compare popular electric vehicles to each other, to three popular gasoline vehicles and electric vehicles to internal combustion engines. 7 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 361-9255.

• Northwords and Music. B.G. Bradley, Marty Achatz, Stephen Hooper, Ronnie Ferguson, Barb Rhyneer and Jacque Love will perform an evening of music, stories, poetry, skits and Irish fiddling. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-43212.

Negaunee

• Knitting Group. Those interested in crocheting, knitting and other fiber arts are welcome to bring their projects and share with others. Coffee provided. 1:30 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

• Wings of Fire Interest Group. Youth age eight and older are invited to discuss the series, write fanfiction, make crafts and other activities. 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

09 THURSDAY

sunrise 7:15 a.m.; sunset 6:45 p.m.

Crystal Falls

• Virtual Q&A with U.P. Author Phyllis Michael Wong. Phyllis

Michael Wong will discuss her book We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. 7 p.m. Call or email to register and receive the Zoom link. (906) 875-3344 or egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us

Ishpeming

• Ishpeming VFW Auxiliary Meeting. 1:30 p.m. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-4856.

L’Anse

• Flood Map Information Open House. Learn about the preliminary versions of the recently completed Flood Insurance Studey report and Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Learn about specific risks and ways to prevent flood loss. 6 p.m. L’Anse High School Cafetorium, 201 N. 4th St.

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations vary. downtownmarquette.org

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• School’s Out, Library’s In. Students are invited for kinetic sand play, bookmark making and to watch the film Bad Guys Slime and cards, noon 4 p.m.; Film, 12:45 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• 3D Printing. Marquette Senior High School teacher Becky LaBrecque and

the Science for Inventor students will show what can be done with 3D printing. NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 1:20 p.m. Marquette Senior High School, 1203 W. Fair Ave. (906) 361-5370.

• Art Sparks. Youth in grades 1 to 5 are invited to make a Faberge´ egg. Dress to get messy. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Second Thursday Creativity Series: Everything Green. Youth are invited for hands-on activities, snacks, music, and free Culver’s frozen custard. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. U.P. Children’s Museum, 123 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 226-3911 or upchildrensmuseum.org

• Superior Arts Youth Theater: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Area youth will perform the classic by Roald Dahl. Youth 17 and younger, $9; adults, $15. 7 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.universitytickets. com

Negaunee

• Music, Movement and More. This parent-led story time is for all ages. 10:30 a.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700. 10

Gwinn

• Story Time. This story time is geared towards preschool-age children with stories, crafts and a light snack. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations

vary. downtownmarquette.org

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Docu Cinema Matinee. The documentary film She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• School’s Out, Library’s In. Students are invited to make Perler beads, play with LEGOs and to watch Pixar Shorts Slime and cards, noon 4 p.m.; Film, 12:45 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Youth age 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Celebrate the U.P.! The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition will present a virtual tour of Partridge Creek Community Farm, hold a general membership meeting and end the night with comedy by Devon Grice and music by Ramble Tamble. $10. 4 to 10 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. upenvironment.org or (906) 201-1949.

• The Builders Show. Visit with vendors for home-building, renovating, remodeling and commercial construction needs. Age 12 and younger, free; age 65 and older, $5; age 13 to 64, $6. 4 to 8 p.m. Superior Dome, NMU. thebuildersshow.org

• Superior Arts Youth Theater: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Area youth will perform the classic by Roald Dahl. Youth 17 and younger, $9; adults, $15. 7 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.universitytickets. com

Negaunee

• The Next Chapter Book Club. This community-based book program is for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Reading materials provided. 1 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

11 SATURDAY

sunrise 7:11 a.m.; sunset 6:48 p.m.

Calumet

• Great Bear Chase Ski Marathon. Skiers can choose between classic or

Great Bear Chase | March 11 | Calumet

•

BrockIt Inc courtesy of UPHS-Hancock

freestyle races, including 10k, 25k and 50k courses. Proceeds benefit the Swedetown Trails Club. Prices vary. 8 a.m. Swedetown Trails, Spruce St. greatbearchase.com

Escanaba

• Onagomingkway Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Questions about genealogy and joining DAR will be answered following the meeting. Noon. Hereford and Hops, 624 Ludington St. (906) 226-7836.

• LEGO Club. Bring your LEGOs for an afternoon of LEGO fun with others.

1 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Gwinn

• Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association Races. Racers of all ages will compete during more than 20 classes of racing. $5 per carload. Registration, 8 a.m. Practice, 10 a.m. Racing, 11:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Ball Park, off of Johnson Lake Rd. uppermichiganiceracing.com

Ishpeming

• Canning and Fermentation Workshop. All community members are invited to attend despite ability to pay. $20 fee if you are able to pay. 10:30 a.m. Partridge Creek Farm Office, 112 S. Main St. emily@partridgecreekfarm.org

Marquette

• Restaurant Week. Downtown restaurants will offer lunch and dinner specials. Prices, times and locations vary. downtownmarquette.org

• Celebrate the U.P.! The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition will present a day with videos, talks on environmental issues and more. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Locations vary between the Crib Coffeehouse, Peter White Public Library, Women’s Federated Clubhouse and the Landmark Inn. upenvironment.org or (906) 201-1949.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. Lessons, 10 a.m. Games, 11:30 a.m. Citizens Forum, Lakeview Arena, 401 E. Pine St. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com

• The Builders Show. Visit with vendors for home-building, renovating, remodeling and commercial construction needs. Age 12 and younger, free; age 65 and older, $5; age 13 to 64, $6. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Superior Dome, NMU. thebuildersshow.org

• Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Older siblings welcome. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Story Time at MooseWood: Beavers. This story time will have an animal themed nature story, a craft or activity and a chance to meet the resident animals. Recommended for ages 3 to 8 but all ages welcome. Adults,

$5; families, $10. 11 a.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Superior Arts Youth Theater: Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryTheatre for All. This performance will be sensory-friendly. Area youth will perform the classic by Roald Dahl. Youth 17 and younger, $9; adults, $15. 1 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.universitytickets.com

• Superior Arts Youth Theater: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Area youth will perform the classic by Roald Dahl. Youth 17 and younger, $9; adults, $15. 7 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.universitytickets. com

12 SUNDAY

sunrise 8:09 a.m.; sunset 7:50 p.m.

Daylight Saving begins

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-4856.

Little Lake

• Bingo. 1:30 p.m. American Legion Post 349, 1835 E. M-35. (906) 346-6000.

Marquette

• The Builders Show. Visit with vendors for home-building, renovating, remodeling and commercial construction needs. Age 12 and younger, free; age 65 and older, $5; age 13 to 64, $6. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Superior Dome, NMU. thebuildersshow.org

• Superior Arts Youth Theater: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Area youth will perform the classic

13 MONDAY sunrise 8:08 a.m.; sunset 7:51 p.m.

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional development. 9:30 to 11 a.m. Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@greatstartma.org

• Book Babies. Newborns to age 17-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Pet Partners. Youth of all ages are invited to meet and read to trained therapy dogs. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Senior Theatre Experience: Monthly Workshop and Discussion. This workshop is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. Marquette city and surrounding township residents, free; nonresidents, $5 donation. 5 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906)

225-8655.

Negaunee

• All-Ages Online Storytime. Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes from the comfort of your own home. 11a.m. via Facebook Live. facebook.com/ NegauneePublicLibrary

14 TUESDAY

sunrise 8:06 a.m.; sunset 7:52 p.m.

Calumet

• Friends of the Calumet Public Library Meeting. 5:30 p.m. Community Room, Calumet Public Library, 57070 Mine St. (906) 3370311 ext. 1107.

Escanaba

• Failte’ in Concert. Enjoy an afternoon of Irish and Celtic music. 4:30 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Gwinn

• Literature at the Lodge. The group will discuss We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange. 7 p.m. Up North Lodge, 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-3433.

K.I. Sawyer

• Gwinn Area Community Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional development. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Room 13, K.I. Sawyer Elementary School, 411 Scorpion St. sjhobalia@greatstartma.org

Marquette

• Book Babies. Newborns to age 17-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Tasty Reads Book Group. The group will discuss The Steger Homestead Kitchen by Will Steger, Rita Mae Steger and Beth Dooley. Noon. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4303.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• Lake Superior Knitters at the Marquette Regional History Center. Knitters age 10 and older are invited to share knitting experiences and knowledge. $1 to $5 donation. 1 to 2:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center,

by Roald Dahl. Youth 17 and younger, $9; adults, $15. 1 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.universitytickets. com

Winter Roots Festival | March 18 | Marquette

145 W. Spring St. beedhive47@yahoo. com

• Oil Painting, Pastels and Drawing Classes with Marlene Wood. Bring your own supplies. $20. 1 to 3 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Muggles for Potter. Youth in grades 2 and 3 are to make a Harry Potterrelated potion. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Woodturners Meeting and Discussion. 6:15 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. jmarchimes@ charter.net

• Diversity Common Reader Program Film Screening. The film Coda will be show. 6:30 p.m. Community Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

15 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 8:04 a.m.; sunset 7:54 p.m.

Curtis

• Friends of Seney 2023 Winter Film Fest. The film Animals with Cameras will be shown. Concessions will be available. 6:30 p.m. Pine Performance Center, Erickson Center of the Arts, corner of Main and Saw-wa-Quato streets. ericksoncenter.org

Ishpeming

• Open Crafts Night. 6:30 p.m. Makers Marketplace, 113 Cleveland Ave. (906) 458-0626.

Marquette

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activities to stimulate senses. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• All Booked Up. The group will discuss The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. 11:30 a.m. The Courtyards, 1110 Champion St.

• Congregate Meals for Seniors–Dine in or Curbside Pickup. Meals available to those age 60 and older. Call to reserve a meal. $3.50 suggested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• PWPL Non-Fiction Book Club. The group will discuss The Library Book by Susan Orlean. 1 p.m. Conference Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• Senior Visual Art Classes with Marlene Wood. This drawing class with focus on faces. Bring your own supplies. Marquette residents, free; nonresidents, $5. 1 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Outword. LGBTQIA youth and allied students in grades 7 to 12 are

invited. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Authors Read Virtually: Colby Cedar Smith. Author Colby Cedar Smith will read selections from her book Call Me Athena. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl.info for Zoom link.

• La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. NMU Library. (906) 227-2940.

• Drink & Draw. Those age 21 and older are invited for an evening of drawing while enjoying adult beverages or your drink of choice. Bring your own drawing supplies and drinks.

8 p.m. The Art Drop Shop and Studio, lower level, 130 W. Washington St. theartdropshop@gmail.com

Negaunee

• Knitting Group. Those interested in crocheting, knitting and other fiber arts are welcome to bring their projects and share with others. Coffee provided.

1:30 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

• Wings of Fire Interest Group. Youth age eight and older are invited to discuss the series, write fanfiction, make crafts and other activities. 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

16

THURSDAY

sunrise 8:02 a.m.; sunset 7:55 p.m.

Escanaba

• U.P. Love Letter: An Evening with Phil Lynch. Kindergarten through Bay College students, $7; others, $15. 7 p.m. Besse Center, Bay College, 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.tix.com or (906) 217-4045.

Ishpeming

• Garden Mixer. Join members of Partridge Creek Farm for an afternoon mixer. 4:30 p.m. Cognition Brewing Company, 113 E. Canda St. emaily@ partridgecreekfarm.org

Marquette

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• PWPL Kindness Club. This club is for school-aged children to get involved and give back to the community. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Spring Book Pre-Sale. Shop for books during this pre-sale event. $5. 5 to 8 p.m. Community Room, Peter

White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-9510.

Negaunee

• Music, Movement and More. This parent-led story time is for all ages. 10:30 a.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

17 FRIDAY

sunrise 8:00 a.m.; sunset 7:56 p.m.

Calumet

• Dinner and a Movie. Enjoy dinner and a movie or just the movie. The film North by Northwest will be shown. Dinner, $25. 6 p.m.; Movie, $5, 7 p.m. Calumet Theatre, 340 Sixth St. (906) 337-2610 or calumettheatre.com

Gwinn

• Story Time. This story time is geared towards preschool-age children with stories, crafts and a light snack. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.

Houghton

• MTU Music: Stripes and Stripes Forever. The Huskies Pep Band will perform. MTU students, free; youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• Spring Book Sale. Shop for books during this annual fundraising event by the Friends of Peter White Public Library. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-9510.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45

a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Global Cinema. The film by Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car, will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• School’s Out, Library’s In. Students are invited to make rainbow bracelets and to watch the film Zootopia Slime and cards, noon 4 p.m.; Film, 12:45 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• Diversity Common Reader Program Book Club Discussion. The group will discuss Being Seen: One Deafblind Women’s Fight to End Ableism 4 p.m. Community Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects

using the library’s LEGO blocks. Youth age 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Irish Dance Workshop and Concert. Learn some Irish dances and enjoy a concert by Tallymore. Youth 12 and younger, free; Hiawatha Music Co-op members, $5; nonmembers, $10. Dance lessons, 5 p.m.; concert, 6 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 E. Spring St. hiawathamusic.org

Negaunee

• The Next Chapter Book Club. This community-based book program is for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Reading materials provided. 1 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700. 18

Calumet

• Winter Markets. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Calumet Art Center, 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228.

• Kids Movie Magic. The film Hop will be shown. $1. 6 p.m. Calumet Theatre, 340 Sixth St. (906) 337-2610.

Escanaba

• Story Hour. Youth ages 5 and older are invited for stories. 1 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Marquette

• Spring Book Sale. Shop for books during this annual fundraising event by the Friends of Peter White Public Library. Books will be 50% off until 1:30 p.m. and a $5 bag sale will follow. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-9510.

• Winter Roots Film Festival. Two documentaries about traditional folk music and musicians will be shown. 10 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. Lessons, 10 a.m. Games, 11:30 a.m. Citizens Forum, Lakeview Arena, 401 E. Pine St. superiorland_bridge.tripod.com

• Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Older siblings welcome. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Beaumier Heritage Concert Series and 2023 Winter Roots Festival. Joe Newberry and April Verch will perform. Students, $10; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.universitytickets.com

19 SUNDAY

sunrise 7:56 a.m.; sunset 7:59 p.m.

Calumet

• Travelogue Series: China Highlights. Social, 1 p.m.; presentation, 2 p.m. Calumet Theatre, 340 Sixth St. (906) 337-2610 or calumettheatre. com

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-4856.

Little Lake

• Bingo. 1:30 p.m. American Legion Post 349, 1835 E. M-35. (906) 346-6000.

Marquette

• Books & Brews. Browse for new books while enjoing adult beverages Literary trivia to follow the bookfair. 1 to 8 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 S. Spring St. oredockbrewing.com or snowboundbooks.com

• Story Time at MooseWood: Animal Habitats. This story time will have an animal themed nature story, a craft or activity and a chance to meet the resident animals. Recommended for ages 3 to 8 but all ages welcome. Adults, $5; families, $10. 3 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

20 MONDAY

sunrise 7:54 a.m.; sunset 8:01 p.m.

Houghton

• National Geographic Live Adaptations. The film by environmental anthropologist and filmmaker Alizé Carrère will explore the ways people adapt to the changing planet. Q&A will follow. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional development. 9:30 to 11 a.m. Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@greatstartma.org

• Book Babies. Newborns to age 17-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Pet Partners. Youth of all ages are invited to meet and read to trained therapy dogs. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Quick Fics Book Club. The group will discuss The Storm by Tomás González. 6 p.m. Dandelion Cottage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds produced by bronze singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. (906) 362-9934.

• The Knockabouts in Concert. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

Negaunee

• All-Ages Online Storytime. Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes from the comfort of your own home. 11a.m. via Facebook Live. facebook.com/ NegauneePublicLibrary

21 TUESDAY

sunrise 7:52 a.m.; sunset 8:02 p.m.

Ishpeming

• ICPL Adult Book Club. The group will discuss I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. 2 p.m. Ray Leverton Community Room, Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main St. (906) 486-4381.

K.I. Sawyer

• Gwinn Area Community Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional development. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Room 13, K.I. Sawyer Elementary School, 411 Scorpion St.

sjhobalia@greatstartma.org

Marquette

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Book Babies. Newborns to age 17-months with an adult are invited for songs, rhymes and stories. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Iversons Snowshoes. Tour Iversons Snowshoes and learn the steps to make the traditional wooden snowshoe. The group will carpool to the location. Bring gas money for the driver. NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. Noon. Lofaro’s Fresh Market, 101 Carmen Dr. (906) 475-4252.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tripod. com

• Oil Painting, Pastels and Drawing Classes with Marlene Wood. Bring your own supplies. $20. 1 to 3 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Dungeons and Dragons. Students in grades 6 to 12 are invited for a quest with this role-playing game. Registration required. 4 p.m. Teen Zone, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Dungeons and Dragons Junior. Students in grades 4 to 5 are invited for a quest with this role-playing game. Registration required. 4 p.m. Teen Zone, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Artists and Their Art. Ellen Longsworth will present The Human Form in Western Art-Pre-history to

Praxiteles. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl. info for Zoom link.

22 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 7:50 a.m.; sunset 8:03 p.m.

Ishpeming

• ICPL Adult Book Club. The group will discuss I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. 6 p.m. Ray Leverton Community Room, Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main St. (906) 486-4381.

• Open Crafts Night. 6:30 p.m. Makers Marketplace, 113 Cleveland Ave. (906) 458-0626.

Marquette

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activities to stimulate senses. 9:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Congregate Meals for Seniors–Dine in or Curbside Pickup. Meals available to those age 60 and older. Call to reserve a meal. $3.50 suggested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. NMU Library. (906) 227-2940.

• Sierra Club: Man-Tracking 101. Michael Neiger will discuss how to track others, use a tracking stick, a tracking card and how to better visualize tracks using sunlight and artificial light 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

Negaunee

• Knitting Group. Those interested in crocheting, knitting and other fiber arts are welcome to bring their projects and share with others. Coffee provided. 1:30 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

• Wings of Fire Interest Group. Youth age eight and older are invited to discuss the series, write fanfiction, make crafts and other activities. 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

23 THURSDAY

sunrise 7:48 a.m.; sunset 8:05 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Crochet Club. Gather with fellow crafters and bring a project to work on. Basic crochet supplies and instruction will be available. All levels and ages welcome. 2 p.m. Ray Leverton Community Room, Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main St. (906) 486-4381.

Marquette

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age

18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sensory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St.

• Project Publish. School-aged youth are invited to participate in writing, illustrating and publishing their own book. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Wings of Fire. Youth in grades 4 to 6 are invited to play games inspired from the series. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• On Practice: The Intersection of Art and Research. Emily Lanctot will lead a discussion with Art and Design professors Stephan Larson, Michael Letts and Tracy Wascom about artists’ studio practices and academic research. 6:30 p.m. Room 165, Devos Art Museum, NMU. nmu.edu/devos

• Vintage Cookbooks as Genealogical Sources. Annette Burke Lyttle will discuss how to locate and use vintage cookbooks to gain genealogical information and social history about our ancestors. 6:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• Staying Positive in Difficult Times. Share poems, songs, short stories or prayers on the theme of positivity. 7 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• NMU Jazz Festival. Dean Sorenson and the NMU Jazz Festival Faculty Combo will perform. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu

Negaunee

• Music, Movement and More. This parent-led story time is for all ages. 10:30 a.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

24 FRIDAY

sunrise 7:46 a.m.; sunset 8:06 p.m.

Gwinn

• Story Time. This story time is geared towards preschool-age children with stories, crafts and a light snack. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.

Houghton

• Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Festival. The Research and Development Big Band and the Jazz Lab Band will perform. MTU students,

free; Youth age 17 and younger, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and other school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Blockbusting Cinema. The film Everything Everywhere All at Once will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St.

• LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Youth age 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Artist Hours. Artists and inspiring artists will learn more about animation. $10. 6 p.m. The Art Drop Shop and Studio, lower level, 130 W. Washington St. theartdropshop@gmail.com

• NMU Jazz Festival. The NMU Jazz Band and Combo will perform along with Dean Sorenson. Students, free; adults, $12. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

Negaunee

• The Next Chapter Book Club. This community-based book program is for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Reading materials provided. 1 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

25

Escanaba

• Junior Book Club. 1 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Houghton

• Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Festival. The Research and Development Big Band and the Jazz Lab Band will perform. MTU students, free; Youth age 17 and younger, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• College for Kids Jr. Students in

kindergarten through grade 6 are invited for hands-on, minds-on STEM activities. $10. 9 a.m. to noon. Seaborg Center, NMU. (906) 227-2196.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. Lessons, 10 a.m. Games, 11:30 a.m. Citizens Forum, Lakeview Arena, 401 E. Pine St.

• Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for babies and toddlers with an adult. Older siblings welcome. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

• Painting Demonstration. Marlene Wood will be performing a painting demonstration. 1 p.m. Zero Degrees Gallery, 525 N. Third St. jmarchimes@ charter.net

• Superior String Alliance Chamber Players Performance. Adam Hall will perform Bach’s Solo Cello Suites. Donations appreciated. 1:30 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. superiorstringalliance.org

• Creature Feature: Ball Python. Learn about the ball python, habitat, facts and more. Recommended for ages 6 and older but all ages welcome. Adults, $5; families, $10. 3 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood. org or (906) 228-6250.

26 SUNDAY sunrise 7:42 a.m.; sunset 8:09 p.m.

Little Lake

• Bingo. 1:30 p.m. American Legion Post 349, 1835 E. M-35. (906) 346-6000.

Marquette

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

27 MONDAY

sunrise 7:40 a.m.; sunset 8:10 p.m.

Marquette

• U.P. Food Summit. Learn about local food, food system projects from around the U.P, the impact of climate change on wild rice in the Great Lakes area along with other topics of interest. Advanced registration required. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Northern Center, NMU. upfoodexchange.com or (906) 2250671, ext. 723.

• Senior Theatre Experience: Monthly Workshop and Discussion. This workshop is for those age 55 and

older. Register in advance. Marquette city and surrounding township residents, free; nonresidents, $5 donation. 5 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

Negaunee

• All-Ages Online Storytime. Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes from the comfort of your own home. 11a.m. via Facebook Live. facebook.com/ NegauneePublicLibrary

28 TUESDAY

sunrise 7:38 a.m.; sunset 8:12 p.m.

Marquette

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St.

• Lake Superior Knitters at the Marquette Regional History Center. Knitters age 10 and older are invited to share knitting experiences and knowledge. $1 to $5 donation. 1 to 2:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. beedhive47@yahoo. com

• Oil Painting, Pastels and Drawing Classes with Marlene Wood. Bring your own supplies. $20. 1 to 3 p.m. Marquette Arts and Culture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Bluesday Tuesday. Visit the library for a night of blues music. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

29 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 7:36 a.m.; sunset 8:13 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Open Crafts Night. 6:30 p.m. Makers Marketplace, 113 Cleveland Ave. (906) 458-0626.

Marquette

• Congregate Meals for Seniors–Dine in or Curbside Pickup. Meals available to those age 60 and older. Call to reserve a meal. $3.50 suggested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Sea Lamprey Control in the Great Lakes. Chad Andresen will discuss the history of the invasive Sea Lamprey into the Great Lakes, effects on fishery and efforts to control the invasive species. NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 1:30 p.m. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office, 1095 Cornerstone Dr. (906) 458-5408.

• La Table Française. French speakers of all abilities are invited for informal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. NMU Library. (906) 227-2940.

• Meet the Filmmaker. View local documentarian Dan Korhonen’s film Save Our Theatre. A Q&A will follow.

7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• NMU Music Performance Competition. The concert will feature music majors performing a variety of instruments and voice ranges.

7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. nmu.edu

Negaunee

• Knitting Group. Those interested in crocheting, knitting and other fiber arts are welcome to bring their projects and share with others. Coffee provided.

1:30 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

• Wings of Fire Interest Group. Youth age eight and older are invited to discuss the series, write fanfiction, make crafts and other activities. 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case

support groups

• Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families— Marquette. Sundays, 7 p.m., Use the parking lot entrance. Downstairs meeting room, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. adultchildren.org/meeting

• Alano Club—Marquette. Twelvestep recovery meetings daily. Monday through Saturday, noon and 8 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. 3020 US-41, Marquette.

• Al-Anon Family Groups. A fellowship offering strength and hope for friends and families of problem drinkers. al-alon.org or (888) 425-2666.

• Alcoholics Anonymous. Meetings throughout Marquette County, open daily, at many locations and times. Twenty-four-hour answering service, aa-marquettecounty.org or (800) 605-5043.

• ALZConnected. This is a free, online community for everyone affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other memory loss diseases. alzconnected.org

• American Legacy Foundation. Smoking quit line for expectant mothers and cessation information for women. (800) 668-8278.

• Amputee Social Group— Marquette. This peer support group is for amputees, friends and families to share resources, life experiences and create relationships. March 7. 6 p.m. SAIL Office, 1200 Wright St. (906) 273-2444.

• Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Checks. Cholesterol checks are $5. Call for Marquette County schedule. (906) 225-4545.

• Divorce Care—Ishpeming. This non-denominational group is for people who are separated or divorced. New members are welcome. Tuesdays,

St. (906) 475-7700.

30

THURSDAY

sunrise 7:34 a.m.; sunset 8:14 p.m.

Marquette

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St.

Negaunee

• Music, Movement and More. This parent-led story time is for all ages. 10:30 a.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

31 FRIDAY

6 p.m. Northiron Church, 910 Palms Ave. (906) 475-6032.

• Grief Share—Ishpeming. This non-denominational group is for people dealing with grief and loss. Mondays, 2:30 p.m. Northiron Church, 910 Palms Ave. northiron. church or (906) 475-6032.

• iCanQuit. Smokers are invited to learn more about quitting with the help of a quitting coach. (800) 480-7848.

• Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous. Tuesdays, 12:05 p.m. Upstairs, The Crib Coffee House, 401 N. Third St. ITAAMQT@zohomail. com

• Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice Grief Support Group— Gwinn. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is available. March 8. 2 p.m. Forsyth Senior Center, 165 Maple St. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice.org

• Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice Grief Support Group— Marquette. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is available. March 15. 5:30 p.m. Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice, 914 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice.org

• Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice Grief Support Group— Negaunee. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is available. March 16. 3 p.m. Negaunee Senior Center, 410 Jackson St. lakesuperiorhospice.org or (906) 475-6266.

• Marquette Codependents Anonymous Meeting. Mondays, 7 p.m. LoveMarq Church, 728 W. Kaye Ave. coda.org

• Michigan Tobacco Quit Line. This

Crystal Falls

• Gem of a Season Concert: The Way Down Wanderers. Enjoy a night of music performed by the quintet Way Down Wanderers. Students, $5; adults, $23. 7 p.m. The Crystal Theatre, 304 Superior Avenue. thecrystaltheatre.org or (906) 875-3208.

Gwinn

• Story Time. This story time is geared towards preschool-age children with stories, crafts and a light snack. 10:30 a.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (906) 346-3433.

Marquette

• LEGO Club. Meet other LEGO enthusiasts and build LEGO projects using the library’s LEGO blocks. Youth age 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N.

Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St.

• Viewing and Reviewing Aishiteru: Letter As a Vista at the Crossroads of Doll and War. Dr. Mitsutoshi Oba will explore the visuality of background scenery in the animation series Violet Evergarden. 2 p.m. Room 165, Devos Art Museum, NMU. nmu.edu/devos

Negaunee

• The Next Chapter Book Club. This community-based book program is for adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Reading materials provided. 1 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

free quit smoking coaching hotline provides callers with a personal health coach. (800) 784-8669.

• Motherhood Support Group— Marquette. This free group meets the second Thursday of each month. March 9. 6 p.m. Suunta Integrative Health, 1209 N. Third St. (906) 273-0964.

• Nar-Anon Meetings—Ishpeming. Family and friends who have addicted loved ones are invited. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Mission Covenant Church, 1001 N. Second St. (906) 361-9524.

• Narcotics Anonymous Meetings— Marquette. Family and friends who have addicted loved ones are invited. Open meetings, Wednesdays and Sundays, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Closed meeting, Fridays, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Use the Ridge Street entrance. Downstairs Social Room, Marquette Hope First Campus, 111 E. Ridge St.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness—Support Group. Individuals living with mental illness and friends or families living with an individual with mental illness are welcome. March 13 and 16. 7 p.m. Superior Alliance for Independent Living, Suite A, 1200 Wright St. (906) 360-7107 or namimqt.com

• National Alliance on Mental Illness— Zoom Support Group. Individuals living with mental illness and friends or families living with an individual with mental illness are welcome. March 9. 7 p.m. Email ckbertucci58@charter.net or call or text (906) 360-7107 before 6:45 p.m. the day of the meeting to receive the Zoom invitation.

• Nicotine Anonymous. (415) 7500328 or www.nicotine-anonymous.org

• Parkinson’s Support Group— Marquette . March 15. 1 p.m.

Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Senior Support Group— Marquette. Jo Wittler will discuss early photographers in the U.P. March 16. 2 p.m. Mill Creek Clubhouse, 1728 Windstone Dr. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice.org

• Sexual Health and Addiction Therapy Group. Call Great Lakes Recovery Centers for more details. Dates, times and locations vary. (906) 228-9696.

• SMART Recovery—Calumet. A self-help group for alcohol and substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. Mondays, 7 p.m. Copper Country Mental Health, 56938 Calumet Avenue. smartrecovery.org

• SMART Recovery—Hancock. Thursdays, 7 p.m. Basement Conference Room, Old Main Building, Finlandia University, 601 Quincy St.

• SMART Recovery—Marquette. Mondays, Noon. Zoom meeting. Visit smartrecovery.com for Zoom link.

• Take Off Pounds Sensibly. This is a non-commercial weight-control support group. Various places and times throughout the U.P. (800) 932-8677.

• Virtual Caregiver Support Group. U.P. family caregivers are welcome to join. A device with an internet connection, webcam, microphone and an email address are required. Advanced registration required. 2 p.m. Second Tuesday of the month. (906) 217-3019 or caregivers@upcap.org

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program. Clinics include nutritional counseling and coupon pick-up. Appointments required. Call for Marquette County schedule. mqthealth.org or (906) 475-7846.