February 2023 Marquette Monthly

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

This

cover artist is Negaunee

resident Kristie Whitney. Her love of nature combined with a passion for art gave birth to this imaginary dreamscape. Oil painting has been her latest love, and she has found that Marquette’s boundless beauty offers endless opportunities.

40 iN the outdoors Jaymie depew Munising area eMbraCes MiChigan iCe fest

42 iN the outdoors Kathy ihde a trails Club Plans for the future

46 loCals Brad GiSchia introduCing Mayor Mayer

48 lookout poiNt harry Stine the new gaMe in town: esPorts

50 iN the outdoors pam chriStenSen Maintaining snowMobile trails is a teaM effort

53 poetry

helen haSKell remien this love

54 superior reads Victor r. VolKman dark deeds and MythiCal beasts

56 home CiNema

58 ColoriNg page

59 out & about carrie uSher february events and MusiC, art and MuseuM guides

city notes

Baraga County chamber announces board openings

The Baraga County Chamber of Commerce has announced openings on its board of directors. Board terms last three years. To serve on the board, an applicant must be a member of the chamber, either through their workplace or as an individual. To be included on the ballot, send a letter of interest to P.O. Box 122, L’Anse, MI 49946 or email it to baragacountychamber@gmail.com by Feb. 1.

Elections will be held at the annual meeting and member appreciation banquet on Feb. 9. The event at the American Legion Post 144 in L’Anse is open to all members. In addition to elections, the chamber business of the year will be announced. Members should call 906-353-8808 to secure their dinner reservation.

League of Women Voters to meet on Feb. 1

The League of Women Voters of Marquette County will hold its next membership meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. Social time begins at 6:30. The meeting will be held in Studio 1 on the lower level of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that encour-

ages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of policy issues and influences policy through education and advocacy. All community members are welcome. For more information, write to lwvmqtco@gmail.com.

Van Riper State Park hosts lantern-lit hike

Van Riper State Park in Champion is the location of a lantern-lit hike on Friday, Feb. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. Kerosene lanterns light the way along the 1.5-mile self-guided loop winding through the snow-filled woods. The trail starts at the Peshekee River rustic cabin.

The trail will be packed, but participants are asked to bring their own snowshoes, as the park has a limited supply available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Park staff will monitor weather conditions and will post an update on the Van Riper Facebook page if the event is cancelled.

Heikki Lunta Winter Festival returns to Negaunee

The annual Heikki Lunta Winter Festival returns to Negaunee on Friday, Feb. 3, and Saturday, Feb. 4. Last year’s festival featured the inaugural Irontown Rail Jam and Snowboard competition, and that event is

Crystal Theatre announces lineup

The Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls has announced its lineup through October. Its season kicks off with The Founding, above, on March 3. The progressive folk band is based in Kalamazoo. Other acts include The Way Down Wanderers on March 31, comedian Karen Morgan on April 21, Dave Sharp and the Worlds Quartet on May 7, “War Bonds: The Songs and Letters of World War II” on May 27 and more. Highlighting the season on July 7 will be The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. To see the full schedule and purchase tickets, visit thecrystaltheatre.org. (Photo courtesy of The Founding)

back once again.

The weekend will kick off at 5 p.m. on Feb. 3 with the lighting of the traditional bonfire at Tobin and Iron streets. Then the Irontown Rail Jam begins at 6 p.m. with snowboarders and skiers displaying their tricks and turns. Friday’s schedule also includes activities at the U.P. Luge Club, lantern snowshoe tours of Old Town, a stroll through the Tunnel of Lights along with specials at local restaurants and pubs.

Saturday’s lineup includes an ice fishing tournament on Teal Lake, activities at the U.P. Luge Club and Ishpeming Ski Club, more lantern snowshoe tours, the Freeze Yer Fanny Fatbike Race and a fireworks display.

For details, visit cityofnegaunee. com and search for “Heikki Lunta.”

Ishpeming-Negaunee chamber hosts cookoff fundraiser

The Small Town Showdown Community Cookoff is set for 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Negaunee Senior Center. The event, held in conjunction with the Heikki Lunta Festival, is a fundraiser for the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce.

Cooks are invited to enter their dishes for a chance to win prizes and the glory of the Golden Spatula Award. The public will judge the submissions in four competition categories: soups/chili, Yooper traditions, sweets and secret family recipes. Contestants will set up their booths at 4:30 p.m. Doors will open to the public to sample and judge the offerings from 5 to 8 p.m. Awards will be announced at 8:30 p.m.

For details, visit the GINCC Facebook page, write to ginccmarketing@ gmail.com or call 906-486-1111.

Beaver trapping expert presents seminar on Feb. 4

The 18th Annual Young Trappers Workshop is coming to the Community Center in Hermansville on Feb. 4. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central. Several local veteran trappers will be on hand to share tips, techniques and stories of their experiences.

Local expert Bob Steinmetz will present a demonstration on beaver trapping. This is a “must see” for anyone interested in going after this animal. Steinmetz has more than 50 years’ experience trapping beavers.

Each youngster in attendance is guaranteed to win a door prize and will be given age-appropriate traps and equipment. For the day’s complete schedule or more information on this event, go to uptrappers.com or

contact event coordinator Mike Lewis at 906-774-3592.

History center looks at railroad on Marquette range

The Marquette Regional History Center presents “The DSS&A on the Marquette Iron Range” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8. This presentation will look at the Duluth South Shore & Atlantic’s Marquette Iron Range operations beginning in the mid-1940s until the last boat loaded at the Marquette Lower Harbor ore dock. There is a suggested donation of $5 for the event, which will take place at the MRHC, 145 W. Spring St., Marquette.

Carp River Rail Jam kicks off Meijer State Games

Feats of skiing and snowboarding athleticism will be front and center — as well as up, down, sideways and some awe-inspiring positions — during the second annual Carp River Rail Jam at Marquette Mountain Resort after the opening ceremonies of the Meijer State Games of Michigan on Friday, Feb. 10, at about 8 p.m. (See the story about the games on page 24.)

“The Carp River Rail Jam is a crowd favorite and a great way to kick off the Meijer State Games of Michigan,” Marquette Mountain Resort director Kaet Johnson said. “Spectators last year were treated to some spectacular freestyle skiing and boarding. We’re expecting this year’s event to elicit even more ‘oohs’ and ‘wows’ from the audience.”

A rail jam event features skiers and snowboarders performing jumps, spins, grabs and other tricks using pipes, rails, boxes and walls to launch from or otherwise assist in the acrobatics.

WZMQ 19 named official station of Meijer State Games

WZMQ-TV 19 in Marquette has announced a new partnership with the Meijer State Games of Michigan. The event, scheduled for Feb. 10-12, welcomes top athletes for a multisport, Olympic-style competition held at a variety of venues across Marquette County (see page 24).

Opening ceremonies for the winter games will be held Friday, Feb. 10, at Marquette Mountain Resort. WZMQ 19 News will provide coverage of the ceremonies at 7 p.m., with anchor Sarah Blakely hosting a live broadcast featuring a parade of athletes, lighting of the cauldron and entertainment.

WZMQ-TV, the CBS affiliate for the U.P., will provide comprehensive coverage of the event on 19 News weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.

Figure skating club hosts international event

The Marquette Figure Skating Club is hosting a competition at NMU’s Berry Events Center on Feb. 11-12. The 42nd Ron Carlson Marquette International Open is a United States Figure Skating sanctioned event and is being held in conjunction with the Meijer State Games of Michigan (see the story on page 24). Local and regional skaters of all ages and

abilities will compete in a variety of events including free skate, dance and showcase. Competitors are also able to qualify for the State Games of America. There is no cost to attend this event, and the public is welcome. More information can be found at marquettefigureskating.org.

Michigan DNR announces free snowmobiling weekend

The Michigan DNR will debut its free snowmobiling weekend across the state on Feb. 11-12. This program will allow snowmobilers to operate their machines over a two-day period without the requirement of a snowmobile registration or trail permit. Michigan also offers free ORV and free fishing weekends each year.

Local agency presents training in mediation

Marquette Alger Resolution Service is offering free, online, live mediation training for individuals interested in becoming a volunteer mediator. Mediation is a rewarding way of contributing to our community. Each prospective trainee must be committed to volunteering with our local community mediation center.

Training in general civil mediation is scheduled for Feb. 13-15, 20-23, 27-28 and March 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. each afternoon. Training in domestic relations mediation is set for June 5-8, 12-15 and 19-22 from 1 to 5 p.m. each afternoon.

Call the MARS office at 906-2268600 or write to marquette@marsmediation.org for more information or to register.

WZMQ 19 will broadcast start of UP200 sled dog race

For the first time, WZMQ-TV 19 will broadcast the start of the UP200 sled dog race live from downtown Marquette as part of an exclusive, half-hour special presented by Northern Michigan University. Anchor Sarah Blakely will host the broadcast, which is set to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, just as the race begins.

After the race concludes on Sunday, Feb. 19, 19 News will air “UP200 Powered by NMU Finish Line,” a look at the winner and best moments from the weekend’s activities. The special will air at 11 p.m. that night.

Marquette history center presents Waite and Friends

The Marquette Regional History Center is proud to host Michael Waite and Friends as they present songs from Waite’s new album, We’ve Always Been at Home. The concert,

State Rep. Jenn Hill, right, was sworn in as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives in December. A former member of the Marquette City Commission, Hill represents the 109th House District, which includes all of Alger, Baraga and Marquette counties and part of Dickinson. She succeeds Sara Cambensy. (Photo by Jeremy Herliczek)

Hill takes her seat in House

scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, features music composed by Waite, a local singer-songwriter who will be accompanied by vocalist Kerry Yost and the Superior String Alliance Chamber Players.

The event will be held at the MRHC, 145 W. Spring St., Marquette. Tickets are $15 and are available at waite.eventbrite.com.

Big Bay Pathway hosts Honey Bear Classic fundraiser

The 34th Honey Bear Classic on Feb. 18 will raise funds to support the grooming and maintenance of the Big Bay Pathway, part of the Noquemanon Trail Network. Participants can choose to ski or snowshoe the entire Honey Bear loop or other trail options. Registration is online (runsignup.com) or in person at the Thunder Bay Inn beginning at noon on Feb. 18.

The Pathway trailhead parking lot is on Deutsch Avenue, two blocks from the Thunder Bay Inn, the event headquarters. The traditional “weeny roast” and warming fire will be at the trailhead. Refreshments and hot soup for participants start at 3 p.m. at the Thunder Bay Inn. A presentation titled “History of the Honey Bear and Big Bay Pathway” begins at 4:30 p.m., and a performance by musical duo Sarah Mittlefehldt and John Gillette will follow.

Regional history center schedules annual meeting

The Marquette Regional History Center’s annual meeting and history awards event is set for 6:30 p.m.

on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Members and guests are invited to attend the brief business meeting followed by the annual Helen Longyear Paul & Peter White history awards ceremony. The center will also celebrate its team of volunteers and their contributions to keeping history alive in the museum

and library. This is a free event and will be held at the MRHC, 145 W. Spring St. in Marquette.

WLUC-TV6 is adding live weekend newscasts

WLUC-TV6 has announced plans to launch a live newscast at 6

p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays beginning Feb. 18. Currently, TV6 airs the prerecorded “Top Stories of the Week” in that weekend time slot, with a live newscast at 11 p.m. With the addition of a full half-hour live newscast at 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, TV6 News aims to provide viewers with more relevant news content seven days a week.

Marquette Arts & Culture seeks proposals for Art Week

The City of Marquette Office of Arts & Culture is accepting proposals for projects to take place during this year’s City of Marquette Art Week, scheduled for Monday, June 19, to Saturday, June 24.

Art Week is an annual event held during the last full week of June that invites local artists, organizations and businesses to come together, collaborate and present a series of free arts and cultural events, concerts, workshops, performances, exhibits, demonstrations and more for the Marquette community.

Proposed Art Week projects should connect to and play off this year’s theme, Home, inspired by the City of Marquette’s community master plan update. The master plan will provide a long-term vision for Marquette’s growth. Art Week seeks projects that will explore our community’s ideas of what home means and how arts and culture can help us envision our future.

Artists and organizations interested in proposing a project must complete and submit a proposal by Feb. 25. Funding opportunities are also avail-

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

able for qualifying projects through a grant received from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council. Full information, guidelines and a link to the proposal form are available at mqtcompass. com/artweek.

UPPAA announces U.P. Notable Books

The Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association released its fourth annual U.P. Notable Books List in January. UPPAA Notable Books chairman Mikel Classen of Sault Ste. Marie initiated the effort in 2019 as a response to the lack of representation of U.P. writers in other Michigan state literary circles. Classen said, “Traditionally, recognition of Michigan books has been dominated by the university presses downstate, and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight literature that focuses closer to home for us.”

To build this fourth annual list, the association consulted with Upper Michigan booksellers, book reviewers, writers and publishers to winnow down the notable books to 10 titles. These books demonstrate the wide reach of U.P. literature, as they span juvenile, middle-grade, young-adult and adult audiences.

The awards committee notes that the 10 titles on this year’s list are unranked:

• The Big Island: A Story of Isle Royale, Julian May and John Schoenherr (UMN Press reprints, 2022)

• North of Nelson: Stories of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Hilton Everett Moore (Silver Mountain Press, 2022)

• We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Phyllis Michael Wong (MSU Press, 2022)

• Dissecting Anatomy of a Murder, Eugene Milhizer (Ave Maria School of Law Press, 2019)

• Shipwrecked and Rescued, Cars and Crew: The City of Bangor, Larry Jorgensen (Fresh Ink Group, 2022)

• Dorothy is Moving Mountains, a True Story, Dorothy Paad and Matthew Forgrave (DEPBooks, 2022)

• The Biting Cold, Matthew Hellman (Beacon Publishing Group, 2022)

• Superior Voyage anthology, Marquette Poetry Circle (self-published, 2022)

• Empire Mine — Cascade Range: Michigan’s Largest Iron Mine, Allan Koski (self-published, 2022)

• Cady and the Birchbark Box: A Cady Whirlwind Thunder Mystery, Ann Dallman (Modern History Press, 2022)

In addition to its annual list, the U.P. Notable Books committee also seeks to highlight significant U.P.themed literature that has remained essential for at least 10 years. This initiative is called U.P. Notable Classics, and two books made the list this year: Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers: Folk Traditions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Richard M. Dorson (University of Wisconsin Press, 2008) and Ice Hunter: A Woods Cop Mystery by Joseph Heywood (second edition, Lyons Press, 2008).

Foundation establishes Ski Hall endowment fund

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is the only nonprofit that honors and celebrates the athletes, pioneers and visionaries from the United States who have significantly enriched the international sports of skiing and snowboarding, and showcases their stories and historic memorabilia in a national museum located in the birthplace of organized skiing: Ishpeming. The hall recently partnered with the Community Foundation of Marquette County to establish the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Endowment Fund.

The endowment is designed to provide long-term financial stability for the organization, helping the museum sustain its archives, charter and goals for future generations to enjoy. Visit skihall.com for more information or to contribute to the fund.

Children’s museum receives grant through Kohl’s program

The Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum in Marquette has been chosen by local Kohl’s associates to receive a one-time grant for $10,000 through the Kohl’s A Community with Heart Program. This program is providing $5 million in grants to nonprofits nationwide with a mission to support family health and wellness.

Bob Kahl and Linda Rehorst honored by U.S. Forest Service Marquette-area residents Bob Kahl and Linda Rehorst, longtime volunteers with the Hiawatha National Forest, have been selected to receive the U.S. Forest Service’s 2022 Eastern Region Volunteer Award in the Enduring Service category.

Kahl and Rehorst have been faithful volunteers in support of operations and maintenance of Grand Island National Recreation Area since 2011. In that time, they have amassed more than 9,000 volunteer hours on Grand Island, just west of Munising. Commuting from the Marquette area, they have consistently given their time two

or three days a week, and sometimes up to five.

“I don’t know two volunteers that deserve this [award] more than these two reliable volunteers,” said Mary Moore, Hiawatha Forest supervisor. “They are models for the volunteerism that the Forest Service strives to attract and retain in support of the Forest Service mission.”

UPHP rated among top Medicare-Medicaid plans

The Integrated Care Resource Center has announced that Upper Peninsula Health Plan has been rated one of the top Medicare-Medicaid health plans in the nation, based on the overall rating of the plan according to the 2022 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. UPHP’s score of 90 out of 100 placed it at the top of the ranking, tied with three other plans from across the country.

NMU Nordic skier wins pair of national titles

Kristoffer Karsrud, a member of Northern Michigan University’s Nordic ski team, captured two national titles at the U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships last month in Houghton. Karsrud, a sophomore from Raufoss, Norway, won the men’s classic sprint and freestyle sprint. His national championships are the first for the program since 2015.

MooseWood sponsors

‘Cans for Critters’ drive

The MooseWood Nature Center in Marquette seeks donations of cans and plastic bottles as part of its “Cans for Critters” program. The drive will provide the nature center with valuable income to help with operational costs along with the care and feeding of its resident educational animals. Plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door of the nature center on Peter White Drive in Presque Isle Park from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Organizers request that glass bottles be removed from donations.

Lake Superior Knitters to meet at history center

All community knitters are invited to assemble and explore knitting techniques at the Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St., Marquette. All skill levels are encouraged to join. Organizers hope this new group, Lake Superior Knitters, will be a way for individuals to sit and knit and for experienced knitters to share their knowledge with new knitters on a one-to-one basis.

Those wishing to learn to knit for the first time should bring a ball of worsted yarn (avoid solid dark colors), a 16-inch circular size 7 needle, a crochet hook and a few safety pins. A pattern for a basic hat will be available for beginners.

Participants are invited to bring a completed knit project with their name attached as well as the name of the pattern. Sharing work is always inspirational for others to explore new projects and techniques.

Meetings will take place on the second and fourth Tuesdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. A participation donation of $1 to $5 per person will be made to the MRHC at each session. Contact beedhive47@yahoo.com for more information.

Sewing-related fundraiser honors life of Sarah Doubledee

Asuccessful Everything Sewing event at the Federated Women’s Clubhouse raised more than $20,000 in October for the Marquette community. Organizers said the success of the fundraiser was due to the contributions of one person, Dr. Sarah Doubledee, who passed away on Feb. 23, 2022.

Her lifetime passion of sewing resulted in a significant accumulation of sewing and quilting supplies that she bequeathed to the Marquette Quilters Association and Marquette Lions Club. This donation resulted in a fourday sale and a substantial contribution in her honor.

Doubledee, known as Lion Sarah, was a committed member (for 34 years) of the Lions Club International and specifically the Lions of Marquette and the U.P. She rose through the ranks of the Marquette Lions Club to president, district governor and international leadership, always believing in the motto “We Serve.” She taught nursing at NMU for 20 years and retired as acting dean of graduate studies.

Environmental group sets annual event for March 10-11

The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition will present its annual Celebrate the U.P. event on March 10-11 in Marquette. The free, festive and informative program will include music, comedy, learning and more. Further details will be forthcoming at upenvironment.org.

The deadline for event and press release submissions for City Notes is the 10th day of the month prior to publication. Email your press release to editor@marquettemonthly.com.

MTU awarded $2.5 million to develop net-zero emission extraction technology

Amethod that dramatically speeds up carbon dioxide sequestration and also aids in the extraction of critical minerals from mine tailings will make its way from a Michigan Technological University lab to regional mines.

The project, to help mines in the Upper Peninsula and Minnesota achieve net-zero emissions while extracting critical minerals from mine tailings, has received $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The DOE awarded grants to develop rapid carbon mineralization and critical mineral extraction technology to 16 projects nationwide, totaling $39 million. Michigan Tech’s project is the only one in the state to receive funding from Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery, or MINER.

Michigan Tech’s project is titled “Energy Reduction and Improved Critical Mineral Recovery from LowGrade Disseminated Sulfide Deposits and Mine Tailings.” It seeks to permanently and cleanly mineralize and

store carbon dioxide, potentially enabling the mining industry to achieve net carbon zero while extracting critical minerals from low-grade ores, said principal project investigator Lei Pan, an associate professor in MTU’s chemical engineering department. Chemical engineering professors Tim Eisele and David Shonnard are co-project investigators on the three-year project.

“MINER research targets potential carbon-dioxide-reactive ores to unlock net-zero or net-negative emission technologies,” Pan said. “We will take carbon dioxide from the mining operation and store it safely and permanently in minerals. With our technology, we estimate 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide per year can be sequestered in mine tailings.

“In this project, we target kinetics. Mine tailings contain a substantial amount of carbon-dioxide-reactive minerals such as olivine, which can be used as a carbon sink. It’s been done before, but at a much slower pace. Our method greatly accelerates the kinetics of carbon dioxide sequestration

to achieve the result on an industrial scale in just four hours, rather than several years.”

The Michigan Tech team will work in partnership with the U.P.’s Eagle Mine in the U.P. and Polymer Mining in Minnesota.

The DOE initiative “is looking for disruptive and scalable technologies, and then deploying them at an industrial site,” Pan said. “This is why two major mining companies, both with nickel mining operations, have agreed to join us in this effort.”

Carbon sinks can absorb and store more carbon dioxide than they release, keeping what is the most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted by human activity from entering the atmosphere.

In addition to reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, MINER initiatives like the Michigan Tech project aim for a second goal that solves another important world challenge: extracting energy-relevant metals from silicate minerals for battery manufacturing.

Current methods used to sequester carbon dioxide through mineralization take several years. Michigan Tech researcher Lei Pan leads the effort to develop a novel process that will achieve a carbonization reaction in four hours. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Technological University)

U.P. schools hire alumni to coach football teams

Mettlach, a native of Gwinn, has been on MTU’s staff since ’17

Dan Mettlach was named Michigan Technological University’s head football coach in late November after the university decided not to renew the contract of Steve Olson. Mettlach joined the MTU staff in 2017 and had been serving as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach.

A Gwinn native, Mettlach was one of the top quarterbacks in Michigan Tech history from 2001-04. He was named an All-American, the 2004 GLIAC Player of the Year and a twotime All-GLIAC selection.

“Our goal is to be successful in all aspects of the program, both on and off the field,” athletic director Suzanne Sanregret said. “A quality football program is a valued part of Michigan Tech’s history, and we’re excited about the vision that Dan has to get us back to the top of the best NCAA Division II conference in the nation. Dan has the backing of our football alumni base, and his pro-style offense has been effective at every one of his coaching stops.”

“It is an honor to be named the next head football coach at Michigan Technological University,” Mettlach said. “As a former student-athlete here myself, I am familiar with the tradition of excellence and integrity we strive for as a university and within our athletic programs, and I am excited to be able to contribute to that. Michigan Tech is an amazing place, and my wife and I couldn’t be happier to continue rais-

Richardson returns to NMU after leading UNC at Pembroke

Former Northern Michigan University football player Shane

Richardson was hired as his alma mater’s head coach in late December after the resignation of Kyle Nystrom. Richardson was the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke for the past eight seasons.

Richardson played linebacker for the Wildcats from 1996-2000. He was named the team’s co-most improved player in 1998 and the most valuable linebacker in 2000.

ing our family in this community.”

Mettlach previously worked as an assistant coach at Finlandia University, Macalester College, Hillsdale College and Northern Michigan University. He ranks fifth in MTU history in total offense with a combined total of 6,348 yards along with 66 touchdowns. He is seventh overall in passing yards, completing 358 attempts for 5,261 yards and 50 touchdowns. He helped guide the Huskies to a GLIAC championship and the program’s first trip to the NCAA tournament in 2004.

“The opportunity to come back to a place where my love of college football was forged is incredible,” Richardson said. “This program has a lot of potential for success, and I’m looking forward to leading it. The pride that I have as a Wildcat, combined with the familiarity of Marquette and the Upper Peninsula, is a uniquely special fit. My family and I are excited to immerse ourselves into the community, connect with alumni and to be a part of this great university and football program.”

Richardson served as head coach of UNC Pembroke since 2014. During his tenure, the school played as an NCAA independent until 2020, when it became a member of the Mountain East Conference. He compiled a 3748 record, including a 10-2 mark in 2016, leading the Braves to the second round of the conference playoffs.

Richardson was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Pem-

broke from 2006-13. He also had stops at NMU, Jamestown and North Dakota State.

“I am pleased that Shane Richardson will be our next football coach,” NMU athletic director Rick Comley said. “He is a loyal and proud alumnus who has grown while at UNC Pembroke and will use that experience to move Wildcat football back toward contention in the GLIAC. NMU is proud of its football program, and this is our first step on the road back to our expected level of support and success.”

NMU basketball moving to Vandament Arena

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved capital projects in December: a $550,000 budget for the design phase of a research and teaching lab addition in the science complex budgeted for $11.7 million; and $2.5 million in renovations to Vandament Arena to accommodate both NMU volleyball and basketball.

NMU has contracted with an architect to design an addition to Weston Hall and the Science Building that will house six labs and faculty offices. Meetings with academic departments that will use the lab were initiated in

November and will continue into the winter semester. The goal is to begin construction in fall 2023 to enclose the space so that interior work can continue through the winter.

Vandament Arena, already home to Wildcat volleyball and a practice facility for the basketball teams, will be renovated to accommodate basketball home games. The project will create U-shaped stadium seating for 1,700 fans, with some courtside seating and a modernized look.

The basketball teams currently compete in the Berry Events Center, sharing the facility with the Wildcat

hockey program. NMU Vice President for Finance and Administration Gavin Leach told the board’s finance committee that there have been numerous issues with transitioning the ice sheet to a wooden floor and then back again — sometimes twice on the weekends. He also said moving basketball to Vandament opens the facility to greater rental opportunities and should create a better fan experience and potential boost in attendance.

Trustee Bob Mahaney, who chairs the finance committee, said athletic director Rick Comley and the affected coaches all support the shift.

“One of the qualitative benefits of this project is athletic recruitment, because student-athletes will be able to practice and play on the same court,” Mahaney said. “There’s also the community and regional impact.

Northern used to host the regional finals for high school basketball. It was a great way to recruit a general student population to the university. We lost that, but this project may help bring it back. We may never be able to measure all these benefits, but I sincerely feel the return on investment is significant.”

Dan Mettlach played quarterback for the Huskies from 2001-04. (Photo courtesy of MTU)

Shane Richardson was a Wildcat linebacker from 1996-2000. (Photo courtesy of NMU)

Photos provided by Superior View Studios, located in Art of Framing,

City Hall in Ishpeming, pictured circa 1900, was built between 1889 and 1891. It is located at 100 E. Division St. and originally housed a jail and library in addition to city government offices.

Now known officially as the Ishpeming Municipal Building, the structure is a Michigan State Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

ABRIDGED TOO FAR

REpRInTED FROm ThE New York Times

By Michael SchloSSBerg / edited By Will Shortz

6 Burner on a range?

7 Michigan liberal-arts college

8 Certain collateral

9 Convict, in old slang

10 Persian Gulf territory 11 Gamer’s headache

12 Degree in mathematics?

13 Voice role for Snoop Dogg in 2019’s ‘‘The Addams Family’’

14 Federal agent who was the inspiration for Dick Tracy

15 Nightmare

16 Addressed

17 Manatee

18 Adspeak claim of convenience

24 Gin add-in

25 German refusal

26 One of Cuba’s Castros

31 Subject line abbreviation

33 Wild group, for short

34 One of many in the ‘‘Disney Morgue’’

35 Leave gobsmacked

38 Scoreboard letters at MetLife Stadium

39 D.O.J. branch

40 Helpful connections

41 Halloween symbol

42 Busy month for a C.P.A.

46 Turn from an old pallet into a bookcase, for example

47 Title for Charlie Chaplin

49 ‘‘Toy Story’’

Capturing the moment

Award-winning artist draws inspiration from water, woods and light

By Erin Elliott Bryan

If you’re ever wandering through the secluded woods of the U.P.’s Garden Peninsula, near the shore of Big Bay de Noc, don’t be alarmed if you see a man dragging a canoe through the trees. The man could be photographer Paul Arno Rose and no, he’s not going fishing. He’s likely setting up a shot with only a narrow window of time to capture the perfect morning light, and sometimes his activities draw a group of onlookers.

“People wonder what the hell I’m doing,” Rose joked.

Rose, who lives near Garden, has called the U.P. home for the last 20 years. He describes himself as “truly a Michigan person” and takes inspiration from the natural environment — the water, the woods, the light.

His recent piece titled “Magnificat Light of Fall” depicts a cedar strip canoe floating in tall weeds on Lake Michigan’s Ogontz Bay. It was selected for display in Northern Exposure XXIX, an annual regional competition of Escanaba’s Bonifas Arts Center, and was named the winner of the exhibit’s Media Award, which was sponsored by Marquette Monthly.

The juried exhibit encourages Upper Peninsula artists to create new artworks and showcases a comprehensive look at the contemporary artwork being created in the U.P. “Northern Exposure encourages artists to continue to create new stuff,” said Kate Oman, the center’s gallery coordinator. “There are not a lot of opportunities in the area to have a juried show. We want to make sure the community is exposed to the best of the best the U.P. has to offer.”

Oman said it’s fun to watch artists grow and evolve with the submission of new work, as pieces must have

been created within the last two years and not been exhibited at the Bonifas before. “It pushes artists to do better,” she said. “It helps drive their artistic talents.”

Rose’s “Magnificat Light of Fall” is one of several pieces he has created using old boats. “Light is really important to me,” he said, describing the photograph, which he executed last fall. “The early morning light is so magical. On this particular morning, it was cold, steam was rising off the water and I didn’t have much time to shoot.”

He said the final photograph cap-

“Lost Souls of Ukraine” earned a Featured Artist award in Northern Exposure XXIX. (Photo by Paul Arno Rose)

tures the “drama of the morning. … It creates this emotion that draws people in. I want them to experience, as much as I did, that morning moment.”

Rose credits his grandfather Otto, with whom he was very close, for influencing his early love of art. Otto fled Germany in 1938 and later owned a picture-frame shop in Detroit. He was skilled at gold leaf and often restored large and intricate frames for the Detroit Institute of Art. “Gold leafing is an art form,” Rose said. “He taught me how to gold leaf these moldings. That’s how I made extra money as a kid.”

After graduating from high school in 1970, Rose developed an interest in art, specifically watercolor painting.

He spent five years at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit, which is now the Center for Creative Studies. He was part of a graduating class of just four students and earned a degree in photography. “I wanted to study painting, but my parents wanted me to do photography,” he said. “But my painting classes influenced my photography.”

Rose stepped away from art as he worked to build Blue Otter Technologies, a sound and video production company that did work for General Motors and Ford as well as the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The company became incredibly successful, and Rose found himself working seven days a week.

“Magnificat Light of Fall,” above, and “Hiawatha Dream” display a common motif in Paul Arno Rose’s photography: old boats on water in evocative light. (Photos by Paul Arno Rose)

The grueling schedule began to catch up with him. He suffered a stroke in his left eye, which he subsequently lost. He also experienced a divorce and the death of his dog. When he took time to reevaluate his work life, he said, “I realized I had enough. I’m an artist. I wasn’t a person who should be running a business.”

He decided to head north. Rose had visited the U.P. as a child before the Mackinac Bridge was built, and he had taken his two sons to hockey camps at Northern Michigan University and Michigan Tech University. “I just enjoy this area,” he said.

Rose settled near Garden and lives within walking distance of Fayette State Park. He has always lived near the water and grew up on a boat, so it was natural for him to incorporate boats and water into his work, especially the cedar strip canoes. “People write to me with memories of similar boats,” he said. “An emotional attachment seems to be there with these old boats. I want to preserve them for the next generation to see.”

In addition to boats, Rose sometimes uses other props to add to the natural landscape, transforming his compositions. The Bonifas exhibit also featured his “Lost Souls of Ukraine,” which depicts a collection of empty chairs atop the frozen Big Bay de Noc. “I was looking for a way to make a statement,” he said. “How do I do that in the U.P.?”

Rose said it took some six to seven weeks for the conditions to be right to achieve what he was trying to create. He had to wait for snow to blow in off the water, and he moved the chairs around in various configurations. “It was almost like painting the image, but it was a photograph,” he said.

In an artist’s statement about the piece, Rose said he used toys and a baby’s chair to signify the Ukrainian families that have been lost and linked “today’s tragedy in Ukraine” with his own family history from World War II. He wrote: “The windswept setting out on the ice of one of our Great Lakes sets the all-too-familiar scene of the bleak, cold and haunting times that we see ourselves in again as history repeats itself. I want the Ukrainian people to know that I wish them the love and peace they deserve, and I stand with them, as I believe people around the world stand with them, too.”

Rose’s “Lost Souls of Ukraine” also earned a Featured Artist award as part of Northern Exposure XXIX and was selected for display, along with some of his other pieces, at Gallery on 5th in Calumet.

In addition to his time in the U.P., Rose spends part of the winter in

southern New Mexico with his partner, who is a potter. But he’s always happy to return. “When I leave and come back,” he said, “I’m very appreciative of where I’m at.”

Rose has also become more involved in projects that help to protect the environment and the lakeshore and is starting to explore his original interest in painting watercolors.

He described his “Magnificat Light of Fall” as an image with a watercolor effect, which is something he achieves using multiple cameras and digital technology. “As a painter would work out the details to a final creation of a master work in sketches, I used several cameras to explore the opportunities of what I am developing as a vision and creative statement,” Rose wrote in his artist statement. “What opportunities the digital world has given to the creative mind for visual exploration!”

It all comes back to the emotion for Rose. “I have to break the rules sometimes to get to the emotion,” he said. Viewers engage with his work when the emotion is there.

Rose shot “Magnificat” during duck season. Despite the gunshots he heard all around him, he sought to create a peaceful, comforting image. “They were taken away from the real world to a place that’s a different reality,” he said. “It’s not easy to do, finding that moment. But I brought them to a very silent place to meditate for five minutes or as long as they like.”

Rose’s work has been included in many exhibits and galleries around the country. Locally, his work is displayed at Gallery on 5th in Calumet, Lake Effect Art Gallery in Manistique, UP~Scale Art in Munising, Zero Degrees Gallery in Marquette and Erickson Center for the Arts in Curtis.

He has been a member of the Bonifas Arts Center since he moved to the U.P. and has exhibited his work there on several occasions. “The Bonifas is an important place for me,” he said. “It’s a community of artists. I really believe in that community of other artists and those who want to see the arts. It’s a place to showcase what we do as visual artists.”

Northern Exposure XXIX closed in December, but the awards ceremony can be viewed on the Bonifas Arts Center’s Facebook page. Additional information is available at bonifasarts. org. For information on Rose and his work, visit www.paularnorose.com.

Erin Elliott Bryan grew up in Ishpeming and was the MM calendar editor from 2001 to 2005. She is now a freelance writer.

‘Soul food is a gospel, and chefs are its preachers’

By Katherine Larson

Goodness, it’s delicious. But why is it called “soul food”? Charla L. Draper, who describes herself as the founder of National Soul Food Month, explains that soul food itself has in some form been around as long as Africans and African-Americans have been on this continent — some 400 years and more — but the term “soul” dates from the late 1940s. Black jazz musicians were losing out on the better-paying gigs, and they were understandably annoyed; “after all,” Draper writes, “they’d invented the genre.” Citing food historian Adrian Miller, she continues, “They decided to infuse something into their music that white musicians never could: ‘the sound of the Black church in the rural South,’” which they called “funky” or “soul.” The term “soul” spread, from soul music to soul brothers to soul food.

I do not doubt Draper’s and Miller’s expertise but confess that I’m a little disappointed to learn this, because for me the term has taken on a different connotation: food that feeds not just the body but also the soul. With a particular emphasis on its Black roots, of course; the soul being fed is the soul of a descendant of people who were enslaved.

In the words of Todd Richards, author of Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes: “Soul food is a black art form. Soul food is a gospel, and chefs are its preachers. It can be handed down once you know it, and once you’re proud of it.”

Freddy Sims, founder and exec-

utive director of the Marquette nonprofit Social Justice for Us, speaks of soul food like this: “Food is a great way to bring people in and share. Soul food particularly — our enslaved ancestors took the scraps they were giv-

en and turned them into bodacious meals filled with so much flavor that people outside our community wanted some too.”

That, plus the spirit of education which infuses everything Social Jus-

Freddy Sims, founder and executive director of Social Justice for Us, will offer Soul Food Sunday on Feb. 12 in collaboration with chef Alden MacDonald at Barrel + Beam. (Photo by Katherine Larson)

tice for Us presents, is why Sims and NMU Dining’s executive chef, Alden MacDonald CCC, are offering their Soul Food Sunday to the public. On Sunday, Feb. 12, from 3 to 7 p.m., all are welcome to feast at Barrel + Beam, 260 Northwoods Road, Marquette. Tickets, at $50 each, are available online through EventBrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/soulfood-sunday-tickets-424685976187.

What a feast it will be, with four meat courses: braised roasted duck, roasted chicken with an herb dressing, maple-glazed ham and brisket braised with herbs and West African spices. Fully nine side dishes will include carrots, stewed greens, okra soup and a range of salads and corn bread and crackling bread. Most notable, for Sims, will be the baked macaroni and cheese in their own aunties’ style, with a distinctive smoked cheddar topping. Sims has kindly agreed to share the recipe with us. (See the next page.)

As for dessert, for those who save room, the choices will be between sweet potato pie and coconut layer cake. All the food will be infused with soul.

Besides Sims’ family recipe for macaroni and cheese, the source for the feast to be served at Soul Food Sunday can be found in two cookbooks: Edna Lewis’ The Taste of Country Cooking: Thirtieth Anniver-

Freddy’s Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp of flour

2 tbsp of butter

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

8 oz cream cheese

2 cups shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese blend

2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar (can use less if you don’t like a sharp taste in your mac and cheese)

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup shredded Williams Smoked Cheddar cheese (Sims says this is a must)

paprika to taste

sary Edition and Michael A. Twitty’s The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South.

Sims explained that Twitty’s book is more about the “geology of food and places and how they came together,” while Lewis “put her teaching and experience with community” folkways into cooking that is “very seasonal, very local.”

Born in 1916, Lewis was the granddaughter of enslaved people and grew up on her grandfather’s farm in Freetown, Virginia, where she learned to cook with creativity, resourcefulness and the freshest of ingredients. Her father died when she was 16, and Lewis went north. After efforts at laundry work (unsuccessful) and as a seamstress (far more successful), she eventually fulfilled her dream of opening a restaurant in New York City with a business partner. Later she struck out on her own, building a catering clientele.

Lewis’ first cookbook appeared in 1972, but the book that put her name in lights was The Taste of Country Cooking (1976). Her editor was the same Judith Jones who had helped Julia Child and, as with Child, Jones persuaded Lewis to let her distinctive voice shine: childhood stories, Southern culture, African-American heritage and all. In doing so, she became one of the first Southern Black women to write a cookbook that did not hide the author’s name, gender or race. Beyond that, she wrote a superb book full of superb recipes. Other books followed, along with

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

2. Cook macaroni until just al dente or a little under al dente, then drain and rinse pasta and set aside to cool.

3. Begin roux: add butter to large pan and melt it. Sauté fresh garlic until aromatic, then add flour and whisk, cooking, until the roux is a very light tan brown.

4. Reduce heat, then slowly add heavy cream and whisk until thick. Slowly add milk and whisk. Once all the liquids are whisked in, add cream cheese and stir to combine.

5. Stir in all the shredded cheeses except the Williams Smoked Cheddar.

6. Taste the sauce and stir in salt, pepper and garlic powder until the sauce tastes good to you. Remove

from heat.

7. Add eggs to the cooled noodles, tossing them until fully incorporated.

8. Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish, add the egg-macaroni mixture, and pour the cheese mixture over macaroni; make sure it is distributed well.

9. Top with the Smoked Cheddar cheese. (Sims sometimes adds a little more shredded Colby Jack as well.) Sprinkle with paprika and more black pepper.

10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Do not over-bake. It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven, but it will firm up. Let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes or until fully set, then serve.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Residence at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. As a Black Jewish gay man, his exploration of his roots takes him along fascinating paths. His book is poetic, passionate and deeply personal.

And Twitty seems to resonate with what I think of as the “soul” in food: “My entire life I knew, and many others knew, that our daily bread was itself a kind of scripture of our origins, a taste track of our lives. It is a lie that food is just fuel. It has always had layers of meaning. … [In America,] ‘race’ endures alongside the sociopolitics of food; it is not a stretch to say that race is both on and at the Southern table. But if it is on the table alone we have learned nothing; we continue to reduce each other to stereotypical essences.”

accolades galore. Her honors include the James Beard Living Legend Award in 1999, the same year Lewis was named “Grande Dame” by Les Dames d’Escoffier International. The stamp issued by the United States Postal Service in her memory in 2014, eight years after her death, shows her to be a grande dame indeed.

Most of the dishes being offered in Marquette on Soul Food Sunday come from Lewis’ classic Taste of Country Cooking. Two — West African brisket and cowhorn okra soup — are found in Twitty’s Cooking Gene, which is much less a cookbook and much more a memoir and cultural history. Twitty himself is a culinary and cultural historian, a TED Fellow and speaker, a Smith Fellow with the Southern Foodways Alliance and Revolutionary in

Twitty continues: “It is not enough to be white at the table. It is not enough to be black at the table. It is not enough to be ‘just human’ at the table. Complexity must come with us — in fact it will invite itself to the feast whether we like it or not.”

Sims added, “Food brings everyone together. As we literally break bread together, we break tensions between us. Eating together allows us to live in the moment, to put aside whatever may clash between us and focus on eating, with shared vulnerability and shared commitment, together.” MM

Katherine Larson is a writer, teacher and former lawyer who firmly believes in the power of food to bring people together.

Soul food has inspired a rich literary tradition, including several notable works by Edna Lewis. (Photo by Katherine Larson)

Steve Lindberg, retired educator and state legislator, finds creative fulfillment in wildlife photography

The thrill of the chase

By Kristi Evans

Steve Lindberg has gained an impressive following for his wildlife photography, instigated primarily by a rare image he posted in 2019 that generated international social media shares and news coverage. He shot it on Nov. 10 — five days before the whitetail rifle season opened. Lindberg had just returned to his home in Marquette Township, feeling upbeat after capturing quality images of a pair of playful otters gliding on a patch of ice, when he spotted a buck and small doe in his yard. Such sightings are common on his wooded lot along Badger Creek, but Lindberg perceived something atypical about the buck’s massive rack. It was only after he snapped a few photos and retreated inside to pull them up on his larger computer screen that he realized there were three distinct antlers protruding from the animal’s head, an anomaly he had never before encountered.

Lindberg made a resolution years earlier to post one photo he took each day on Facebook. He started by sharing adventures with his late foster dog, Gizmo, and Max, a Shih Tzu who still accompanies him on outings. Then he began incorporating wildlife more consistently. On the day he posted the three-antlered deer photo and asked if anyone had ever seen such a buck, his relatively quiet life quickly veered toward chaos.

“Two hours later, a woman I worked with in the legislature contacted me,” said Lindberg, who represented Michigan’s 109th House District for the maximum three terms. “Her husband worked for the Detroit News and wanted permission to publish the picture online. All of a sudden, Facebook blew up. The local TV stations contacted me, then the BBC. The photo was also on the Today show, the CBC, Fox News Channel and in USA Today and other publications. It was three days of absolute insanity. I initially told [my wife] Paulette it would be a bother, but decided to go along with it

because I figured it would never happen again.”

Most comments on his photo were highly favorable. For the skeptics who questioned its authenticity, Lindberg posted a second shot of the buck from a slightly different angle to “dispel any Photoshop rumors.” The ripple effect of additional exposure continued. National comedian Joe Pera, who played a Marquette middle school choir teacher in a former TV series, even referenced the three-antlered deer in one episode, with Lindberg’s name appearing in the post-show credits.

That defining shot may have escalated public interest in his photography, but Lindberg’s appreciation for the medium and subsequent involvement traces back to his childhood growing up in Carlshend, about

20 miles south of Marquette. He remembers two books that sparked his interest. The Family of Man featured all 503 images from the eponymous and monumental 1955 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which focused on humanism and the commonalities that bind people and cultures worldwide. A second book about a wildlife photographer described a career path that he found intriguing.

Lindberg owned several film cameras as his hobby “waxed and waned” over the years, and he made the transition to digital when his grandson began playing sports. He took a hiatus from photography during his sixyear legislative stint in Lansing (he was first elected in 2006), but picked it up again in earnest as a creative

outlet during retirement. The former high school educator and counselor even enrolled in NMU photography courses to enhance his technical skills and a field ornithology course to gain insight on birds, his most frequent close-up subjects.

As a U.P. native, Lindberg had embraced the hunting and fishing culture from a very young age. He eventually stopped pursuing deer with a rifle when he realized the thrill of the kill was gone.

“I just reached a point after many years when it wasn’t as satisfying anymore,” he said. “I also realized there were other things I enjoyed about hunting more than the harvest, like being at peace with myself in nature and closely observing what was around me. Photography gives me the

Steve Lindberg, who served in the state House of Representatives for six years, now expresses his creativity through wildlife photography. (Photo by Kristi Evans)

same primal thrill of the chase and locating the animal, but now I only shoot it with my camera.”

Lindberg said he is often asked where he sees all of the wildlife depicted in his photos. He estimates 80 percent of his work originates within the city or township, adding that there are more whitetails in his backyard than there were at deer camp.

“Wildlife is here, but it has adapted to being around humans and is so compressed, there aren’t a lot of places for animals to hang out,” he said. “We need to respect the fact wildlife don’t want us too close. They’re doing what they need to do to stay alive, and we don’t want to put them in peril. If I know of an owl’s nest or fox den, I keep a respectful distance and don’t stay too long. I only share these locations with photographers or other people I know will respect the animals, because too much human traffic can agitate them.”

The mammal Lindberg most enjoys photographing is the red fox. He

also likes the river otter. He classifies birds as his favorite subject of all because they’re the hardest to capture. Pine grosbeaks, which he calls winter parrots because of the males’ vibrant colors, are among the tamest. “Others — even chickadees — are always darting around,” Lindberg said. “I just love the challenge of capturing wildlife in action rather than perched somewhere or sitting still.”

Just after New Year’s, Lindberg allowed this Marquette Monthly writer to accompany him and pet Max on one of his combination “driveabout/walkabout” urban photo safaris. His primary target was Bohemian waxwings. Shortly into the tour, a flock of about 30 descended upon a crab apple tree on NMU’s campus but flitted away too quickly for him to capture with his Canon R5 and 100-500mm telephoto lens through the open window of his truck. The same scenario repeated itself at a few more locations. Despite the presence of other birds and waterfowl, Lindberg did not depress his

Steve Lindberg’s camera has captured a wide variety of wildlife, including a male pine grosbeak, above, and a Bohemian waxwing. (Photos by Steve Lindberg)

shutter button once, demonstrating the selectivity exercised by wildlife photographers.

“This hobby also requires a lot of patience. If that’s a virtue, I’m not very virtuous,” he joked. “Sometimes I’ll try to improve on that quality by playing a game with myself, where I can’t leave a place until I see an animal. Then when I see one, I have to count to 100 before I leave.”

Lindberg searches for potential subjects based on their preferred food sources and environments, but part of the lure is the lack of certainty of what he will find. He might discover a species that is not supposed to be in this area, like the mountain bluebird he spotted in a tree near Founder’s Landing. He can hit the jackpot one day, photographing a menagerie including a fox, mink, Townsend’s solitaire thrush and several deer, yet come up empty on other days like this one.

“That’s just the way it goes, especially during the slower winter season,” he said. “It’s also why I no longer hold myself to the standard of posting a photo taken each day; I was putting too much pressure on myself and felt like I was becoming a little OCD about it. When I don’t have something new to share, I just mix in some past wildlife favorites or shots of Max. Regardless of whether I shoot a photo, it’s never wasted time to be outdoors breathing fresh air while taking in the sights and sounds. I don’t think I’d be happy as a studio photographer. I also get to cross paths with some talented local nature and nighttime photographers who’ve taught me a lot.”

Right after the surprising response to his three-antlered buck photo, Lindberg agreed to print copies for the Marquette Regional History Center’s holiday art sale that same month. He also received a small payment for an albino deer image published by Lake Superior Magazine. These are more exceptions than the rule. Lindberg said he did not initially pursue wildlife photography as a revenue generator, nor has he explored ways to monetize his passion now that more people are following his work. But he did acknowledge a “hidden agenda” behind his hobby: increasing others’ appreciation for the magic of wildlife so they might be more motivated to protect animals for his great-grandchildren and future generations to enjoy.

“Just think about monarch butterflies,” he said. “It’s so amazing they can be in the U.P., lay eggs on a milkweed plant and transform from a tiny egg into a caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. With a brain no bigger than a pinhead, they fly to Mexico, where

they raise more that eventually start their return north. The butterflies stop along the way to reproduce, so it takes three or four generations to make it back to the U.P. But the monarchs are in big trouble. So are birds. I’ve seen some of those disappear in my lifetime. If my photos play even a small role in helping people recognize the value of wildlife and the importance of preserving it, that’s all I can ask.”

On a related note, Lindberg enthusiastically endorsed a “fascinating” book he had just finished, titled An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. Author Ed Yong encourages humans to venture beyond their own unique sensory bubble to understand how other species perceive and experience their surroundings.

To view Lindberg’s wildlife photography on a consistent basis, follow him at facebook.com/steve.lindberg.94.

Kristi Evans is a PR professional, writer and hobby photographer who spends much of her free time outdoors. She has served on the board of the Marquette Area Chapter of the North Country Trail Association since fall 2021.

This three-antlered deer brought Steve Lindberg international media attention.

(Photo by Steve Lindberg)

State Games of Michigan back in Marquette County this month

Celebrating winter sports

By Jamie Glenn

For the second straight February, Marquette County will play host to the Meijer State Games of Michigan, a multi-sport, Olympic-style competition featuring athletes of all ages and abilities.

The opening ceremony is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, at Marquette Mountain Resort. Adaptive and inclusive winter-themed events will continue throughout the weekend at several venues in the county: downhill skiing and snowboarding at Marquette Mountain; bowling at River Rock Lanes in Ishpeming; cross country skiing at Suicide Hill in Ishpeming; wrestling at the Superior Dome; snowshoeing at Rippling River Resort; curling at Lakeview Arena; luge at Upper Peninsula Luge Club in Negaunee; and figure skating at the Berry Events Center.

“In Marquette, this will be the second year that we’ve launched a sports

hub,” said Eric Engelbarts, executive director of the State Games of Michigan. “The games are a celebration of sports where these athletes come together, they get to participate in a big opening ceremony and then compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. It’s a national-caliber event held locally at the state level.”

One of the organization’s local partners is Travel Marquette. “The parade of athletes and torch-lighting parade are really fun to see,” said Susan Estler, president and CEO of Travel Marquette. “The opening ceremony gives a sense of being a broader scope than just your regular activities that go on.”

The Great Lakes Sports Commission and Northern Michigan University worked together to host Marquette’s first state winter games in 2022 as an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to gather and celebrate athletes. The winter games were previously held in Grand Rapids, but or-

Marquette Mountain Resort will be the site of the opening ceremony and the ski and snowboard competitions. (Photo courtesy of the State Games of Michigan)

ganizers looked for a more suitable climate. “The snow became more and more inconsistent down in Grand Rapids,” Engelbarts said. “We were able to work with Travel Marquette to find a new hub here last year.”

Over the span of 10 years statewide and now two years locally, Engelbarts and his team have worked to provide an opportunity for athletes of all ages and ability levels to participate in sports they enjoy. “It’s fun to go from a concept, into planning stages, into implementation,” he said. “But ultimately, when you get to the event and see the parade of athletes, fireworks going off and see those athletes walking around with the bling — the gold, silver and bronze medals — it makes all that planning and time that goes into it worth it.”

Engelbarts said the Meijer State Games concept is built upon three pillars: participation, sportsmanship and healthy living. “We want to make sure the games are as inclusive as possible,” he said.

There are many moving parts in an event like the Meijer State Games. According to the organization’s website, the winter games in Marquette are supported by title sponsor Meijer, NMU (host of the opening ceremony), Eagle Mine, Peninsula Fiber Network, Travel Marquette, Holiday Inn, Krist Oil, Great Lakes Sports Commission, SAIL Disability Network of the Upper Peninsula and Special Olympics of Michigan.

“This event isn’t possible without the support of the local community,” Engelbarts said. “That includes busi-

nesses that sponsor the event, local sports associations that get on board to help run the event and then, of course, the participation of the athletes in the local community. Eagle Mine has stepped up and sponsored our adoptan-athlete program, which makes sure that anybody who wants to participate in the games has the ability to do so.” Eagle Mine will cover the registration fees for participants who are unable to do so themselves.

Engelbarts said the coronavirus pandemic has played a big role in athlete participation in recent years, but he hopes to see more competitors sign up in 2023 and beyond. “The more people that we can expose the games to, the better off we’ll be, and

the residents of Michigan will be as well,” he said. “We’re trying to get back to the pre-pandemic participation levels. This last year [including the summer games in Grand Rapids], some sports were 110 percent back, and some sports were not all the way there. We look forward to getting back to a normal year, where participation continues to rise. Our goal is to be a motivator for Michigan residents to get out and moving around.”

Travel Marquette has played a significant role in promoting the upcoming winter games throughout the community to help boost athlete participation and overall attendance. Among other promotional activities, Estler said the organization has been

distributing flyers in local schools. Registration for many sports is open until the day of the event, but Engelbarts encourages athletes to sign up early to lock in lower registration fees. Those fees will increase as the games get closer. The athlete and volunteer sign-up forms can be found on the State Games of Michigan website: stategamesofmichigan.com. MM

Jamie Glenn is a U.P. native who graduated from NMU in 2018 with a degree in creative writing and journalism. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys advocating for disability rights, playing sled hockey and listening to live music.

The bowling competition will take place at River Rock Lanes in Ishpeming. (Photo courtesy of the State Games of Michigan)

Sled dog school

Clubs at MTU and NMU introduce students to mushing

By Brad Gischia

Among the multitude of extracurricular activities that colleges offer to their students, two groups at Upper Peninsula universities stand out: The mushing clubs at Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan are believed to be the only student organizations in the country dedicated to sled dog racing.

Michigan Tech’s club was established in 2018 by students Adam Schmidt and Claire Hendricks. The group at NMU started two years later. Current club president Alex Weeden was one of the founding members. “My friend group in the dorms had been running dogs since they were

kids,” she said, “and I fell in the ranks.”

Suz Harris, president of the MTU club, learned about the organization through a newsletter sent by their dad, a Tech alumnus. “I have always been into winter sports in general, and I love animals,” Harris said. “When fall hit the next year, I joined up.”

The Mushing Club at Michigan Tech runs dogs out of a kennel called Otter River Sled Dog Training Kennel and Adventure Tours, owned and operated by Tom and Sally Bauer of Tapiola. “We’ve got 48 dogs right now,” Tom Bauer said. “If I didn’t have a posse coming with me to race, I’d keep a kennel of between 30 and 40. But since [the MTU students are]

out here helping out and interested in racing, I keep the numbers a little higher.”

The interest in racing isn’t the only thing required to become a successful musher. Harris spends anywhere from two to five days a week at Otter River helping out with the care, training and running of the dogs. “If I’m out there every day, I’m training dogs,” Harris said. “Typically I’ll run my team every other day, especially when I’m training for a race, or other people’s teams if they don’t have time. Usually I’m there for four to six hours. Most of it is caring for the dogs and getting to know them.”

In Marquette, Weeden said, there is a lot of interest in mushing, including on the NMU campus, but time is an issue for all students. “There aren’t many kennels we can get to nearby,” she said. “The one we’re partnered with right now is almost an

Sky Harris and team race in the Gunflint Mail Run in Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of the Mushing Club at MTU)

hour away.” The NMU Mushing Club works with Mother North Mushing and Erica Tieppo.

Weeden said the club’s activities begin even before there is snow on the ground. “We go into dryland racing during the fall season,” she said. “We’ll probably try to continue that in the spring again to get mushers experience on the runners. Dryland racing is bikes, scooters or a wheeled cart, which we call a rig.”

Like Harris, Weeden also spends a lot of time at the kennels. “I personally like to get out to work at the kennel,” she said, “but we don’t make it mandatory for the club unless you want to race a team. Then the kennel takes care of the initial training, and we could go out to do maintenance training.”

Bauer, owner of the Otter River kennel, said he sees a wide range of involvement among the students. “To some kids, it’s just a club,” he said. “They come out, pet some dogs, do some chores, maybe take a sled for a ride. Then you have students like Suz, who come out three to four times a week and have a training schedule. They’re here so much that I feel like I can leave for a week and they can run the kennel for me.”

Weeden said mushers engage in physical training themselves while they train their teams. “I hit the gym a lot before a race,” she said. “It’s a shockingly difficult sport. I end up running hills alongside my team often, so that when they get to the top of the hill they’re not completely worn out.”

Bauer said students must earn the right to race by putting in the work. “You have to make sure the dogs are taken care of,” he said. “People who

come out for tours pay for it. The students are no different. They earn the right to drive the dogs by taking care of them. It’s always been a club premise. If you want to race, you have to train.”

The decision on who races falls mostly to Bauer. He wants to see that students have taken the time to get to know the dogs. “There’s a different kind of respect for the animals when they’re out there working,” Bauer said. “They truly have taken that men-

Michigan Tech’s mushing club is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, established in 2018. (Photo courtesy of the Mushing Club at MTU)

YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE DOGS ARE TAKEN CARE OF. STUDENTS EARN THE RIGHT TO DRIVE THE DOGS BY TAKING CARE OF THEM. IF YOU WANT TO RACE, YOU HAVE TO TRAIN.

Contact the clubs to get involved

The NMU Mushing Club is always looking for new members, and for kennel owners and mushers who might be willing to work with the club, even if it’s just for kennel help. Interested parties can email weedena@nmu.edu or contact the club through its Facebook page, facebook.com/mushingatnmu.

The Mushing Club at Michigan Tech can be contacted through its website (themushingclub.com), Facebook page (facebook.com/mushingatmtu) or on Instagram (instagram. com/mushingatmtu).

Otter River Sled Dog Training and Adventure Tours can be found at facebook.com/otterriversleddogs.

tality, that success principle, and have made it their own. They feel like these are their dogs and this is their kennel. It makes them successful at taking a team and driving them.”

The students aren’t the only ones in

school. Bauer said he’s learned a lot over the years by observing students adjust to his world. “I’ve learned a lot about patience myself,” he said. “It’s easy to get locked into your mode, how you do things, and I’ve learned

how to be more adaptable by watching how these students have adapted. A lot come out here with social issues, trouble finding their place. Out here there’s no pressure to fit in. They have the dogs and they have me, and I’ve

seen those students just come and be their own person.”

Both clubs are racing this winter. Weeden is planning to run the Jack Pine 30 this month, for which she’ll borrow a team and rig from a friend in New Hampshire. “It’s a matter of trust between me and my lead dog,” Weeden said. “You have to know your dogs. Your trust is important. In training it’s OK to take untried dogs, but in a race you have to know them.” The MTU club and Otter River raced the Gunflint Mail Run in Minnesota in January.

Interest in the sport is high at both schools. “This year specifically I was pretty worried, because a lot of our core members graduated last year,” Harris said. “But we saw a really big spike in interest this year. We’ve had a lot of people coming out all the time. There’s probably 150 people signed up through the school. Official members have to pay a small dues fee, that’s around 40, and consistent people every other week is around 20.”

Bauer said students are a key aspect of his kennel and racing program. “It’s not just free help for me,” he said. “In racing, there’s no magic to who are the best dog drivers and who has the winning teams. They’re the ones that take care of their dogs the best. It’s a total program of dog care

Michigan Tech’s mushing club has about 40 dues-paying members. Around 20 work at the kennel each week. (Photo courtesy of the Mushing Club at MTU)

and leadership skills.”

Harris pointed out that mushing is very much a team endeavor. “A very important thing to mention is how much different people put into the sport that make it possible,” Harris said. “Otter River, of course, and other kennels in the past, everyone who helps with races, sponsors, trail crew, volunteers — it’s amazing how everyone comes together.”

Harris also said there are some things they didn’t realize when they joined the mushing community. “There’s a lot of talk about dog abuse by people who don’t understand it,” Harris said. “When you go to a kennel, you see that it’s a different world. These dogs love what they do. The vet techs who come out to races do the job without payment, often paying their

own way to get and stay there. They do it because these are the healthiest dogs they see.”

Bauer added, “I’m so proud of these kids for sticking to it. Sometimes it’s grueling, and you just get through it. It’s important for people to understand that it’s not easy. They work really hard at this … and they put the dogs over everything else.”

“Trust your team,” Weeden said. “Be it human or dog, if you can’t trust who you’re working with, you won’t be successful.”

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.

Sled dog fans can watch several races

The Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association is staging three races in Marquette and Alger counties over the weekend of Feb. 16-20.

Headlining the event is the 33rd running of the UP200, a 216-mile race featuring 12-dog teams that begins on West Washington Street in downtown Marquette on Friday evening, Feb. 17. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with the race beginning at 7 p.m. Teams will head toward Grand Marais in Alger County with a checkpoint in Chatham. They will return to Marquette on Sunday, Feb. 19.

At 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 17, the second race of the weekend will get under way: the Midnight Run. This event uses the same starting line as the UP200, at the intersection of West Washington and Fourth streets. The

eight-dog teams will travel to Chatham and then, after a mandatory layover, back to Marquette, covering 82 miles.

The Jack Pine 30 in Gwinn is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. The six-dog teams will begin and end at First Baptist Church on North Billings Street.

For more information about the UPSDA and its three annual races, visit UP200.org.

CopperDog coming in March

The CopperDog series in the Keweenaw is set for March 3-5 in Calumet, Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor. There are now four races: 150, 80, 30 and 15 miles long. For details, visit copperdog150.com. MM

Vet techs who work at sled dog races say the animals are among the healthiest they see. (Photo courtesy of the Mushing Club at MTU)

Who’s in? Who’s out?

Halls of fame, including several in the U.P., offer entertainment and spark debate

By Larry Chabot

Halls of fame: Are you in one?

Me neither, even though there are more than enough to go around. Hundreds and hundreds of them. Halls, walls and walks of fame, shame, flame and a bunch of mythical characters. Since the dividing line between ins and outs is fuzzy, passionate arguments rage over those selected and those snubbed.

The tour starts in Marquette, where visitors to the Superior Dome find 260 wall plaques comprising the Northern Michigan University athletic hall of fame, which honors individuals as well as entire teams.

An impressive fact is that in 1997, two NMU alumni were named national coaches of the year: Lloyd Carr of the University of Michigan’s football team and Tom Izzo of Michigan State basketball.

Near the dome’s main ticket window is another array of plaques recognizing union officials for their contributions to workplace issues.

There is also a hall for Upper Peninsula athletes that has Izzo (an Iron Mountain native) as a member but not Carr (who was born in Tennessee and attended high school in metro Detroit). This collection is located at Pine Mountain Resort in Iron Mountain. Induction ceremonies are held at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris, and the entire contingent is searchable online.

Other U.P. schools have hallowed halls, like Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, whose honorees include three hockey teams that won Division I national titles. Michigan Tech’s hall in Houghton honors its three Division I championships from the John MacInnes era. Among its alumni is goalie Tony Esposito, who starred in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons and is also in that league’s hall of fame.

Another group with an honored list of 40 people is the U.P. Road Runners Club.

A world-renowned facility located along U.S. 41 in Ishpeming is the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum. The choice of Ishpeming is most appropriate because that city was the birthplace of organized skiing in America. The museum is worth a visit, saluting Olympic medalists and some famous recreational skiers such as actor Clint Eastwood.

Another home-grown facility is the International Frisbee and USA Guts Hall of Fame, housed in the Calumet Colosseum. Guts Frisbee has teams of players throwing a circular disc as hard as they can at a line of opposing players, who have to catch it before it hits the ground. The game was invented in the late 1950s in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The museum, honoring the oldest continuing disc sports activity in the world, displays discs, apparel, news items, trophies, posters and photos from around the globe.

Ping-ping! That’s the sound inside another pastime’s shrine: the pinball hall in Las Vegas, a popular facility

housing 250 active pinball machines that visitors can play for a modest fee. If you’re looking for the world kite

Illustration by Mike McKinney

hall, it’s in Long Beach, California, honoring the “art, science and sport” of kite flying and boasting an astounding collection of kites. Among its celebrated individuals is the beloved Charlie Brown of the Peanuts comic strip, whose kiting always ended in disaster.

Finally, in the world of sports, is a roster of characters in the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame who never existed in real life, such as Rocky Balboa of the Rocky movies (and his wife and his manager and his chief opponent, Apollo Creed), plus the likes of Forrest Gump, Homer Simpson and the cartoon dog Goofy, who made it in for a movie short about skiing. A major snub is the omission of heavyweight boxing champion Joe Palooka, a comic book legend who held the heavyweight championship for an amazing 54 years and was featured in movies and radio and TV serials. He even has a Pennsylvania mountain named for him.

Yes, there is a shrine for toys in Rochester, New York, with tributes to legendary toys and games like Crayola crayons, Etch A Sketch, Frisbee and Monopoly.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the home of the International Towing and Recovery hall, instituted in 1995 to recognize professional operators and those who lost their lives in this risky business. The hall is not far from the site where the very first wrecker was built in 1916.

Some sites require use of a dictionary to decipher their meanings. Take the National Snaffle Bit shrine in Gurnee, Illinois, which honors riders and horses in pleasure riding. It’s named for a part of the brace in a horse’s mouth — a term I never heard while saddling many horses in my youth.

The roll call of halls makes the mind reel: odes to model cars, jazz music, hip hop, polkas, team mascots, golf caddies, disc golf, video games, insurance, clowns, croquet, poker, robots, table tennis, barbers and, believe it or not, burlesque. The Freshwater Fishing hall in Hayward, Wisconsin, displays a giant fish 143 feet high. In Phoenix, one finds the Hall of Flame with more than 130 fire trucks on display (the oldest dating back to 1725). And wouldn’t you know that there are many halls of shame that trash disappointing people and events. Many of them are created by disappointed sports fans.

The Marquette area music scene has its own hall honoring local artists and supporters. Its members include the Marquette Symphony Orchestra, music stores, saloons, breweries, a ra-

dio station and individuals like Chuck Magee, the late road manager of the Rolling Stones.

Michigan’s own rock and roll hall of 120 members isn’t nearly as controversial as the national hall in Cleveland. That venue has endured protests, boycotts, ridicule and a suggestion to burn it down, mostly from artists critical of some inductees and numerous snubs. In addition, several musicians have declined induction, including Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Diana Ross.

Major League Baseball’s hallowed hall has also had controversy, with several otherwise eligible athletes banned for unacceptable personal conduct or use of steroids. Record holder Pete Rose has been shunned for betting on games, including his own team’s contests.

One of the most famous and most visited shrines (with 10 million people a year) is the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which stretches over 15 city blocks on the sidewalks of that California city. More than 2,700 celebrities in five entertainment categories are enshrined on this colorful walk. Want to nominate a favorite artist? First, get their approval, then file an application (which costs $250) and, if accepted, pony up $50,000 to pay for the process. Nonhuman honorees include Mickey Mouse, Lassie, Big Bird and Kermit the Frog. The site has been marked with acts of vandalism (such as stealing stars and painting slogans), and a number of long-forgotten performers have been removed.

Not everyone is a fan of halls of fame. Columnist Kurt Ullrich of the Des Moines Register spoke for many when he charged that “school athletic halls of fame honor the wrong successes” and should celebrate life success instead. Others claim that honoring athletic heroes and their triumphs is an equally important part of a school’s history. The Pendill Wall of Excellence at Marquette Senior High School is one such venue that honors notable graduates across a wide variety of fields.

Meanwhile, the discussions go on and on. In or out? Inclusive or exclusive?

Larry Chabot, an Ontonagon native, worked his way through Georgetown University and was then employed at White Pine Copper Company for 32 years, before moving to Marquette with his wife, Betty. He is a freelance writer who has written for several publications, including more than 180 articles for Marquette Monthly.

‘Every dive is an adventure’

By Larry Chabot

He’s a go-to guy on Great Lakes shipwrecks, which number anywhere from 6,000 to 25,000. Regardless of the total, Marquette’s Fred Stonehouse has personally visited many of them in their watery graves. Too many to count, he says.

Stonehouse is much more than a shipwreck diver. His impressive resume includes a wide variety of roles: author, lecturer, teacher, war veteran, maritime historian, sailor and elected official.

All one man? Yes, and more.

Born and raised on the New Jersey shore, Stonehouse early on loved the water and admitted in an interview with a local reporter that he’d never seen more than 10 inches of snow until he hit the Upper Peninsula.

Stonehouse is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed mariner (100 tons) with 40 years in Great Lakes shipwreck diving and research. His very first dive came off the shore of Marquette in 1967, followed by 30 years as an active diver. “Every dive is an adventure,” he said.

To fetch him from site to site, he’s owned and sailed seven different boats, having just sold his last one — a 32-foot Mainship cruiser — in August of last year. With his diving gear now in retirement, Fred has turned his passion into books on maritime history. He’s written more than 30 so far.

His first book was Great Wrecks of the Great Lakes, and his best-known and best-selling work was The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, about one of Lake Superior’s most famous tragedies. The Fitz sank in a storm in eastern Lake Superior in 1975, taking 29 mariners down with it. The Stonehouse book and Gordon Lightfoot ballad have served to keep the loss in popular memory.

His book output of more than 30 volumes in 40 years is almost unbelievable, considering that he was awfully busy with a variety of other pursuits during this period. How does he do it?

“Doing it as long as I have,” he said, “I know where the bodies are buried, so it’s the value of experience. Generally, the material goes from my mind directly to the [computer] with lots of printing, reading and editing. Am I writing one now? Always!”

Stonehouse’s works have been published by Lake Superior Magazine and Avery Color Studios, and his writing has earned him a reputation as a shipwreck expert. Most of the inquiries he gets are from people looking for new wrecks. Among his publishing efforts is Final Passage, the first known book about Great Lakes shipwrecks for children. His current history project is a manuscript about gold medal rescuers: 16 lifesaving crews that were awarded the Coast Guard’s coveted Gold Lifesaving Medal for outstanding rescues. His writing isn’t limited to books: He also pens articles for Lake Superior Magazine and other

publications.

The honors that have come Stonehouse’s way are many and varied. He was named historian of the year by the Marine Historical Society, won a distinguished alumni award from his alma mater, Northern Michigan University, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow, one of Rotary’s most prestigious awards for exemplary service in the local and international communities.

Stonehouse is also board president of the Marquette Maritime Museum, a consultant to the U.S. Park Service and Parks Canada, an on-air expert for various media programs and is an adviser for many regional productions. He’s also a teacher at his alma mater, specializing in maritime history, and manages his website, frederickstonehouse.com.

It doesn’t stop there, either. You haven’t heard about the cruises yet.

Stonehouse has been booked on more than 80 cruises to deliver lectures on maritime history, making several trips each year on the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and to Canadian and New England waters.

Among the sponsors of his trips is the distinguished Smithsonian Institution.

“We’ve been very lucky to have Fred as a Smithsonian Journeys expert,” Karen Ledwin, vice president of program management for Smithsonian Journeys, told Lake Superior Magazine in 2018.

“He’s just a wonderful storyteller, and his knowledge of the region is very deep. That is a tremendous asset when we’re bringing our travelers to the Great Lakes.”

“The cruises are on a variety of lines,” Stonehouse said, and are unlike the popular cruises advertised with exotic ports of call and never-ending buffets. He recently enjoyed sailing on a French ship with only 136 guests and a world-class chef. After reciting the entire menu from memory, he allowed that “it was the best meal I’ve ever had.”

There’s still more. Stonehouse was in the U.S. Army for 27 years, including service during the Vietnam era. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel and moved back to Marquette after retirement.

Believe it or not, despite the enormous demands on his time from all of the many items on his agenda, Stonehouse has found time to serve on the Marquette City Commission and was even the city’s mayor for a term. His rationale on public service: “Every citizen has the responsibility to help push the wagon.”

Larry Chabot, an Ontonagon native, worked his way through Georgetown University and was then employed at White Pine Copper Company for 32 years, before moving to Marquette with his wife, Betty. He is a freelance writer who has written for several publications, including more than 180 articles for Marquette Monthly.

Illustration of Fred Stonehouse by Mike McKinney

Through 30 books over 40 years, Fred Stonehouse has carved out a niche as an expert in the history of the Great Lakes

in the outdoors

Owls of the central U.P. Birds of prey provide the soundtrack of the night

Story and photos by Scot Stewart

“Advice from an owl: stay focused, be ‘whoo’ you are, trust in a wise friend, live off the land, glide through the dark times, be observant, life’s a hoot!”

—Ilan Shami

When the blizzards start to change the face of the Upper Peninsula in winter, life seems to change for everybody. Skunks and raccoons start spending much more time tucked in warm dens, avoiding wading through snow drifts until someone else has shoveled or packed down pathways they can use. Similar stories are told by the local deer mice and meadow jumping mice waiting in warmer places until conditions improve. They will wait until a light crust forms atop the snow to scamper around in search of weed seeds, remains at bird feeders and other topside food to forage.

Meadow voles begin to expand their subnivean tunneling (under the snow) to seek out pastures with grass still in edible form below that protective layer of snow. Red and gray squirrels huddle up in their drays, hoping they can jump the branches and ride across packed snow on warmer days to find stashed acorns and other treasures they hid months ago as they prepared for these wonderful winter days.

Deer begin looking for undercover spots in stands of white pine and eastern hemlock for the night when temperatures will be higher and the snow cover is lower to rest near food that is easy to find. Foxes, coyotes and wolves try to make meals of those struggling to make it through the challenges of winter. And the otters, well, they just continue having fun, looking for fish and crawdads, enjoying their easy lives in the water.

Winter months keep many people inside too, especially at night. Nighttime, though, may provide one of the most peaceful times to check for some of the best of the night life — owls in the neighborhood. During the winter months, the calls of two year-round

owls, barred and great horned, can break the silence of a cold night. Both have loud calls and may be calling to stake out their territory for nesting during the latter part of winter.

All told, there are 11 owl species known to be seen in Michigan, but their appearances are very different. The rarest is the barn owl, known to appear only occasionally in the southern Lower Peninsula. Eastern screech owls occur across most of the eastern United States, except for Maine and the northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, including the entire U.P. There are occasional

reports of them in the southern tier of central U.P. counties. The rest can be seen in the Upper Peninsula — at least on one occasion or another.

Northern hawk owls and boreal owls live year-round across most of Canada and Alaska in aspen-jack pine forests. They are both rare visitors to the Upper Peninsula and are only found here in some winters. Northern hawk owls are day-hunting owls and get their name from their appearance and their behavior. Among raptor profiles, owls often display a larger head than hawks. The northern hawk owl has a sleeker head than most owls,

A northern hawk owl displays its recently captured prey, a southern bog lemming.

(Photo by Scot Stewart)

which aids their quick dives from treetop perches to pounce on mice and voles on the ground.

Time of activity is the other distinguishing difference between most hawks and owls, with daytime and nighttime activity patterns typical for each. This is the other factor that helps explain the name hawk owl: It hunts during daylight hours.

The summer range of boreal, northern hawk and some great gray owls in the boreal forest provides them over 19 hours of daylight and twilight. At locations like Barrow, Alaska, on the tundra, daylight in June is 24 hours a day. Snowy owls have to be able to hunt during the daylight to survive and feed their hatchlings and young fledglings there. They all have to adapt to the time of year for hunting in light and dark conditions.

Northern hawk owls seem to appear most frequently in the eastern U.P., especially in the corridor south of Sault Ste. Marie. However, in recent years they have appeared in the Chassell area of Houghton County and in Marquette’s old compost area off Lakeshore Boulevard.

A northern hawk owl arrived in Marquette at the old compost area in late October 2019. Many birders drive to the Soo on a winter weekend to see this owl if it has been reported, or even drive to northern Minnesota to an area called the Sax-Zim Bog where great gray, snowy and northern hawk owls are often seen during winter. Seeing one in Marquette was a treat beyond belief. Even better, it stayed until mid-February 2020.

Unfortunately, the owl remained inside the restricted area of the old compost site most of the time, so opportunities to see it were sometimes limited or involved looking into the sun from the lake side of the property

in the afternoons. Still, dozens got to see it, and occasionally it wandered out to Wright Street and the practice fields across the road. Then, during the last 10 days of its stay, it started hunting outside the fence closer to Hawley Street and offered some amazing views, rewarding those who pressed on to see it. Shortly after that it disappeared.

The boreal owls are much rarer here, despite their range extending down through the northern half of the Rocky Mountains. They are rodent eaters too and most frequently turn up in the same corridor south of the Soo. This area has lots of fields where rodents are easier to find and where there is a surprisingly good food supply for them. During the winter months, besides plenty of grass and weed seeds, there is a supply of hay used to feed the horses returning from their summer work on Mackinac Island. Between the hay and their droppings, there is usually plenty of rodent food.

Snowy owls are probably the best known of the owls thanks to their exposure in films. They spend their summers in the tundra of Canada and Alaska and wander south when lemmings and other rodents grow scarce there. Summers with good lemming production often produce the largest number of young owls that head south when they have reduced those mammal numbers. These good years produce irruptions of the snowy owls, often sending them as far south as Georgia. An owl even made it to Hawaii one winter. They have been known to hitch rides on the backs of trucks and possibly ships too.

The shore of Lake Superior is a good spot to look for snowy owls. They will hunt ducks, especially smaller ones like buffleheads and common goldeneye, but they have

Snowy owls often perch on or near the ground. (Photo by Scot Stewart)

been known to take larger mergansers too when the water is open. There are also a surprising number of cottontail rabbits along the lake edge, as well as mice. A snowy owl was seen at the mouth of the AuTrain River several years ago with a merganser it had killed. Unfortunately, a bald eagle arrived, eager to have the duck for itself. After some flapping and hopping by both, the eagle finally gave up and flew off. The owl then left too to find a quieter place to eat. Another snowy owl is believed to have taken a longeared owl near the Lower Harbor breakwater in Marquette a few years ago; the dismembered parts of the smaller owl were found one morning on the structure as the snowy owl sat at the end near the light.

Snowy owls often perch near or on the ground, where they are accustomed to resting when on the tundra. With their coloration, they can blend

in well on snowy ground. Their biggest problems when they reach the Upper Peninsula are dehydration, often having crossed Lake Superior after a nonstop flight; contending with cars and trucks as they hunt along corridors like roads where mice and rabbits may be easier to see; and crows.

Crows have serious issues with all owls and will mob and dive-bomb them in attempts to drive them away. Larger owls, like great horned and snowy owls, will often hunt rabbits, rodents and birds and unsettle the crows. One of the best ways to locate an owl is to listen to the crows. When a murder — a large group of crows — gets extremely vocal and sounds agitated, there is probably an owl, cat, fox or even an eagle nearby. Blue jays can also join the crows, turning the affair into a real circus.

Northern saw-whet owls are relatively common, small owls of the

Boreal owls are more common in the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula than in the central. (Photo by Scot Stewart)

U.P., most commonly heard and occasionally seen in the warmer months. They can be found in places like cedar swamps hunting mice and insects. Some remain in the same area yearround, while others migrate south in fall. In winter, they can be found across most of the lower 48 states. They are also permanent residents in the mountains of most of Mexico. In the late 1990s, a large banding project was started to track fall migration. It found there were large movements, basically irruptions, southward, every four years or so.

At Whitefish Point in Chippewa County, owl banders work through both the spring and fall migrations, and saw-whets are the most common owls banded there in both seasons. There is a third banding season there specifically to study young northern saw-whets. This program looks at the “demographics and movements of juvenile birds.” During the year, a remarkable nine of the 11 owl species in Michigan can be seen and banded at the point. Only the extremely rare barn owl and the eastern screech owl are not observed, as they are not typically found in the U.P. (Visit wpbo. org/research/#owlbanding for more details about the program.)

Because of their diminutive size, saw-whets do well on insects like moths during the summertime, but their primary prey is deer mice. That

said, it is easy to understand they do not swallow whole mice the way larger owls do. They split the mouse body into pieces and eat it in two separate meals.

Several years ago, birders in Skandia found a saw-whet perched in a small cherry tree near their feeders and let other birders know it was a neat bird to come and see. The owl remained there all day, so some birders were curious about its intentions. As the afternoon drew to a close and the sun hit the covers on the horizon, the owl dropped to the ground, grabbed a small rodent and took off, happy to claim its dinner.

Short-eared owls are frequently found in grasslands and open fields, mostly in the eastern U.P. Farmers would occasionally go out at night to look for a puppy barking in the nearby pasture, only to realize it was flying around. They later discovered it was a calling short-eared owl. Short-eared owls are occasionally seen flying through Marquette or in farm fields to the south of town, but better places to look for them are in the fields of Delta, Chippewa and Mackinac Counties.

Long-eared owls are citizens of the conifer forests. They are one of the most secretive of all the owls and because of their preferred habit are seen most frequently inflight during migration. They do not have horns or external ears, but longer feathers on the top

Great horned owls are common in the Marquette area. (Photo by Scot Stewart)

of their head offer them the opportunity to perch on snags and resemble the top of a broken tree trunk, like a number of other owls. Like many larger owls, they swallow rodents whole and regurgitate undigestible bones and hair in pellets. These pellets can be microwaved to kill any pathogens and pulled apart to learn what made up the meal by reassembling the bones.

Researchers have found some interesting relationships between other species and long-ears. A nest of Cooper’s hawk eggs was found in 1994, and it also contained two owl eggs the hawk was incubating. It was thought the hawk commandeered the owl nest but was not able to push out the eggs. Long-eared owls can take over other nests themselves and will use new American crow nests.

The largest owls of the U.P. are great horned, barred and great grays. All nest in the U.P., but great grays are quite rare, nesting in the Seney area and Chippewa County in recent years. They nested on the edge of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge and for a

time also nested on Neebish Island south of the Soo. Many owls traveling southward in the winter looking for food follow the shore of Lake Superior down to the Soo; they continue farther south to the farm fields where hunting can be excellent. Three, four or even five different species of owls can be found through the area some winters. Already this winter, four snowy owls have been seen there.

Great horned and barred owls are common in the Marquette area. Both can be found, but more often heard, in the city limits. They are the owls that actually hoot, unlike most of the others. The population of great horned owls in Marquette has grown impressively over the past 10 years. A pair even nested in a portion of a large church in the downtown area for several years. A portion of a grill was broken, allowing the pair to slip in and nest inside. The first year they nested there, the male was shot in the wing and underwent care at a local rehabilitation center before recovering and being released. Since the owls were

Northern saw-whet owls are more likely to appear in the warmer months. (Photo by Scot Stewart)

not banded, given a chip or marked, it is not known if the same two nested there the following year.

Great horned owls begin defending their nesting territory seriously in December and can be heard across much of the Marquette and Harvey areas during winter months. They are less common in the woods away from town but are quite adaptable and can be found from the deserts of the Southwest to the edge of the tundra in the north.

Young birds often pick nesting sites that are in busy areas, creating some difficulties as they search for prey and sometimes get into conflicts with people. Favorite great horned owl nesting sites are usually in large trees, especially white and red pines where they are out of sight of the crows. Ironically, they often use old crow nests for their own; but because they can begin nesting as early as February, the crows usually don’t interfere. Nesting is timed to help continue feeding large fledglings just about the time other animals are producing easier-to-hunt youngsters. Striped skunks are among the target species, and one rehabber downstate reports nearly all the great horned owls they see smell of skunk.

Through the mixed forests of the Upper Peninsula, the barred owl is likely the easiest to find. Their familiar “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you, all?” is frequently heard. They are the ones that may be seen during the daytime, especially if the weather changes during the winter.

Under normal conditions, owls use a great sense of hearing to detect their prey. Their ears lie at the edge of a rim of feathers that create their disc-shaped faces — like a parabolic sound dish. The ears themselves are slightly above the center on one side and below on the other to help create a triangulation system to help pinpoint prey locations. They can hear mice and voles a foot below the snow surface, fly in silently and dive into the snow to pin them with their sharp talons. Specially adapted feathers on the lead edges of their wings are designed to reduce wing sounds.

Problems arise, though, when a thaw melting the snow surface is followed by a freeze creating a hard, icy crust on top of the snow that the owls cannot penetrate. That is when owls, like northern saw-whet and barred, may wait in a perch for a mouse, a vole, a squirrel or even a rabbit to peer out of a hole or hop by for some seeds and become the owl’s meal. They quickly learn what may and may not be fair game, as some barred owls are harassed by red squirrels while they wait for other prey.

Barred owls can do well in more heavily forested areas and are mostly cavity nesters, so finding their nest is often nearly impossible. Finding a family after they fledge is not. Barred owls are extremely vocal and can start loud conversations with a wide variety of calls. One of the most entertaining calls is referred to as a monkey call and sounds like a low “haw, haw, haw.” They can really brighten up a late summer night when they start chatting together.

Owls are important parts of their biological communities as predators of insects, rabbits and rodents, like mice and voles. Their hearing is excellent and allows them to be effective hunters in the dark and under the snow. Because of their mostly nocturnal habits, they are more frequently heard than seen, unless spotted by a murder of noisy crows during the day. The sound of owls, though, adds a special magic to the night, especially when a great horned owl pair starts a duet, or a family of barred owls begins calling. To the south, families of eastern screech owls can also chat up a storm, sounding like little ghosts trilling and squawking.

They are a wonderful part of the U.P.’s natural history, and their nighttime behavior adds to the mysteries of the woods and life in town.

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.

Barred owls feature a wide variety of calls. (Photo by Scot Stewart)

Munising embraces Ice Fest

Annual event attracts global participation

By Jaymie Depew

Drawing over a thousand people from around the globe, Munising’s premier winter event takes place this month. Ice climbers and spectators will congregate in the little city Feb. 8 to 12 for the 31st annual Michigan Ice Fest. The event features classes, demos, presentations and, of course, ice climbing.

The climbing itself happens in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore where gorgeous 20- to 50-foot columns and “blue ice curtains” are found at several points along inland cliffs between Munising Falls and Sand Point Beach. Whether people have years of climbing experience or are just starting out, the festival is open to everyone.

“Ice Fest is an exciting and unique event that we look forward to every year,” said Cori-Ann Cearley, president of the Munising Visitors Bureau. “Over the last several years, it has become Munising’s signature winter event. It’s amazing that both extreme athletes and beginners are all welcome and converge on our tiny Midwestern town. We are blessed with a unique geology that lends itself to building massive sheets of ice. Whether you are a spectator or participant, newbie or a veteran, there is something for everyone here.”

Michigan Ice Fest is headquartered in the Alger Parks and Recreation building in Munising where registration, the class meeting spot, gear demos, rentals and sales and a free shuttle pickup take place. Films, slideshows and presentations featuring worldclass climbers and pro athletes are at the Mather Auditorium, with activities also happening at East Channel Brewing Company and Gallery Coffee Company.

According to event organizer Bill Thompson, the festival is constantly evolving. “Every year we strive to add new things to the festival,” he said.

“We have people that attend every year, so we want to keep it interesting. Whether you’re a novice climber or a pro, this is an event for everyone.”

This year, participants can look forward to additional classes, live-streaming options, a treasure hunt where gear and other surprises from event sponsors will be hidden throughout the Pictured Rocks park and more, Thompson said.

For those who can’t attend the fes-

tival, Down Wind Sports in Munising offers guided ice-climbing tours throughout the season. Florida native Fawn Auge booked an ice-climbing trip with the company in 2019 while she was attending Northern Michigan University.

“Since I moved to Michigan from Florida, I wanted to try winter sports that I couldn’t experience in Florida,” she said. “Ice climbing seemed adventurous, and I love trying new things.

The 31st annual Michigan Ice Fest is expected to attract more than 1,000 people to Munising this month. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Ice Fest/Bill Thompson)

My co-worker at the time was a guide, and once we started talking about it I knew I wanted to learn to climb. A lot of friends and family thought it sounded scary, but I enjoy doing things that get me out of my comfort zone.”

Even though it was “only zero degrees outside,” Auge said ice climbing was an experience of a lifetime — and an adventure she recommends to others. “Your guide will keep you safe and teach you the basics, and you’ll leave with a good story to tell,” she said. “You get to experience something so unique, learn a new skill and even meet other like-minded people. It left me wanting more. The first time was more difficult because I knew nothing; but just like anything, if you continue to practice, you will learn and grow. Munising has so much to offer when it comes to ice climbing; if you are visiting or live in the area, I definitely recommend trying it out.”

Ice climbing, along with snowmobiling, is now one of the most popular winter activities in the Munising area. To ensure the safety of climbers and participants, Thompson formed Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals, or SHARP, in 2017. The all-volunteer, high-angle rescue group, which was initially formed to cover Michigan Ice Fest, has now partnered with the National Park Service.

“When I first got here five years ago, one area of emergency services that I noticed was lacking in the park was the ability to rescue people at a high-angle environment,” said Joe Hughes, chief ranger of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. “It can be dangerous without the proper gear, training and equipment.”

In 2019, PRNL brought in a climbing expert from Yosemite National Park to help train park staff and volunteers in high-angle search-and-rescue techniques. The training focused on increasing the skills and abilities of rescuers in places like Miners Castle. SHARP volunteers also attended the training, which initiated a partnership with the park.

“The Park Service manages, commands and leads the operation, and SHARP are the technical rescuers,” Hughes said. “They’re all signed up to be Park Service volunteers.”

SHARP volunteers had two successful deployments in the park last summer. In July, a dog was rescued at Miners Castle after jumping over the lower overlook and falling to a ledge 25 to 30 feet below; and a man who had slipped and broken his leg was retrieved from the base of Miners Falls.

“The park’s shoreline can be very unforgiving, from the cold water to the sheer cliffs and drop-offs,” a PRNL press release stated. “By partnering

with the highly trained mountaineering guides on SHARP, we are able to safely effect these types of high-angle rescues here at the park.”

Even though SHARP is readily available during Michigan Ice Fest, the PRNL also ramps up its staff to make sure everything runs smoothly, including bringing on more people to snowplow and manage traffic.

“Event organizers and volunteers are completely cognizant of anything we ask of them,” Hughes said. “Every year, there’s more and more attendees, so by being present we also get a feel of what the park’s needs are during the event. In the big scheme of things, ice climbing is probably the least-impacted recreational activity people do in the park. We value the relationship we have with the climbing community, and we want to keep this positive relationship going in the future.”

For more information, visit michiganicefest.com.

Jaymie Depew is the communications and special projects assistant for the Alger County Chamber of Commerce/ Greater Munising Bay Partnership, Munising Downtown Development Authority and Munising Visitors Bureau. A former city beat writer, she has a bachelor’s degree in English writing and journalism from NMU.

The Michigan Ice Fest features ice climbing, classes, films and demonstrations this month in the Munising area. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Ice Fest/Bill Thompson)

Copper Harbor Trails Club will benefit from land purchase in the Keweenaw

Envisioning the future

By Kathy Ihde

The Nature Conservancy recently announced its acquisition of 31,000-plus acres of land in the Keweenaw Peninsula, stating that the purchase ensures trails will remain open to the public and forests would stay intact “so the community can thrive.”

Nathan Miller, executive director of the Copper Harbor Trails Club, said the conservancy is not planning to hold the land forever. It is working with state and local agencies and organizations to develop a plan for the future. The purchase, he said, “provides all the stakeholders several years to figure out what happens with the property down the road.”

This large purchase is just the latest development that will have a major impact on community groups like the CHTC and others that serve

outdoor-sports enthusiasts in the Keweenaw.

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund board on Dec. 15 recommended to the Michigan Legislature that 45 recreation development projects and land acquisitions totaling more than $23 million be funded in 2023. Included in the recommendations was a grant of $5 million for the Fort Wilkins-Keweenaw Point Acquisition in Keweenaw County.

The trust fund, Miller said, gives money to government entities to acquire land for public use. “The money is for development grants such as the Keweenaw Bike Trail,” he said. “Grant Township [Copper Harbor] has a grant through the trust fund that can be used to develop parking lots, playgrounds, trails and other things.”

In 2022, the Copper Harbor Trails Club completed several projects, including the overlook trail Weath-

er Top, a new downhill trail near Flo’Rion, a new bridge at the East Bluff Bike Park entrance and a new climbing trail that extends from Bluejay Picnic. They also rebuilt the Overflow, Flying Squirrel and Daisy Dukes trails.

Last year, 10-plus miles of trail proposals were given to the Michigan DNR to construct lengthy cross-country routes, enduro trails and an easy loop on existing public land. More miles of the Keweenaw Point Trail could be built in 2023.

Once planning is completed for all the lands the conservancy helped protect, the Copper Harbor club anticipates growing from there with trails to Lac La Belle and Eagle Harbor “It’s going to be a long-term process just figuring out what happens to the land,” Miller said. “They need to figure out who’s going to own the land in the long term, whether that’s the

The Nature Conservancy’s recent purchase of 31,000-plus acres in the Keweenaw Peninsula will eventually lead to more outdoor recreation options for residents and visitors. (Photo courtesy of the Copper Harbor Trails Club)

DNR, Keweenaw County, local townships or other land trusts. Part of it is a conservation easement: It can’t be developed or cut up.”

The DNR applied to the trust fund to buy thousands of acres that the conservancy bought, along with other government entities and organizations. “All the stakeholders are involved,” Miller said. “Motorized groups, nonmotorized groups like CHTC, sportsman groups, bird watchers, rock hunters, berry pickers, hikers — everybody is going to be involved in the planning process.”

The Copper Harbor Trails Club is working on a master plan to figure out where they want to build trails in the long term. The DNR owns several thousand acres around the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula — bought in the early 2000s through a deal similar to The Nature Conservancy’s current purchase. Miller’s club has the potential to build up to 30 miles of trails on property the DNR currently holds.

“That’s where our planning process comes into play,” he said. “We’re talking 35,000 acres. What do you do with all that land? There are so many questions to be answered before we’re able to build trails. … We’ve applied for permits to do that. In the mean-

time, as the planning process plays out, we could build trails for hundreds of miles because there’s room out there for both motorized and nonmotorized users.”

Miller is looking far into the future. He said, “We need to figure out where trails should go: motorized and nonmotorized. Where shouldn’t things go? What land should be completely off the table and conserved for hab-

itat and nature? And then, someday, where campgrounds, housing and development could go.”

According to Miller, there will be opportunities for ATV and snowmobile groups to protect the corridors they currently have or build new corridors in certain areas. “The trails we’re building in Copper Harbor are all singletrack,” he said. “The corridor we’re cutting through the woods

is between four and six feet wide. The trail itself is only two to three feet wide. We believe that the trails we’re building for mountain bikers and hikers are not invasive or destructive to the landscape. If we had to abandon a trail, it would be gone in just a matter of years: It could become walking or deer trails.

“We believe the type of trails we want to build through this newly conserved land is going to be compatible with all sorts of different uses out there. There’s room for everybody to play together. We know hikers don’t want to be on mountain-biking trails, so there might be opportunities to have trails going to similar destinations off each other’s corridors so that we all have the best experience.”

Miller said bike camping will be a possibility out there: “It’s already happening on the Keweenaw Point Trail, 13 miles from Copper Harbor, all the way to High Rock Bay. We’re going to extend that trail along the shoreline and down to Keystone Bay and, eventually, over to Montreal Falls, and back up to East Bluff in Copper Harbor.”

Currently, Rock Solid, a Copper Harbor-based company that builds trails, is working with the DNR and the Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation

The Copper Harbor Trails Club is developing a plan to determine the locations of new mountain biking trails. (Photo courtesy of the Copper Harbor Trails Club)

Coalition to help manage High Rock Bay and develop trails in the backcountry, including dedicated campgrounds.

“We’re going to be a long-distance connector trail between these communities,” he said. “Lac La Belle could be on the table. Getting to Eagle Harbor and Eagle River could be on the table. You need to develop campgrounds to keep that rustic backcountry feel. You need to have trash cans, outhouses, maybe a parking area for motorized users. Everybody wants to get out to those areas. The Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition has been helping to develop an outhouse out there with the DNR and Rock Solid. Hopefully, that will be ready for 2023.”

KORC brings together individuals, businesses and outdoor recreation, conservation and community organizations to secure permanent public access to at-risk land in the Keweenaw. Their members come from a variety of backgrounds, from resource professionals and hospitality workers to students and retirees. Many outdoor enthusiasts are involved because they’re concerned with what is at stake: the potential loss or degradation of the vast landscapes found in the heart of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

“The fact that this purchase [by The Nature Conservancy] happened is a good thing,” said Peg Kauppi, a founding member of KORC. “It’s a critical piece of property. This land

belongs to everybody: the berry pickers, the rock pickers, the hikers, mountain bikers, everybody.

“We want the ATV Club to put their trails out there, so they can be enforced. Have them provide trail maps for local businesses. We have the biggest ATV trail system in Michigan on private land. Snowmobiling, the same thing. We’ve got the biggest snowmobile trail system in the state of Michigan with almost 250 miles — and five groomers.”

“The CHTC will maintain and build trails,” Miller said, “but we’re not going to be able to manage a campground ourselves, or an outhouse or picking up trash. KORC is helping to partner with Rock Solid and the DNR to do that. The goal is that the DNR, or concessionaires under the DNR, can do this a little bit more officially.”

Miller said part of the planning process for the recently acquired land will be weighing competing interests. One such example involves the relatively secluded High Rock Bay at the end of the peninsula. The bay can be accessed by the Keweenaw Point Trail, which the trails club built, or by the rugged High Rock Bay Road.

Some interest groups would like to see the road improved. “But if you support that road,” Miller said, “you’re taking away from the experience of people who come up for that god-awful road. They want to challenge themselves and their vehi-

The newly acquired land will benefit a broad spectrum of outdoors enthusiasts. (Photo courtesy of the Copper Harbor Trails Club)

Trails club secures major matching grant

TheCopper Harbor Trails Club recently announced a matching-grant partnership with mountain biking industry heavyweight SRAM to help accelerate trail development in Copper Harbor.

SRAM, a manufacturer of bicycle components, has committed to match donations to the club up to $500,000 per year for a possible total of $2.5 million over five years. These grant funds will support a wide variety of new trails in the system, from thrilling downhill runs to scenic cross-country cruisers. CHTC is excited for what the future holds, hoping the public will join them to make the dream a reality.

The effort to secure the $2.5 million deal with SRAM had been in the works for quite some time. Aaron Rogers, president and owner of Rock Solid Trail Contracting, CHTC president Adam Yeoman and others were pivotal in putting together a plan that would work for both parties. The club almost landed the deal before the 2022 season, but that decision was put on hold while The Nature Conservancy’s land acquisition in Keweenaw County played out.

In the meantime, SRAM opted to support a limited number of projects the club had in its hopper last season. The club leveraged existing funding to match SRAM’s $80,000 commitment. Copper Harbor Trails Club members’ donations were

cle on this bumpy, nasty road. If you improve it, you’re ruining it for those people because that’s how they’ve always known it. And, at the same time, you’re potentially inviting more people who would otherwise not be able to get out there. The people with the car would finally be able to drive out to the very end of the road on the Keweenaw Peninsula.

“Whether they belong there or not is the question. It’s not that they shouldn’t be there — based on who they are — but maybe their skillset isn’t quite there, and they don’t have the knowledge to help protect that kind of area. So, it’s an interesting dynamic of what’s going to happen with that road.

doubled and, as a result, the club was able to complete several projects in 2022.

To maximize the SRAM grant, CHTC needs to raise $500,000 before the upcoming 2023 season. For details, visit copperharbortrails.org/sram.

“The CHTC prides itself on having something new in Copper Harbor to explore,” said Nathan Miller, the club’s executive director. “By supporting SRAM’s $2.5 million match initiative, you’re helping us build more trail faster, using the best trail builders in the business. That means your next visit to Copper Harbor will feature the latest and greatest trails, the coolest new trail-building techniques and the best singletrack views in the Midwest.”

SRAM’s story began in early 1987 with founder Stan Day training for and racing in triathlons. Day was convinced there was a better way to shift and found that reaching for the downtube to shift gears was awkward and inefficient. “Why couldn’t you put the shifter on the handlebar?” he asked himself. “You rotate a grip, and the gear changes.”

SRAM was founded on that single product: The Grip Shift (or twist shift) entered the road bike market in 1988. That technology was adapted for mountain bikes in 1991, and SRAM grew quickly.

—By Kathy Ihde

“And that’s where that planning process comes into play. Because that’s just one road at one location, and we’re talking 35,000 acres. What do you do with all of that? There are so many questions that need to be answered before we’re able to go build trails wherever we want.”

For Miller and the trails club, the possibilities seem endless. In the coming years, they’ll become reality.

In June 2018, Kathy Ihde and her husband, Jeff, retired to Copper Harbor from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, where she was a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Daily Jefferson County Union for more than 27 years.

Introducing Mayor Mayer Commission elects youngest leader in Marquette’s history

By Brad Gischia

Each year, the seven members of the Marquette City Commission hold an organizational meeting to elect from among themselves the individuals who will serve as the city’s mayor and mayor pro tem for the following 12 months.

Before the most recent such meeting, in November, the commissioners knew one thing: Marquette would have a new mayor beginning that month, as Jenna Smith, who served in the role the previous three years, was not interested in a fourth.

In Smith’s place, the commissioners chose Cody Mayer, who, at 25, is the youngest mayor ever elected in the City of Marquette. A member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Mayer also believes he is the first native to serve in the position.

“A lot of residents who are considerably older than me have told me that they’re happy to have someone younger in city government,” said Mayer, who was elected to the commission in November 2020. “Having that younger perspective provides the city with a unique opportunity that we’ve probably not had until now. A third of our city is my age or younger than me.”

That sentiment is echoed by newly elected Mayor Pro Tem Sally Davis, who has been on the commission since April 2020. “The strength of our current commission,” she said, “is the

diversity of commissioners in age, life experience, professions and community engagement.”

Mayer was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie. His dad was a tradesman, and his mom became a full-time nurse after simultaneously working multiple jobs and attending nursing school.

Mayer has spent a good portion of his 25 years gaining the kind of experience he feels will make him an effective representative of the city. He moved to Marquette to attend Northern Michigan University, earning a bachelor’s degree in public administration — but he didn’t wait until graduation to get involved in leader-

ship. He was president of Associated Students of NMU, the university’s student government organization, and served as vice-chair of the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. The authority was established in 1997 to promote the revitalization of environmentally distressed areas in Marquette.

Davis said Mayer’s time with ASNMU provided him with valuable experience in leading meetings, one of the functions of the mayor.

Mayer also enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard in December 2014 while a junior in high school. He has since attained the rank of sergeant

and has been deployed twice: first to the Houghton/Hancock area in 2018 to help in the aftermath of the Father’s Day flooding, and again in 2021 to Washington, D.C., after the attack on the Capitol.

Even though his deployment to Washington lasted two and a half months, Mayer did not miss any commission meetings; he was able to join via video.

Mayer said the skills he has learned in the National Guard have been instrumental in his leadership development. “The National Guard has made me a more resilient and adaptable leader,” he said. “With so many chal-

Mayor Cody Mayer, third from left, presides over a meeting of the Marquette City Commission. (Photo by Tom Buchkoe)

lenges and political tensions running high across all levels of government, those leadership attributes will prove vital.”

In addition to his roles in city government and the National Guard, Mayer also has a full-time job in banking. How does he balance his responsibilities? “A lot of coffee and limited sleep,” he said.

Mayer said his family plays a huge role in his success. “My wife is my biggest support system,” he said. “We have an almost-3-year-old, and [my wife] works two part-time jobs. There’s a lot of divine help.”

As for the work of the city commission, he said, “I think we have a lot of challenges in the city moving forward, but we’re heading in the right direction.”

Economic concerns, including the city budget, are near the top of the list. It’s important to “retain our staff and that our city services continue to be provided at the same standard and quality that the citizens have come to expect,” he said, “but also taking a look at the overall economic health of the community.”

Several of the issues Mayer will focus on are housing, child care and good-paying jobs in the tech and outdoor recreation areas. Affordable child care is an issue that has been brought to the commission’s attention. “We recently amended our local land development code in regards to in-home child care to make it easier for people to have those businesses set up and permitted in the city,” he said.

The commission has also looked into private child care businesses, where grant opportunities can provide support as they start up. “Sometimes a letter of support from the local municipality can go a long way in pushing those grant applications through,” Mayer said.

Housing in the city has also been a concern. “We’re working on it,” he said. “Nothing moves very quickly when it comes to local government, but we have, potentially, anywhere from 500 to 700 units of housing being built in the next five to seven years based on decisions that we’ve already made.”

Creating more local, better-paying jobs and supporting local businesses, as well as building outdoor recreation businesses in the area, are all on Mayer’s radar.

“Marquette is one-of-a-kind,” he said. “When I moved here, I fell in love with the place. It’s a pretty common story. I don’t know of anywhere else in the world that you can find a place that’s as beautiful, that has as much outdoor recreation vibrancy, but still has a metropolitan feel in such a small city. It’s just such a unique place.”

Mayer has limited time to accomplish his goals. Commissioners are elected for three-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms in office. “My personal focus is going to be on the city’s finances and the local economic health,” he said.

Davis is confident in Mayer’s abilities. “He demonstrates a sincere interest in the overall health and progress of the city,” she said. “The mix on the current commission is good for the city. As mayor, he will need to develop synergy among the commissioners and lead meetings effectively to address the important issues before the commission.”

Mayer doesn’t seem fazed by the responsibility. “There’s a lot of promise on the horizon; it’s just a matter of getting there,” he said. “I like to stay busy and keep working.”

One might think, given his age, that Mayer has larger political plans for the future. Where will he be in five or 10 years? “I get asked that a lot,” he said. “I don’t honestly have an answer. I’m just really focused on Marquette, doing my best for the community, and that’s where I’m spending my energy right now.”

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.

In addition to being the youngest mayor in Marquette’s history, Cody Mayer, a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, also believes he is the first native to serve in the post. (Photo by Tom Buchkoe)

lookout point

New game in town Scholastic esports yield benefits similar to traditional athletics

By Harry Stine

Agroup of young adults, all in deep concentration, competing against another team for victory. This sounds pretty familiar, forming the thesis for most of the sporting world, but what if we applied this scene to video games?

This is the world of esports, an ever-growing form of nontraditional athletics where players compete against other teams in well-established online games, with huge prizes at the top. It’s already made its way into the Marquette area. At Bothwell Middle School, seventh-grade science teacher Cameron Bancroft runs the esports program, but he’s hesitant to call himself a coach or even a “gamer.”

“The kids come in, and they’re like, ‘You’re a coach, right?’” Bancroft said. His response: “Well, you know more about the games. I’m just going to set them up for you. I’m not going to teach you a thing about how to play them. You’re going to have to figure that one out on your own.”

A few years ago, when Bancroft was working on his master’s degree, he heard about esports at a conference. He was initially hesitant toward the idea, seeing no place for video games in the classroom. But when the global coronavirus pandemic planted students at home, he took a second look at the idea and saw it as a way to keep students involved in school. “Five or six years ago, I did not think this had

a spot in our schools,” he said. “And it was just because I was uneducated on the topic.”

After some deeper reading, Bancroft saw the educational value of esports. He mentioned that extracurricular activities, whether traditional or nontraditional sports, help reduce dropout rates, make it easier for students to socialize and make them more likely to achieve a 3.0 grade-

point average.

On top of that, with few NCAA rules in place at the moment, many colleges are already giving hefty scholarships to esports athletes, extending a ladder for those wishing to pursue higher education. Bancroft added that esports help build an interest in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — and that he hopes to set aside time during

each team meeting for coding or other “hard science” concepts.

“If your kids are coming home and they’re obsessed with playing video games, OK, instead of telling them no, let’s make it productive,” he said.

Bancroft presented his research to Bothwell’s assistant principal and, after getting the green light, started the school’s first esports club. Initially the group was made up of 10 students, all

Bothwell’s esports team regularly reaches the national tournament in Rocket League. (Photo by Michael Murray)

playing Rocket League from home. “We ran it all virtually,” he said. The club eventually added a few monitors at the school for students to use, but they can still play from home if they wish. Bancroft estimates that around 35 students are now on the esports team, which competes against middle schools from as far away as California.

Collegiate esports

Esports has also carved out a place for itself at Northern Michigan University. Dillon Gaines has been a member of the varsity team since its inception two years ago, and even prior, when it was a student-run club. Gaines played soccer in high school, but when comparing esports to traditional athletics, he doesn’t hold one over the other.

“There’s not a massive difference when you really look at the details between any physical sport that has different roles for each member of the team, and esports,” Gaines said. “We all have different roles. And if we don’t work together, then winning is very often just not possible.”

Gaines said the typical elements found in athletics, such as teamwork and deep concentration during an activity, are some of the most important aspects of an esports match. He also noted his pattern-recognition skills and hand-eye coordination have improved.

“It is what happens when you take a physical team sport, and instead of it being physical you make it mental,” he said. “It’s a bit hard to quantify a change like that without actually experiencing it firsthand. But I truly believe that there isn’t really that much of a difference between physical sports and esports.”

Benefits for esports players Trae

Forgette of the Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency disputes the view that esports is simply “playing video games.” He is in the process of building an esports league for K-12 schools in the Upper Peninsula and has made presentations to educational professionals on the benefits of esports.

“We pride ourselves as being Yoopers, and we like to compete as Yoopers,” he said. “In the world of regular athletics or standard athletics, we all like to compete as one; and being that esports is just another component, I would like to see that encouraged and happen in that realm as well.”

He described the gaming component of esports as the “carrot” to convince students to enter the world, but cited developing teamwork, project-based learning and opportunities for STEM as the real lessons to be

learned from esports, as well as building better connections throughout the community. Forgette also noted the health aspects of esports. “You can’t be a good gamer,” he said, “if you’re not eating well.”

Bancroft and Gaines pointed out some of these benefits as well. Bancroft knows of schools that require their esports athletes to run laps before practice in order to stay sharp. Some teams have a nutrition coach for their players, and other schools set a GPA standard students must achieve in order to participate.

Gaines added, “When you look at concepts or when you look at things that you can learn from the teamwork aspect of it, there’s really not that much difference [between esports and physical sports]. And a lot of that is hidden behind the flashy graphics and the stigma that the video games have had, ever since they came out as being a children’s entertainment tool.”

Bancroft said he’s had to convince a few people that they’re not just going to “play video games at school,” but hasn’t encountered much pushback against esports at Bothwell. He said the club is in need of donations, specifically to replace many of the old monitors at the school, but added that the team is going strong and steady, making it to the national playoffs for the game Rocket League nearly every season.

Forgette also stands by his belief in esports. He said the activity can “build character” and will only continue to grow in the future. “Who knows where this will lead?” he said. “You know, five years is a long, long time in the technology world. Things could change very drastically. But I think the growth of esports — you’re just now seeing the start of that.” MM

Harrison Stine was born and raised in Marquette and is a senior at NMU pursuing a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism. He is the assistant features editor at The North Wind, NMU’s student paper.

Bothwell esports athletes can play from home or on the school’s computers. (Photo courtesy of Cameron Bancroft)

A team effort

By Pam Christensen

Joseph-Armand Bombardier was just 15 years old when he developed an “over-snow” vehicle in 1921. That early machine, tested on the streets of Valcourt, Quebec, was the forerunner of what is today a thriving snowmobile industry in the United States and Canada. It was in 1937 that Bombardier received a patent for his first tracked vehicle, and in 1942 the Bombardier Company opened its doors in Valcourt.

In 1924, Carl Eliason of Sayner, Wisconsin, built and developed his Motor Toboggan. Three years later, he received a U.S. patent for his mo-

torized snow machine, and production of the Eliason snowmobile was begun in 1941 at the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company in Clintonville, Wisconsin. The production of the Eliason snowmobiles ceased in 1963.

Over the years, many innovators entered the snowmobile development, design and production arena. Snowmobiles became more common in the 1960s and ’70s. Polaris, Arctic Cat, Ski-Doo and Yamaha all produced and marketed sleds to the recreational rider. The heyday of snowmobile riding is considered the 1970s, but the sport is still popular in Canada and the United States. According to Snoriders, there were 123,862 snowmobiles

Maintaining Michigan’s snowmobile trails requires cooperation among the DNR, local groups and private landowners

Trail groomers can cost between $250,000 and $300,000. (Photo courtesy of the Michigan DNR)

sold worldwide in 2020. U.S. sales accounted for 51,036 units, while 43,535 were sold in Canada.

The Michigan DNR reports that 178,109 snowmobiles were registered in the state in 2021. This is a reduction from the record number of sleds, 357,000 registered in 2001. Snowmobile numbers have rebounded from 2008-09 when the economy took a downturn and many people left the sport because of shrinking household budgets. Snowmobiling gained new riders during the coronavirus pandemic years when Michigan residents gravitated to outdoor recreation, and that upward trend continues today.

Ron Yesney, the DNR’s Upper Peninsula trails coordinator, has watched the ebb and flow of snowmobiling’s popularity over the years. Michigan has developed around 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails over the past 50 years. Currently, about 6,100 miles of trails are being maintained by 68 trail sponsors throughout the state.

In the 1970s, as snowmobiling was growing as a sport, many cities, townships and counties developed trails. These trails were generally designed as 20- to 30-mile loops that started and ended at the same place. There was little interconnection or planning to develop a trail network throughout Michigan. Initially, trail building, development and maintenance was undertaken by the local organization. In the ’70s, ’80s and into the ’90s, the state handled some trail grooming using DNR staff, but the department eventually started looking at other ways to improve the trails and to shift maintenance and grooming of them to local trail sponsors.

“Most people don’t realize that the snowmobile program is self-funded and is not part of the state budget,” Yesney said. “Each snowmobile owner must pay $30 to register a snowmobile with the Michigan Secretary of State. Access to the snowmobile trails is granted through the purchase of the snowmobile trail permit costing $52 per year. The snowmobile program is also supported with a share of gasoline tax revenues. These income streams account for approximately $7 to $9 million per year.”

Yesney is responsible for working with local trail sponsors and landowners to secure trail access. “One of the most challenging parts of maintaining the trail system is working with landowners to assure continued access to the trails that are located on their property,” he said. “This has gotten to be more complex as large tracts of property in the U.P. have been divided and sold.”

The importance and complexity of landowner agreements was recently highlighted when the former Indianhead and Blackjack Ski Resorts in Gogebic County were sold and rebranded as Snowriver Mountain Resort. After the purchase, Snowriver cited various concerns with the previous arrangement and revoked trail access on its property, jeopardizing snowmobile Trail 2 in western Gogebic County. This popular trail can see as many as 3,000 sleds traveling on the western end of the U.P. each weekend. The loss of access would prevent snowmobiles from traveling from Wakefield to Bessemer and Ironwood.

Despite negotiations involving sev-

eral local and state agencies, Snowriver’s concerns could not be satisfied and a new solution was needed. The Gogebic Range Trail Authority, the DNR, the City of Wakefield, Bessemer Township, the Gogebic County Road Commission and private landowners came up with a workaround. Trail 2 was rerouted and opened in early December, but the dispute reinforced how important landowner access is to Michigan’s extensive network of snowmobile trails.

“We try to work with each landowner,” Yesney said. “Each property owner has their own expectations, and we respect that. Some landowners grant access without any charge, but others want to sell a permanent easement or negotiate a long-term agreement. Timber companies are usually good about working with us to ensure access, but conflicts arise when they are actively logging an area. This might result in a temporary loss of access to that area for the safety of logging personnel and riders. We must negotiate with those owners to make sure the components of the trail can be maintained. All property owners are protected by liability insurance and state law. The insurance coverage is maintained by the DNR or the local trail sponsoring organization.”

The DNR has formed the Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup, or SAW, which assists the Michigan Trails Advisory Council with its duties and responsibilities and provides the DNR with advice related to the creation, development, operation and maintenance of the state’s designated snowmobile trail system. Don Britton of Marquette, chairman of the sev-

More than 178,000 snowmobiles were registered in Michigan in 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Michigan DNR)

en-member work group, is well-suited to the role. He knows firsthand about the history of early snowmobiling in the U.P. and was active in the early development of snowmobile trails and grooming efforts across the peninsula.

“The strength of Michigan’s snowmobile program is SAW,” Britton said. “The organization advises the DNR on program issues, safety, equipment, trail development, grooming, problems and suggests solutions. The program is supported 100 percent by user fees. Currently, the cost to maintain and groom one mile of snowmobile trail is $6.11. The snowmobile program would not be where it is today without the SAW and the trail sponsors who maintain the trails.”

Michigan’s extensive network of snowmobile trails is maintained by 68 trail sponsors. These sponsors can be municipalities, snowmobile clubs or other nonprofit organizations. Each sponsor accepts responsibility for a section of trail. In doing so, sponsors agree to maintain the trail during the snowmobile season — Dec. 1 to April 1 — but there is work that must occur throughout the year, not just in the winter months.

The DNR and SAW have developed a trail handbook that proscribes all aspects of maintaining trails. In the winter, trail grooming is the priority for the trail sponsors, but big storms can down trees that have to be removed to open the trail. Weather conditions such as warm temperatures, sleet, wind and rain can also cause havoc to the trails.

Britton is proud of the work done by SAW to improve the snowmobile

program in Michigan. He credits the workgroup with helping to standardize equipment and processes that improve the quality of the trails. Technology also plays a part in the success of the snowmobile trail system. “Grooming equipment keeps getting better and better,” Britton said. He added that SAW has worked to evaluate equipment to identify what items work the best, are easiest to use and easiest to maintain.

The typical groomer is a large farm tractor outfitted with tracks so it can travel in snow. The cost for a groomer suitable for snowmobile trails can run between $250,000 and $300,000. Each groomer is followed by a snowmobile trail drag, which costs an additional $20,000 to $30,000. The drag is a piece of equipment approximately eight to nine feet wide and 25 to 30

feet long. It levels the snow and also has blades that cut bumps or moguls down to trail level. The sides and back of the drag roll the snow onto the trail, filling in holes and rough spots. Fresh snow is difficult to groom; the best grooming is done on a packed trail with a hardened base.

Some of the trail sponsors have hundreds of miles of trail to maintain. The ideal speed for the groomers to travel is 8 to 10 mph, which can make for a long night for the groomer drivers who often run a route for eight to 10 hours. Many of the drivers are volunteers who do the job for the love of the sport.

Grooming is best done at night, when trail traffic is low, so the groomed trail has time to set up and harden before snowmobiles start traveling on the trails. In some areas,

however, grooming is done during the day, so riders should always be prepared to encounter a groomer.

In 2022, the state snowmobile program contracted with Verizon to provide real-time satellite connectivity to the groomers. When the satellite signal for a groomer is stopped, the trail sponsors know to send help. This system is critical for the health and safety of trail personnel, who might otherwise be stranded on faulty equipment. It is also helpful if the groomer operator discovers riders who need help.

In addition, the system streamlines record keeping for the trail sponsors and DNR. The system is in its first year but will eventually accurately record each mile traveled by groomers, making payment to the trail sponsors much easier than in the past.

Michigan’s 6,100 miles of snowmobile trails provide enjoyment for residents and visitors alike. The reputation and quality of Michigan’s trails are the result of many moving pieces and many organizations that work to develop and maintain trails for the Michigan snowmobile season.

Pam Christensen moved to Marquette 30 years ago when she accepted the position of library director at Peter White Public Library. She served in that post for more than 24 years. Most recently, she was foundation manager for the West End Health Foundation, finally hanging up her formal work shoes in May 2021. She and her husband, Ralph, are in the process of making an off-grid cabin in Nisula their second home.

Michigan boasts about 6,100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. (Photo courtesy of the Michigan DNR)

This Love

for Cam on our 44th Wedding Anniversary does not follow a recipe though cookbooks line the kitchen shelf. This love is no longer gourmet sauces that require heavy cream, lots of stirring, hours and hours of fussing, no longer fourteen courses, a souffle and a baked Alaska, No this love has gotten easier with time.

It is chopped garlic, a shallot flung into a forty year old Le Creuset pan, a quick sauté and some chopped greens because this love might be as old as the pan, but it is farm fresh, local, organic, spinach, bok choy, sometimes the excitement of asparagus.

This love is pasta shaped like bowties, a splash of the exotic, virgin olive oil from the Greek island where Aphrodite resides.

This love is peppery, the lick of salt on fingers, a sprinkle of asiago because cheese adds breadth. It is a ripe strawberry, an August peach still warm with sun, a honey crisp bite of apple.

This love is sometimes bitter, dandelion greens, dark chocolate because bitter is okay, can be tempered with a sweet onion, a spoonful of honey

By Helen Haskell Remien

Helen Haskell Remien (1956–2022), “Helen of Joy,” was so many things: a poet, storyteller, world traveler, athlete, teacher, yogi, artist, fashionista, lover of the ocean and the outdoors, wife, parent, grandmother, friend. Helen established the Joy Center in 2008 as a creative sanctuary for teaching yoga and the arts in the Ishpeming community.

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.

superior reads

Dark deeds and mythical beasts

Action-packed novel sprawls across central Upper Peninsula

Review by Victor R. Volkman

The Wendigo, that mythical beast which is half man and half monster, has been a staple of northern fiction at least since Algernon Blackwood penned his novella The Wendigo in 1910. In many contemporary treatments, the Wendigo appears to some degree like other paranormal beasts such as the Sasquatch or the Yeti. The question of whether they are real or not tends to go back and forth in the narrative. This is a great recipe for suspense, and A Yooper’s Tale: Death by Wendigo (Page Publishing, Inc., 2022, 198 pages) follows this convention as does A Dangerous Season by Russell Fee, which we covered in an earlier installment of Superior Reads. Is it or isn’t it real? I wouldn’t dare spoil that for you, dear reader.

However, in Robert Hugh Williams’ A Yooper’s Tale, the dark deeds of men might actually push the Wendigo to the background for most of the story. The novel sprawls over much of the central U.P. with events taking place from L’Anse to Marquette to Crystal Falls, among other locations. Specifically, the settings include Michigan Tech University and Northern Michigan University, although the vast amount of action in the last two-thirds of the book is centered at the legendary Huron Mountain Club — the highly exclusive 20,000-acre private nature reserve about 30 miles

northwest of Marquette.

The author even posits that Dirk Astor, the story’s main villain, is the direct descendant of John Jacob Astor, whose family became synonymous with wealth and power because of their fur monopoly based on Mackinac Island and their opium-trafficking operation in the 19th century. Indeed, the first two chapters of the book are background pieces on the last 300 years of U.P. history and the legend of Jack “Silver” Driscoll and his lost silver mine.

The novel actually starts in chapter four with the coroner determining suicide as the cause of death for the beautiful and popular NMU sophomore Nadia Red Horse, a woman with no history of difficulties and every reason to be alive. From here, the focus changes to Nadia’s intimate group of friends, who regularly meet at a campus cafeteria and are slowly drawn into Nadia’s mystery. The novel starts to unspool at this point like a slasher horror film where the attractive young college-age kids are going to be picked off one by one … except it doesn’t turn out that way.

Nadia’s friends are indeed under assault by something or someone. Caden Garrett would seem to be an older student, because as the story opens he is introduced as an Army Ranger and a veteran of both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Mingan “Mingo” Grey Wolf is Caden’s brother-in-arms, with

IF YOU’RE A FAN OF MILITARY-STYLE TACTICS ... YOU’LL FIND A YOOPER’S TALE A GRIPPING READ.

similar credentials including Delta Force. Caden’s girlfriend, Nina Orend, is a cousin of Nadia’s and quite distraught over the apparent suicide. Caden’s cousin Callie “Kat” Catrin is also in the mix of friends. Last, but not least, are students Troy Jackson and Sydney Wellington. Over the course of the novel, several of these characters will disappear mysteriously. For all the mayhem about to take place, we have Kat’s father, Jake Catrin, in Schoolcraft County. The private arsenal he maintains as a retired Special Forces guy may be the decisive factor in the group’s battle with the forces of darkness.

In counterpoint to the missing-persons stories, we have a group of Adventure Bound Scouts out of Crystal Falls setting off from Island Lake in the McCormick Wilderness Area — a 17,000-acre nature preserve that curiously abuts the Huron Mountain Club. The scouts have been charged with surveying the area for the location of a possible “lost mine” at the behest of surviving family member Mary McCormick. This group of teenage boys is led by scoutmasters Randy Adams and Reggie Townsend. They have made meticulous plans to manage the group’s safety with the local park rangers, but they will have to use an array of cellphones and sat phones to do so in an area notorious for “no signal.”

The

finally kicks in when Caden and Mingo join forces to take down the bad guys in the vast aforementioned wildernesses. The corrupt Astor family has brought in mercenaries and Mafioso thugs to back young Dirk’s dark deeds, but they have not factored in the skills of U.P. military veterans and their sizable ammo dump.

If you’re a fan of military-style tactics in a civilian conflict or good old-fashioned derring-do, you’ll find A Yooper’s Tale a gripping read. Robert Hugh Williams’ understanding of cutting-edge weaponry and soldiering could be right out of a Tom Clancy or Michael Carrier novel. He comes by it honestly as a veteran Army Ranger who was born and raised in the U.P.

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. He is senior editor at Modern History Press and publisher of the U.P. Reader

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.

adrenaline-fueled narrative

home cinema

Horror, action and suspense provide diverse entertainment

Reviews by Leonard G. Heldreth

The films this month include an anthology of horror, an assassin-loaded train ride across Japan and a Romanian variation on Rear Window.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is an eight-part horror anthology created to be streamed on Netflix. Del Toro won an Academy Award for Best Picture for The Shape of Water and has received high praise for Pan’s Labyrinth and other films. He wrote two of the stories on which the episodes are based and farmed out the other stories and filming to directors he was comfortable with.

Featuring modern horror stories in the traditions of the Gothic and Grand Guignol genres, the series reminded me of the widely criticized but much prized horror comic books put out by EC Comics in the 1940s and ’50s. With series labels such as The Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt, these squirmy titles were guaranteed to corrupt any innocent youth who fell within reach of their lashing tentacles or dripping slime. Most boys, myself included, were unable to resist them, even when professional psychologists like Dr. Fredric Wertham warned us of the dire consequences in two 1954 articles: “Horror in the Nursery” (in Collier’s) and “The Psychopathology of Comic Books” (in the American Journal of Psychotherapy). Even worse, some of the stories, if you looked at them in the right way, were said to have sexual imagery hidden among the horror. Unfortunately, I seemed to be too limited in imagination or experience at that time to identify such images, but that didn’t stop any of us from poring over the well-worn pages.

By the early ’50s, the comic book industry became the target of mounting public criticism for the content of such publications and their potentially harmful effects on children, the uproar culminating in Wertham’s book Seduction of the Innocent (1954) and a congressional hearing on juvenile delinquency that leaned hard on the comic book industry. Don’t say you

weren’t warned about what such horror can do to young minds — that is, Wertham’s writings, not the comics!

As in the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents series and Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone, del Toro introduces each episode and removes from the huge cabinet of the title an artifact that leads into the story. The episodes last about an hour each, and, depending upon your appetite for gore, can be binge-watched.

Although the stories are full of well-done special effects — lots of Lovecraftian monsters, blood and intestines strewn about, giant rats, buried corpses — it’s hard to startle today’s jaded audiences. “Lot 36” describes what a man finds when he buys, sight unseen, the contents of an old storage locker. Masson (David Hewlett) fights the “Graveyard Rats” over the items buried with newly entombed corpses. In “The Autopsy,” Dr. Carl Winters (F. Murray Abraham) opens a miner killed in an explosion and finds there’s more to fear

than a re-animated dead man. “The Outside” follows a young woman’s attempts to be as physically perfect as possible, no matter what the cost.

In “Pickman’s Model” a young man finds his interest in a friend’s painting model leads to more horror than he can deal with. “Dreams in the Witch House” details a man’s failed attempts to free his twin sister from the Forest of Lost Souls. In “The Viewing” an alien escapes from a broken meteor and wreaks havoc. Nancy and Edgar Bradley are ornithologists studying bird murmurations (swirling patterns of flight) in “The Murmuring.” They have recently lost their daughter, Ava, and have retreated to a remote country home to continue their work and focus upon something besides their grief. As might be expected, the house is haunted. Only after they deal with its ghosts are they able to make peace with their own grief, in what is a semihappy ending.

The episodes in the series are a little uneven, as most such groupings

Answers for the New York Times crossword puzzle, located on Page 13.

are, but overall, the quality for horror is quite high.

Bullet Train

Bullet Train, an action thriller in the Tarantino tradition, started life as a Japanese novel by Kotaro Isaka, and the characters were all Japanese. The film was eventually inherited and directed by David Leitch, a former stunt coordinator and screen double for Jean-Claude Van Damme and this film’s star, Brad Pitt. Leitch has become a specialist in high-grade action films, having directed the successful Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde The original all-Japanese cast was modified to include Pitt and others to make a cast that looked “international” to Leitch but was criticized as being “white-washed” by many Asian actors. The remaining stereotypical Yakuza are ruled over by a Russian chief modeled after Keyser Söze from The Usual Suspects

The film begins with Ladybug (Pitt), a hired assassin who has given up killing and refuses to carry a gun, boarding the bullet train. He is ordered by his handler (Sandra Bullock) to retrieve (steal) a briefcase full of money from two other assassins, brothers named Lemon and Tangerine, one of whom is Black and the other white (Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The brothers are charged with protecting the briefcase and taking care of the son (Logan Lerman) of a Russian crime boss called the White Death. Lemon keeps comparing the other people they meet on the train to characters in a cartoon series. Another assassin is the Prince, played by Joey King as an innocent schoolgirl until she starts cutting throats. The White Death is a Russian who took over a Yakuza family, but his face isn’t shown until the end of the story, keeping the identity of the well-known star a secret until then. Hiroyuki Sanada is The Elder, a graying but still lethal assassin, and Andrew Koji is Kimura, The Elder’s son. They’re out for vengeance be-

cause somebody pushed The Elder’s grandson off a department store roof, and he’s in a coma in a well-guarded hospital. All of these killers fight with each other until the train derails and crashes in Kyoto.

Bullet Train oscillates between humor and violence but, no matter how far-fetched the situation, the action keeps rolling along at a high speed like the vehicle it’s named after. But don’t expect to know, even at the end, who did what to whom and why. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter.

Watcher

Set in Bucharest and starring Maika Monroe as Julia, Watcher projects a sense of unease from its opening shots — where the viewer and Julia cannot understand the taxi driver — to the last scene where Julia confronts a serial killer.

An American, Julia has come to Romania with her husband, Francis (Karl Glusman), who is half Romanian and has been promoted to a new position in the capital city. Bored while her husband is away all day and speaking no Romanian, Julia begins

noticing things that make her uneasy: the man in the apartment across the street (Burn Gorman) seems to spend most of his time watching her; the same man follows her when she goes shopping; when she complains to the police, they tell her she is imagining things; a vicious murder occurs near where she lives. Determined to find out what is going on, she follows the man across the street one evening to where he works in the red-light district and finds that one of the women who lives in her apartment building works as a stripper in the same district. They become friends.

When Julia and her husband confront her “watcher,” the man calls the police and asserts that she’s harassing him and his father, with whom he lives. The police and Julia’s husband think all the stress may be causing her to lose her mind. That night Julia and Francis attend a dinner reception at Francis’ company, but Julia is so upset and angry at everyone that she knocks over a tray of champagne glasses and runs from the building. When she boards the subway, it’s virtually empty, but at the next stop the watcher gets on the train carrying a plastic bag with something round in it. But instead of the cliche attack we expect, he apologizes and says that taking care of his demented father is driving him crazy. He wishes her well, they shake hands and she gets off the train at her apartment. How director Chloe Okuno switches the narrative a couple more times, while producing a satisfying but horrifying conclusion, shows that the director knew what she was doing all along.

As you might expect, Watcher makes references to Rear Window and other Hitchcock films, as well as Polanski’s Repulsion, but lurking behind the obvious references is the concept of the male gaze and its exploitation and subjugation of women as discussed by film theorist Laura Mulvey. Okuno elevates this concept and the accompanying one of “to-be-looked-at-ness” into a film where the female intentionally looks back and confronts the male gaze and its implicit threat. It’s an interesting international reversal. To keep the suspense high, the Romanian dialogue is not subtitled. Any of it that is critical is eventually explained.

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.

Above: Brad Pitt, left, and Bad Bunny portray assassins in Bullet Train. Below: Maika Monroe stars in Watcher. (Photos courtesy of Columbia Pictures IFC Midnight)

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 March events by Friday, February 10 to: calendar@marquettemonthly.com

Index

on the town …………………………………………………… 60 art galleries …………………………………………………63-64 museums ……………………………………………………… 67 support groups………………………………………………… 71

february events

01 WEDNESDAY sunrise 8:14 a.m.; sunset 5:52p.m.

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.

• Visual Art Classes: Music and Abstract Art with Oil Pastels. This class is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. 1 to 3 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)

on the town

Baraga

• Ojibwa Casino Pressbox.

- Saturday, February 4: Reverend.

- Saturday, the 11th: Trophy Boys.

- Saturday, the 18th: Adam Capenter and the Upper Hand.

- Saturday, the 25th: Spun.

16449 Michigan Avenue. (906) 353-6333.

Gwinn

• Hideaway Bar.

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

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

Marquette

• Barrel + Beam.

- Friday, February 10: Chris Valenti

6 to 9 p.m.

260 Northwoods Rd. barrelandbeam.com or (906) 273-2559.

• Blackrocks Brewery.

- Mondays: Trivia.

- Wednesdays: Open mic.

- Thursday, February 2: Jim and Ray.

- Saturday, the 4th: OutLaw’D. 7 p.m.

- Saturday, the 11th: The Lavender Lions. 7 p.m.

- Thursday, the 16th: Jim and Ray. Music begins at 6 p.m.

- Saturday, the 18th: The Brothers Quinn.

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. 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.

- Friday, February 3: Chris Valenti.

6 to 9 p.m.

- Friday, February 17: Jim and Ray.

6 to 9 p.m.

200 W. Main St. (906) 273-0952.

• Ojibwa Casino Marquette Lounge.

- Friday, February 3 and Saturday, the 4th: Jake and the Fireside Band.

- Friday, the 10th: Reverend.

- Friday, the 17th and Saturday, the

226-4321.

• Junior Graphic Novel Geeks. Youth in grades 1 to 3 are 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.

• League of Women Voters of Marquette County Membership

18th: Lost Cause.

- Friday, the 24th and Saturday, the 25th: Diversion.

105 Acre Trail. (906) 249-4200.

• Ore Dock Brewing Company.

- Friday, February 3: Bumpus. $10.

9 p.m.

- Sunday, the 5th: Trivia. 6 p.m.

- Friday, the 10th: The Wallens.

- Saturday, the 11th: Jakey Thomas.

- Thursday, the 16th: Open mic with Noah Bauer.

- Friday, the 17th: The Brothers Quinn.

- Friday, the 24th: Adam Carpenter and the Upper Hand. 8 p.m.

- Saturday, the 25th: Outlaw’d. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted.

114 W. Spring St. 228-8888.

• Rippling River Resort.

- Thursday, February 16: Chris Valenti. 6 p.m.

- Sunday, the 26th: Chris Valenti. 6 p.m. 4321 M-553. (906) 273-2259 or ripplingriverresort.com

• Superior Culture.

- Thursday, February 16: Speakeasy poetry open mic. 7 p.m. 717 Third Street. 273-0927 or superiorculturemqt.com

Meeting. All interested community members are welcome. Social, 6:30 p.m. Meeting, 6:45 p.m. Lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. lwvmqt.org

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

Negaunee

• Upper Peninsula Brewing Company.

-Saturday, February 4: Timekeepers. 8 p.m.

- Saturday, the 18th: Chris Valenti. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Saturday, the 25th: Lonnie Hafner/ SOLE SURVIVOR. 7 to 10 p.m. 342 Rail St. (906) 475-8722.

Republic

• Pine Grove Bar.

- Friday, February 3: Troy Graham. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Saturday, the 4th: Adam Carpenter and the Upper Hand. 7 to 11 p.m.

- Friday, the 10th: Spun. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

- Saturday, the 11th: Reverend. 8 p.m. to midnight.

- Friday, the 17th: The Wallens. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Saturday, the 18th: The Degens. 8 p.m. to midnight.

- Friday, the 24th: Matt Byce. 7 to 10 p.m.

- Saturday, the 25th: Toni Saari, 3 to 6 p.m. and Stetson, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. 286 Front St. (906) 376-2234. MM

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,

The Brothers Quinn | February 17, Ore Dock Brewing Company, Marquette February 18, Blackrocks Brewery, Marquette

Courtesy of Blaine McQuinn

make crafts and other activities. 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

02 THURSDAY

sunrise 8:13 a.m.; sunset 5:53 p.m.

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. (906) 249-3529.

• The Big Bad Wolf, Or Is It? Nancy Warren, Executive Director of the National Wolfwatcher Coalition, will give an update on the current status of wolves in the U.P., and discuss the benefits of wolves on the landscape along with the myths and falsehoods. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 1 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 361-5370.

• 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.

• NMU Theatre and Dance: CO/ LAB Company Watch a vibrant dance showcase choreographed and performed by NMU students and faculty. 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

sunrise 8:12 a.m.; sunset 5:55 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.

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. (906) 249-3529.

• 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: CO/ LAB Company. Watch a vibrant dance showcase choreographed and performed by NMU students and faculty. 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.

• Heikki Lunta Winter Festival. Celebrate winter with weekend activities including a rail jam, ice fishing tournament, Lucy Hill luge sliding, a bike race, fireworks and more. Events prices and locations vary. Bonfire, 5 p.m. Rail jam, 6 p.m. Downtown. cityofnegaunee.com

• 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

04 SATURDAY

sunrise 8:10 a.m.; sunset 5:56 p.m.

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

• Winter Blues Bash. Period. Activities include a bean bag tournament, human ice bowling, bonfire, food, a cash bar and music. Proceeds benefit Girls Only Ride. Period. $5 for spectators. Prices vary for participants. 3 p.m.to midnight. Up North Lodge Event Center, 215 S. CR-557. DeMarinis412@charter.net

Marquette

• Prom Swap. Students looking for a prom dress are invited to this dress swap. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Story Time at MooseWood Nature Center. This story time will have a Valentine’s Day theme with a story and craft. Recommended for ages 3 to 8 but all ages welcome. Adults, $5; families, $10. 10 a.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Eh Winter Experience. Bikers, skiers and snowshoers will race either a short

or long course, with proceeds benefiting the Noquemanon Trail Network. $50. Snowshoe and backcountry ski races, 9:30 a.m., Bike enduro, 10 a.m. Noquemanon Trail Network South Trail Head, 2375 M-553. noquetrails.org

• 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. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• NMU Theatre and Dance Theatre for All: CO/LAB Company. Watch a vibrant dance showcase choreographed and performed by NMU students and faculty. This zero-barrier performance will include sensory-friendly lights and sounds. 1 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

• NMU Theatre and Dance: CO/ LAB Company Watch a vibrant dance showcase choreographed and performed by NMU students and faculty. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/tickets

Negaunee

• Heikki Lunta Winter Festival. Celebrate winter with weekend activities including a rail jam, ice fishing tournament, Lucy Hill luge sliding, a bike race, fireworks and more. Events prices and locations vary. Ice fishing, 7 a.m., luge sliding, 11 a.m.; bike race, 5:30 p.m. fireworks, 9 p.m. Downtown. cityofnegaunee.com

• 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 8:09 a.m.; sunset 5:58 p.m.

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

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles.

Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Paper Planes. Learn to make paper airplanes then compete in the longest distance-throwing contest. Materials provided. 2 to 4 p.m. Barrel + Beam, 260 Northwoods Rd. (906) 273-2559.

06 MONDAY

sunrise 8:08 a.m.; sunset 5:59 p.m.

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include 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.

Craft Magic Series: Origami Magic with Lydia Taylor. Join origami fiber artist Lydia Taylor for a beginner origami workshop. Space is limited. 6:30 p.m. Shiras 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 07

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.

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.

- Rebirth, featuring photography by Steven Tousignant will be on display through February 20. Days and hours vary. Bay College,

2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.edu

• East Ludington Art Gallery. Works by local artists. Tuesday 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 artists. Days and hours vary. 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.edu

• William Bonifas Fine Arts Gallery.

- New Works, featuring oil paintings by John Hubbard, will be on display through February 16.

- Fabrications VI: A Fiber Arts Show, a juried exhibit, will be on display through February 16.

- Youth in Art, featuring works by Delta County area students, will be on display February 23 through 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.

- Word Count, an exhibit by fiber artist

Bonnie Peterson will be on display through February 15th.

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.

- Animal Life: Art from the Kalevala, featuring works by various artists, will be on display through February 28.

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. Works by Calumet students in kindergarten through grade 12 will be on display through February 28.

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.

- Me, You and Us, featuring works by three MTU Visual and Performing Arts students, will be on display February 6 through the 25th, with a public reception at 5:30 p.m. on the 10th.

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, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, by appointment or chance. 555 E. Michigan Street. gracigallery.com

(continued on page 81)

(continued on page 64)

Madhura Mehendale| White Swan | Kerredge Gallery, Hancock

art galleries

• Huron Mountain Club Gallery.

- Winter Charm, featuring mixed media by Lake Superior Art Association members, will be on display through February 28, with a public reception at 6 p.m. on the 9th. 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.

- Take 5, featuring works by members of the Lake Superior Art Association, will be on display February 1 through 28, with a public reception at 6 p.m. on the 9th. 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.

• Peter White Public Library Lower Level.

- Dog Dayz of Winter Student Art Show, featuring works by students in Kindergarten through grade 8, will be on display February 18 through February 28, with a cookies, coffee and prizes at 3 p.m. on the 18th. 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.

• Peter White Public Library Reception Gallery.

- Seen and Unseen, featuring photography by NMU photography students, will be on display through February 28, with a public reception at 6 p.m. on the 9th. 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

(continued from page 63)

• 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)

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 February 4 through March 3, with a public reception at 5 p.m. on the 4th. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 810 N. Third St. (906) 273-1374.

• Zero Degrees Gallery.

- Works by jeweler Kalil Zender will be on display through February 28. 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.

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.

226-4323.

• Tech Coaching for Seniors. Learn to customize your electronic devices with the help of Christine Ault. Bring your charged device and passwords. Sign up for a 15-minute timeslot. Noon

to 2 p.m. Heritage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

• Heart Disease, Prevention, Identification and Treatment. Registered nurse Joe Ackerman will discuss heart disease awareness, prevention and early treatment to prevent long-standing damage to your heart. 3 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 361-5370.

• 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. Jack Deo will present Fish On: The History of Fishing in Marquette. $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 8:05 a.m.; sunset 6:03 p.m.

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.

• Harlow Lake Snowshoe. This guided three-mile snowshoe hike will follow a stretch of Harlow Creek and return through a wooded area. Inclement weather date is February 9. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 1 p.m. Cabin 6 parking area, Harlow Lake, Harlow Lake Rd. (906) 345-9295.

• 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

• DSS&A on the Marquette Iron Range. Gregory Stahl will discuss the Duluth South Shore & Atlantic’s Marquette Iron Range operations from the 1940s and beyond to the merger with the Soo Line. $5 suggested donation. 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. (906) 226-3571.

• Factors Influencing Common Loon Genetics. NMU graduate Amy Munes will present her research that examines biological and environmental factors at a genetic level. 7 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 361-9255.

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

Munising

• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers of all abilities are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.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.

09 THURSDAY

sunrise 8:03 a.m.; sunset 6:04 p.m.

Crystal Falls

• Virtual Q&A with U.P. Author Terri Martin. Terri Martin will discuss her book The Home Wind. 7 p.m. Call or email to register and receive the Zoom link. egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us or (906) 875-3344.

Houghton

• Winter Carnival: Stage Revue Show. MTU students, free; nonstudents, $10. 7 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

• Winter Carnival: Tasty Foods for Wintry Moods. View the student-made statues during this annual event. Locations vary. mtu.edu/carnival

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. (906) 249-3529.

• Art Sparks. Youth in grades 1 to 5 are invited to make resin bookmarks. 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: Valentine’s Day Party. 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) 2263911 or upchildrensmuseum.org

• Women in STEM Panel Discussion.

7 p.m. Federated Women’s Clubhouse, 104 W. Ridge St.

Munising

• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers of all abilities are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.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.

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

• Winter Carnival: Comedian Mikey Day. Comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member Mikey Day will perform. MTU students, free; nonstudents, $20. 9 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events. mtu.edu

• Winter Carnival: Tasty Foods for Wintry Moods. View the student-made statues during this annual event. Locations vary. mtu.edu/carnival

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.

• Docu Cinema Matinee. The documentary film An Uncomfortable Truth will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested

players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

• Meijer State Games of Michigan. The Olympic-style event welcomes athletes from the Midwest who will compete in ski and snowboard events. Opening ceremony, 7 p.m. Rail Jam, 8 p.m. Participants, prices vary. Marquette Mountain, 4501 CR-553. stategamesofmichigan.com

• Local Makers Valentine’s Market. 6 to 8 p.m. Barrel + Beam, 260 Northwoods Rd. (906) 273-2559.

Munising

• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers of all abilities are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.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.

• 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.

Escanaba

• 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

• Valentine’s Dessert Festival. Stop by for Valentine’s desserts and listen to music by String Challenged. Flowers will be available. 1 to 4 p.m. Gwinn United Methodist Church, 341 Jasper St. (906) 346-6314.

Hancock

• Torchlight Parade and Fireworks. Watch the torchlight parade cascade down Mont Ripley. Fireworks to follow. 8:45 p.m. Mont Ripley, 49051 Skill Hill Rd. events. mtu.edu

Houghton

• Winter Carnival: Tasty Foods for Wintry Moods. View the student-made statues during this annual event. Locations vary. mtu.edu/carnival

Marquette

• 42nd Annual Ron Carson Marquette International Open. Local and regional figure skaters will compete in a variety of events, including free skate, dance and showcase. Competitors can qualify for the State Games of America. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Berry Events Center, NMU. marquettefigureskating.org

• Meijer State Games of Michigan. The Olympic-style event welcomes athletes from the Midwest who will compete in ski and snowboard events. Slalom, 10 a.m. Border-Cross/Ski, 1 p.m. Slopestyle, 4 p.m. Participants, prices vary. Marquette Mountain, 4501 CR-553. stategamesofmichigan.com

• 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. (906) 249-3529.

• Valentine’s Day Craft Show. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41.

• 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.

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Chili Challenge. Sample a variety of chilis during this fundraising event. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Women’s Center. Youth younger than age 12 and NMU students, $6; others, $12. 1 to 3 p.m. Ballrooms 1 and 2, Northern Center, NMU. nmu.edu

• Woodland Sky Dance Company. Watch an authentic Native American dance experience with styles including traditional, fancy, jingle, grass and hoop. Prices vary. 1 and 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu. edu/tickets

Munising

• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers of all abilities are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com

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

12 SUNDAY sunrise 7:59 a.m.; sunset 6:09 p.m.

Houghton

• Winter Carnival: Tasty Foods for Wintry Moods. View the student-made

Woodland Sky | February 11 | Marquette

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) 2817625.

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. (906) 482-3101 or quincymine. com

Houghton

statues during this annual event. Locations vary. mtu.edu/carnival

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

• 42nd Annual Ron Carson Marquette International Open. Local and regional figure skaters will compete in a variety of events, including free skate, dance and showcase. Competitors can qualify for the State Games of America. 8 a.m. to noon. Berry Events Center, NMU. marquettefigureskating.org

• Meijer State Games of Michigan.

• A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. 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. (906) 482-7140 or 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

The Olympic-style event welcomes athletes from the Midwest who will compete in ski and snowboard events. Giant Slalom, 10 a.m. Participants, prices vary. Marquette Mountain, 4501 CR-553. stategamesofmichigan.com

• Make and Take Valentine Card. Create a card for your favorite human or furry friend. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Zero Degrees Art Gallery, 525 N. Third St. (906) 228-3058.

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

Munising

• Michigan Ice Fest. Ice climbers of all

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.

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.

Railroads of Marquette County: Yes-

abilities are invited for classes, demonstrations, presentations, climbing and more. Prices, times and locations vary. michiganicefest.com

13 MONDAY

sunrise 7:57 a.m.; sunset 6:10 p.m.

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include 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

terday and Today, featuring select hands-on elements, as well as maps, artifacts and photographs, will be on display through February 2023. 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. MM

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.

• 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.

• Valentine’s Day Slime. 6 to 8 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public

Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Derrell Syria Project Concert. Listen to music performed by the Derrell Syria Project. 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

14 TUESDAY

sunrise 7:56 a.m.; sunset 6:10 p.m.

Gwinn

• 50th Anniversary Open House. Celebrate 50 years of service with the Forsyth Township Public Library. Coffee and treats provided. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Forsyth Township Library, 180 W. Flint St. (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.

• School’s Out, Library’s In. Students are invited to make Valentine’s Day slime, cards and to watch the film Beauty and the Beast 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.

• Tasty Reads Book Group. The group will discuss The Cooking Gene: a Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty. Noon. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4303.

• Tech Coaching for Seniors. Learn to customize your electronic devices with the help of Christine Ault. Bring your charged device and passwords. Sign up for a 15-minute timeslot. Noon to 2 p.m. Heritage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906)

226-4311.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 249-3529.

• Lake Superior Knitters Bimonthly Gathering. Knitters of all ages are invited to share knitting experiences and knowledge with other knitters. $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.

• Muggles for Potter. Youth in grades 2 and 3 are invited to make a Harry Potter-related potion. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

Negaunee

• Valentine’s Tea and Book Sale. Learn about the library and the Friends of the Library group, and enjoy refreshments while shopping for books. Donations appreciated. Noon to 3 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700.

15 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 7:54 a.m.; sunset 6:13 p.m.

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.

• Visual Art Classes: Music and Abstract Art with Oil Pastels. This class is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. 1 to 3 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.

•Diversity Common Reader Program: Documentary. The documentary film Code of Freaks will be shown. 7 p.m. Community Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906)

226-4321.

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

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 7:53 a.m.; sunset 6:15 p.m.

Houghton

• Superior Wind Symphony. MTU students, age 18 and younger, $5; adults, $15. 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. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

• Opportunities with Road Scholar–

An Overview. Carol Steinhaus will share information on the types of programs offered and how to search the website to register NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 6:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 458-5408

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 7:51 a.m.; sunset 6:16 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.

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.

• Global Cinema. The film by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory, will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

• UP200 Warm-up Tent. Cheer on the mushers and warm up with a cup of cocoa with members of The Nature Conservancy. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Corner of Front and Washington streets.

• UP200 and Midnight Run Start. Watch as the sled dog teams start their journeys. 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Washington street. up200.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.

• 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

18 SATURDAY

sunrise 7:49 a.m.; sunset 6:18 p.m.

Big Bay

• Honey Bear Classic. Explore the trails on skis or snowshoes during this annual event. Soup, a presentation and music to follow. $25. Noon. Thunder Bay Inn, 400 Bensinger. runsignup.com or (906) 250-3350.

Escanaba

• Kiwanis ‘N Cops ‘N Kids Story Hour. Preschool-age through early elementary-age children are invited for stories. 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

• UP200 Jack Pine 30. Mushers with their 6-dog teams will compete during this 26-mile race. 10 a.m. First Baptist Church, 195 N. Billings St. up200.org

Hancock

• An Afternoon of Music with Phil Lynch. Singer, songwriter an author Phil Lynch will perform and sign copies of his book and CD. 3 p.m. Sunflower Books and Coffee, 528 Quincy St. (906) 523-7511.

Little Lake

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

Marquette

• 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. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

• Hot Cocoa Bar. Warm up while you explore the events of dog sled weekend. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zero Degrees Art Gallery, 525 N. Third St. (906) 228-3058.

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Story Time at MooseWood Nature Center. This story time will have an animal themed nature story and craft and recommended for ages 3 to 8 but all ages welcome. Adults, $5; families, $10. 2 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• 16 th Annual Soup Dinner. Homemade soups, breads and desserts will be available, along with music by local performers. Proceeds benefit JJ Packs. Donations appreciated. 5 to 7 p.m. Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation Meeting House, 1510 M-28 East. (906) 458-3915.

• Concert: We’ve Always Been at Home. The concert will feature new music with Michael Waite, Kerry Yost and the Superior String Alliance Chamber Players. $15. 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. waite.eventbrite.com or (906) 226-3571.

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

19 SUNDAY

sunrise 7:48 a.m.; sunset 6:19 p.m.

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

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Barrel Room Swing. Those interested in swing dancing are invited for a class followed by dancing. 6 p.m. Barrel + Beam, 260 Northwoods Rd. jodi.j.miri@gmail.com

20 MONDAY

sunrise 7:46 a.m.; sunset 6:21 p.m.

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include 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.

• Global Geeks Book Club. The group will discuss Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. 6 p.m. Dandelion Cottage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4312.

• The Forgotten Culture–The Americas’ Pyramids. Fred Rydholm will discuss the urban architecture of American pyramids from 1,000 years ago and their uses for ceremonial rituals and feasts. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 1 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 361-5370.

• 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.

• African Americans in the U.P. – A 300-Year History. Local historian and author Russell Magnaghi will discuss African American history in the U.P. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds produced by Tibetan 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.

21 TUESDAY

sunrise 7:44 a.m.; sunset 6:22 p.m.

Gwinn

• Literature at the Lodge. The group will discuss Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love by Dani Shapiro. 7 p.m. Up North Lodge, 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-3433.

Houghton

• Spring 2023 Blood Drive. Individuals who are eligible to donate are encourage to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins welcome based on availability. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Memorial Union Building, MTU. (800) 733-2767).

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.

• Walking Through the Land of the Thunder Dragon. John Frick will discuss his experience walking through the Kingdom of Bhutan. Learn about the food, culture, temples and people of the Kingdom. NCLL members, $3; nonmembers, $10. 10 a.m. Room 101B, Superior Dome, NMU. (906) 458-5408.

• 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. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

22 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 7:43 a.m.; sunset 6:24 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Open Crafts Night. 6:30 p.m.

Honey Bear Classic | February 18 | Big Bay

Makers Marketplace, 113 Cleveland Ave. (906) 458-0626.

Houghton

• Spring 2023 Blood Drive. Individuals who are eligible to donate are encourage to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins welcome based on availability. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Memorial Union Building, MTU. (800) 733-2767).

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.

• PWPL Non-Fiction Book Club. The group will discuss A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. 1 p.m. Conference Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• Get Crafty. Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited for crafts and a movie. 4 to 7 p.m. Teen Zone, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• 2023 Annual Meeting and History Awards. Following a brief business meeting, an awards ceremony will announce the winners of the annual Helen Longyear and Paul and Peter White history awards . 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St. (906) 226-3571.

• Authors Read Virtually: Stephen Mack Jones. Author Stephen Mack Jones will read selections from his book, Dead of Winter. 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.

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 7:41 a.m.; sunset 6:25 p.m.

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. (906) 249-3529.

• 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.

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 7:39

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 Theatre: An Up-Cycled Fashion Show. The show will feature up-cycled clothing from denim and other recycled materials along with accessory items. MTU students, free; age 17 and younger, $5; adults, $10. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, 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 Elvis will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. $5 for games. 12:30 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 249-3529.

• 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

25 SATURDAY

sunrise 7:37 a.m.; sunset 6:28 p.m.

Calumet

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

Escanaba

• Saturday Story Hour. Youth ages 5 and older with an adult are invited for stories. 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

Houghton

• MTU Theatre: An Up-Cycled Fashion Show. The show will feature up-cycled clothing from denim and other recycled materials along with a accessory items. MTU students, free; age 17 and younger, $5; adults, $10. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• 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.

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• NCLL Carpool to Trenary Outhouse Races. The group will carpool to watch the Outhouse Races. NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 1 p.m. Lofaro’s Marketplace, 101 Carmen Dr. (906) 361-5370.

• 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. 1 and 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. nmu.edu/ tickets

• Marquette Symphony Orchestra Concert. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Kaufman Auditorium, 611 N. Front St. nmu.universitytickets.com

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

Trenary

• Outhouse Classic. Watch as homemade outhouses are pushed down main street. Advanced tickets, $3; day of, $5. 2 p.m. Downtown. trenaryouthouseclassic.com

26 SUNDAY sunrise 7:36 a.m.; sunset 6:29 p.m.

Lake Linden

• Music for a Sacred Place. Michigan Tech Choirs will perform with proceeds benefitting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Donations appreciated. 7:30 p.m. St. Joseph Catholic Church, 701 Calumet St. events.mtu.edu

Little Lake

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

Marquette

• Cans for Critters. Returnable plastic bottles and cans can be dropped off at the front door. No glass bottles. Proceeds benefit MooseWood Nature Center. Noon to 4 p.m. MooseWood Nature Center, Peter White Dr. Presque Isle. moosewood.org or (906) 228-6250.

• Barrel Room Swing. Those interested in swing dancing are invited for a class followed by dancing. 6 p.m. Barrel + Beam, 260 Northwoods Rd. jodi.j.miri@gmail.com

27 MONDAY

sunrise 7:34 a.m.; sunset 6:31 p.m.

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include 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

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. February 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

comfort of your own home. 11a.m. via Facebook Live. facebook.com/ NegauneePublicLibrary

28 TUESDAY

sunrise 7:32 a.m.; sunset 6:32 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

• 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. Spring St. (906) 249-3529.

• Greeting Card Making. Julie Higbie and Judi Mouser will lead others in making four different greeting cards. NCLL members, $13; nonmembers, $18. 1 p.m. Harlow Farms Community Center, corner of Wilson and Horizon streets. (906) 361-5370.

• Lake Superior Knitters Bimonthly Gathering. Knitters of all ages are invited to share experiences and knowledge with other knitters. $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.

• 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.

• 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. MM

people who are separated or divorced. New members are welcome. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Northiron Church, 910 Palms Ave. (906) 475-6032 or northiron. church

• 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. February 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. February 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. February 16. 3 p.m. Negaunee Senior Center, 410 Jackson St. lakesuperiorhospice.org or (906) 475-6266.

• Marquette Codependents Anonymous Meeting. 7 p.m. LoveMarq Church, 728 W. Kaye Ave. lovemarqchurch.org

• Michigan Tobacco Quit Line. This 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. February 9. 6 p.m. Suunta Integrative Health, 1209 N. Third St. (906) 273-0964.

• 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. Second Monday and Third Thursday of each month via Zoom. Email ckbertucci58@charter.net for the Zoom invitation.

• 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.

• Nicotine Anonymous. (415) 7500328 or www.nicotine-anonymous.org

• Parkinson’s Support Group— Marquette . February 15. 2 p.m. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Senior Support Group

— Marquette. Learn about the importance of advance directives. February 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 or TOPS.org

• 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.