October 2022 Marquette Monthly

Marquette Monthly, published by Mod el Town Publishing, LLC, located at PO Box 109 Gwinn, MI, 49841, is locally and independently owned. Entire contents Copyright 2022 by Model Town Publish ing. All rights reserved. Permission or use of editorial material in any manner must be obtained in writing from the publish ers. Marquette Monthly is published 12 times a year. Subscriptions are $65 per year. Freelance material can be submitted for consideration to editor@marquette monthly.com. Events can be submitted to calendar@marquettemonthly.com. Ad inqui ries can be sent to jane@marquettemonthly. com or james@marquettemonthly.com

About the Cover Artist

lookout poiNt Kathy ihde finlandia PaPer serves worldwide audienCe the arts taylor JohnSon & Brad GiSchia halloween haPPenings abound aCross u.P.

baCk theN Sonny lonGtine laCe uP & Chill out the arts alex lehto clarK filM festival showCases great lakes

iN the outdoors Scot Stewart winged MaMMals

baCk theN larry chaBot MenoMinee: where the u.P. begins poetry roSlyn McGrath how to find a Poet reads Victor VolKMan novel delves into relationshiP in loCal setting CiNema leonard heldreth big naMes break stereotyPes in satisfying Movie

ColoriNg page the Gathered earth out & about carrie uSher oCtober events and MusiC, art and MuseuM guides

Jennifer Bell is a graphic designer whose work has graced the pages of MM since 2014. She is an NMU graduate and is a designer at Signs Now. Jen’s artistic design has a wide scope, from small ads to vehicle graphics. Hutchens Larsen II Basolo-Malmsten u.P. York Times Crossword & (answers on Page 75) Superior View bay hotel/thunder bay inn erin elliott Bryan Magazine Celebrates 35 years the table Katherine larSon deCades of good loCal eats liFe Michael Murray a football future Brad GiSchia helPs through MusiC the outdoors paM chriStenSen hobby turns into yooPerlite sensation poiNt Brad GiSchia eMbraCes at sPooky hot sPots theN larry chaBot nanCy love and her jar of Pennies JacKie StarK u.P. ParanorMal teaM searChes for answers

city notes

Anatomy of an Election event set for October 5

At7 p.m. on Wednesday, Octo ber 5, election expert Marie Wicks, with help from some local election officials, will walk the audience through all the ways in which our elections are handled safe ly and securely, through transparency, checks and balances, public involve ment and redundancy.

Light refreshments will be provid ed, and there will be audience partic ipation opportunities and a chance to talk to Marie and Marquette County local clerks. The event is free to the public and will be held in Room 1322 of John X. Jamrich Hall on the North ern Michigan University campus.

The event is sponsored by nonparti san organizations Center for Change, Northern Votes and the League of Women Voters of Marquette County.

Marquette school board candidate forum scheduled

Do you have a question for the Marquette Area Public School Board candidates? Do you want to hear their views on topics of interest to the MAPS community?

You can do both at the League of Women Voters of Marquette County’s Candidate Forum on October 6. The seven candidates for two seats on the MAPS Board will answer questions from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Kaufman Au ditorium on Front Street in Marquette.

Doors will open at 6:30 for the live audience and will also be livestreamed on the LWVMC site. The link will be widely posted prior to the Forum. It will also be published on the LWVMC website.

The LWVMC encourages questions from MAPS area citizens, including staff, teachers, students and parents, in advance at jfoley1950@gmail.com, as well as written questions in person at the forum, which will be moderated by a league member.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The league does not support or oppose any candidate or party.

MSU Extension, U of M Medicine offer free Tai Chi class Michigan State University Exten sion in conjunction with Uni versity of Michigan Medicine are teaming up to offer Tai Chi for Fall Prevention online.

This research and evidence-based

set of tai chi has shown to improve muscular strength, flexibility, bal ance, and stress reduction. The Tai Chi for Fall Prevention is based on Sun style tai chi and incorporates ba sic/advanced moves, warm-up, cool down, and energizing qigong moves throughout the set.

MSU Extension is offering Tai Chi for Fall Prevention each Monday and Wednesday, starting October 3 at 11:30 a.m. via zoom. This online se ries is led by a certified instructor of Tai Chi for Fall Prevention and is free to all participants.

For more information or help to reg ister, email Anita Carter at carte356@ msu.edu or Kristy Brown at kribro@ umich.edu

Annual City of Marquette art awards set for October 8

The City of Marquette Office of Arts and Culture will present the 25th Annual Art Awards on Saturday, October 8.

This red-carpet affair honors out standing individuals who have made an impact in arts and culture in Mar quette. The awards show will be held at the Masonic Building’s Red Room, 128 W. Washington Street. This year’s awards show is made possible by In novate Marquette Smart Zone.

This event is free and open to the public with a “Marquette Formal” suggested dress code to match the oc casion. The 25th Annual Art Awards show will feature performances by past recipients, notable communi ty members as award presenters and honor this year’s recipients.

For details, call (906)228-0472 or visit www.mqtcompass.com

Hiawatha Music returns to The Fold once a month

The Fold, Hiawatha Music Coop’s live music space, is back and monthly events are scheduled.

Hiawatha Music Co-op is excited to announce a new season of “Live at The Fold,” with an all-new listen ing-room experience that includes a social time and “Bring Your Own Basket” meal/snack to enjoy over the course of the evening.

The Fold is located at the Village Shopping Center at 1015 N. Third Street in Marquette, in the space closest to Fourth Street. The space is handicapped-accessible, and there is plenty of free parking.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m., and the lights go down for music at 7 p.m. Af ter a one-hour performance, there is

an after-concert social opportunity to meet the performers and peruse their merchandise.

Live at The Fold occurs from Octo ber through May on the second Thurs day, with the exception of November, when they host their annual meeting. Suggested donation is $5 per person.

The BYO Basket feature of Live at The Fold allows you to pack a picnic basket with the food or snacks of your choice. Enjoy your spread at one of our tablecloth-covered, candle-lit din ing tables.

The kick-off event will occur on Thursday, October 13, and will fea ture Beechgrove & Blacksmith. They are a wife/husband multi-instrumen talist duo with a trad-infused set list that dips into American and Scandina vian fiddle tunes, blues, country and folk genres.

Terri Bocklund, the “Beechgrove” of the pair, is an award-winning song writer who was an Artist in Residence at Isle Royale National Park as a song writer and composer. They’ll share music from the suite of music she composed called “Of Lake and Isle,” as well as other songs she’s penned that have become fan favorites. She is also the new executive director at Hiawatha.

Marquette Symphony sets 26th season line-up

The Marquette Symphony Orches tra has announced its five concerts for its 26th season in Kaufman Audi torium.

The MSO has an exciting 20222023 season planned, including two guest soloists, the orchestra’s newest Youth Concerto Competition winner, another community-focused Sounds of the Holidays performance, and a joint venture with the NMU Choirs.

Music Director Octavio Más-Aro cas will return to the podium to lead the MSO. He currently serves as Di rector of Orchestras at the Michigan State University College of Music.

Individual concert tickets are on sale now through NMU Tickets. Tick ets for adults have been lowered to start at $15 each. Student tickets start at $10 each. Children ages six to four teen are free with every adult ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at nmu.universitytickets.com or by call ing the box office at (906)227-1032.

The first concert of the season is at 7:30 p.m. on October 15.

Marquette History Center hosts archaeology fair

The tenth annual archeology fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 15 at the Mar quette Regional History Center.

International Archaeology Day fo cuses on getting people interested in history through archaeology. This fair will introduce youth and adults alike to archaeology through hands-on ac tivities, dig site stories, games and dis plays. Local experts will be on hand to share their work and expertise.

The tenth annual fair will feature: The First Americans with Dr. E. James Dixon. He will discuss the earliest ar chaeological evidence for people in the Americas.

The fair is an open-house event and great for all ages, including families, clubs, scouts and individuals. The fair is included with museum admission, which is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors $3 for students and $2 for kids 12 and younger. For details, visit www.mar quettehistory.org

Marquette’s Evergreen Awards set for October 17

The Evergreen Award honors in dividuals who are dedicated to supporting and mentoring women and girls and helping them to reach their leadership potential. These exception al individuals excel in their chosen path, devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and blaze trails for others to follow.

Community members are cordially invited to attend the Evergreen Lun cheon on Monday, October 17 at the Holiday Inn of Marquette. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com

The luncheon will honor last year’s recipient, Chris VanAbel, and an nounce the recipient for 2022. The deadline to purchase tickets is October 15. For details, email tossava1979@ gmail.com

Grow & Lead offers annual U.P. Nonprofit Conference

The U.P. Nonprofit Conference will take place on Thursday, Octo ber 20 at NMU’s Northern Center at NMU in Marquette.

The keynote speaker is Beth Kanter, an internationally recognized thought leader in digital transforma tion and well-being in the nonprofit workplace. She is the co-author of the award-winning book “The Hap py, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout,” bestselling “The Networked Nonprofit” and re cently released “The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Auto mated World.”

For details, visit www.glcyd.org/ programs/nonprofit-conference/

Four-day vinyl record show set at Ore Dock in Marquette

From noon on Thursday, October 20 through 11 p.m. Sunday, Oc tober 23, a vinyl record show will be held in the second floor community room of Ore Dock Brewing Company at 114 W. Spring Street in downtown Marquette.

Thousands of new and used vi nyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and T-shirts will be available. All are welcome at this free, all-ages event, presented by the NMU Vinyl Record Club.

Techs at UP Health System— Marquette ratify contract

The Michigan Nurses Associa tion (MNA) and UP Health Sys tem-Marquette announced the hos pital’s technical employees have ratified their first union contract. The three-year contract was ratified September 9.

The contract covers about 180

healthcare professionals represented by the MNA.

“Our technical employees play an incredibly vital role in the delivery of healthcare at our hospital, so we could not be more pleased to have reached an agreement that meets the collective needs of our staff, the hospital and community,” said Gar Atchison, chief executive officer of UPHS-Marquette.

The MNA, the largest union and professional association of nurses and healthcare professionals in the state, also represents about 300 registered nurses who work at UPHS—Mar quette. The nurses ratified a three-year contract in June.

“Nurses and ancillary staff work hand-in-hand to advocate for our pa tients every day, and our contracts protect that voice,” said Stephanie DePetro, RN, president of the MGH RN Staff Council and vice president of the Michigan Nurses Association Board of Directors. “As our col leagues move forward with the pro tections and empowerment of their first contract, we are here with them every step of the way to keep working together to make our hospital the best it can be for our community.”

COVID-19 vaccines available for booster in Michigan

To better help fight the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authoriza tion for bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for booster doses.

This was followed by Centers for

The excitement of the first day of school never goes away. Father Marquette Catholic Academy (FMCA) welcomed students and families back, and started out the year strong after an open house with teach ers and students reviewing new classroom expectations. Monsignor Michael Steber and Father Tim Eikaitis came as well and blessed the students and staff of FMCA. (Photo courtesy of FMCA)

Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Im munization Practices’ recommen dation for use of the Pfizer bivalent booster vaccine for ages 12 years and older and the Moderna bivalent vac cine for ages 18 years and older.

The Moderna and Pfizer biva lent boosters target two strains of COVID-19—the original strain of the virus and the most widely-spread Omi cron variants (BA.4 and BA.5). Indi viduals ages 12 years and older who have completed any FDA-approved or FDA-authorized monovalent primary series (Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax or Johnson & Johnson) or previously re ceived monovalent booster doses are eligible to receive one bivalent (Pfizer or Moderna) COVID-19 booster.

Michiganders can begin getting the bivalent vaccines as they become available.

MDHHS has worked with vaccine providers across the state to ensure they were prepared for the arrival of the bivalent COVID-19 booster vac cines. Older formulations of boost er doses will no longer be available to persons 12 and older as the FDA has removed authorization for those boosters.

To locate providers offering the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent booster doses check your local pharmacy or visit www.vaccines.gov, which will be updated with bivalent booster lo cations soon.

Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible for a single boost er dose of the bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at

least two months since they complet ed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at least two months since they complet ed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Individuals may choose to receive either the Pfizer or Moderna bivalent booster, regardless of which prima ry series vaccine or original booster dose they had previously. Influenza vaccines, which are now available in Michigan, can also be co-admin istered with the COVID-19 bivalent booster doses.

MDHHS also encourages Mich igan residents to pay attention to lo cal guidance as some communities may be at a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission.

To schedule a primary or boost er dose of the COVID vaccine, vis it www.vaccines.gov

Marquette business awarded three Orbital Prime contracts

Kall Morris Inc. (KMI) of Mar quette, an orbital debris remedi ation company co-founded by three NMU alumni, is the recipient of three United States Space Force (USSF) research contracts through Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), worth $750,000 in total.

These USSF SpaceWERX Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I proposals are part of the Orbital Prime program to focus on the emerging market of In-space Ser vicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM), which is a joint commer cial-government effort that KMI is supporting through their technologies and these awarded contracts.

KMI will conduct these proposals from their Marquette location, in creasing their staff and investment in the area, as they did last year follow ing a pre-seed investment round. This current team of professionals share an interest in space and are all alumni of NMU, with additional alumni and non-NMU team members joining in the coming weeks as new hires. This team was highlighted in a recent ar ticle in The New Yorker by David Rompf who wrote, “who wouldn’t have confidence in these hyper-bright individuals attacking the problem of space debris?”

The Orbital Prime effort recognizes the importance of Active Debris Re moval (ADR), with an estimated $50 billion total value, as a critical func tion of ISAM for the space industry.

These USSF contracts allow emerging technologies and startups to positively affect Earth’s orbit and beyond. The Space Force, AFRL and collaboration across the aerospace in dustry support this orbital economy now and into the future. With space used by the average American over 30 times before breakfast, continuous

and uninterrupted satellite service is an impactful and crucial reason for debris to be removed before the de bris interrupts that service or destroys those satellites.

U.P. WIN training to increase health care workforce

Acollaborative effort to increase Upper Peninsula residents’ access to health care by expanding relevant workforce training, education and em ployment in the region has received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. De partment of Health and Human Ser vices. The project is called U.P. WIN, short for the Upper Peninsula Work force Innovation Network.

The Michigan Center for Rural Health was the lead applicant on the grant, and Elise Bur of the Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health will be the project director. Bur said shortages of community health workers and paramedics in the Upper Peninsula continues to be an ongoing challenge that has only been exacer bated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our communities are in need of and deserve access to affordable, quality health care services,” she said. “By understanding and addressing the social determinants of health that con tribute to health inequity and dispari ties, we can prevent chronic diseases that are the leading causes of death in the U.P., as well as in the state and nation. A heartfelt thank you to the Michigan Center for Rural Health for supporting initiatives in the U.P. that

Women’s Center Win

will improve the health and wellbeing of residents.”

Economic and health disparities, in addition to inadequate availability of rural health professional training sites, make it challenging to maintain a strong health care workforce in rural and tribal communities.

One of the central elements of U.P. WIN is to create stronger links between training programs and the health care entities that will ultimately employ or rely on these public health professionals. The network’s goals are to:

• Develop and expand sustainable community paramedicine and com munity health worker models in the U.P.;

• Leverage EMS professionals to address at-risk populations, man age patients with chronic diseases in-home, and decrease hospital read missions, while avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits.

• Identify, educate and provide cross-training opportunities for community health workers through NMU’s Center for Rural Health; and

• Develop approaches in training existing staff to maximize their clin ical and operational capacity

“With this award, we will have the ability to work closely with our grant partners to offer paramedic and com munity integrated paramedicine edu cation to U.P. residents,” said Andrea Abbas, EMS programs manager with the Michigan Center of Rural Health. “We are also excited to assist UP Health System—Marquette Emergen cy Medical Services in launching the first mobile integrated health program serving the Upper Peninsula.”

In addition to the Michigan and NMU Centers for Rural Health, oth er partners in the network are: Upper Peninsula Michigan Works; U.P. Area Health Education Center; U.P. Health Care Solutions; Everyday Life Con sulting; UP Health System—Mar quette School of EMT; and the Michi gan Department of Health and Human Services—Bureau of EMS, Trauma and Preparedness.

The $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Hu man Services went into effect Aug. 1 and will be dispersed over a threeyear period.

U.P. Arts and Culture Alliance doing impact study

The Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance (the Alliance) is pleased to announce its participa tion in Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the most comprehensive economic impact study of the non

profit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States.

Administered by Americans for the Arts, AEP6 will examine the econom ic impact of the arts and culture in the Alliance and 386 additional commu nities representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Alliance encompasses all 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula, with a goal of making arts and culture more visible, more connected, and more celebrated, as part of the broader fab ric of regional U.P. Development.

The Arts & Economic Prosperity series is conducted approximately ev ery five years to gauge the economic impact of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and the event-related spending by their audi ences.

More than 1,200 audience-inter cept surveys will be collected from attendees at arts and cultural events in the U.P. now through April 2023—in total, the national sample is antici pated to surpass 250,000 surveys. A survey of nonprofit arts and culture organizations will occur from January through April 2023. The national and local findings will be made public in September 2023.

Alliance seeking volunteers across Upper Peninsula U.P. Alliance president Sue Roll said the organization is trying to grow to better serve every county in the U.P. She said the alliance is cur rently in need of volunteers in helping to reach their goals, along with Board representatives from Menominee, Baraga, Luce, Schoolcraft, Chippewa, Ontonagon and Keweenaw Counties.

Roll said these groups closely align with the economic development, rec reation and tourism industries, ulti mately creating a thriving future for our region.

For technical assistance or to vol unteer for the U.P. Alliance as a board member or to give an hour or two of your time, contact Sue Roll at (906) 280-2746 or sue@upacalliance.com or visit www.upacalliance.com

Metals company enters into agreement for mineral rights

Talon Metals Corp. announced that it has entered into an option and earn-in agreement with UPX Min erals Inc. to acquire up to an 80 per cent ownership interest in the mineral rights over a land package comprised of approximately 400,000 acres locat ed in the Upper Peninsula.

This land package covers a highly prospective terrain within 1.7 miles of the high-grade Eagle Mine (the

only active nickel mine in the Unit ed States today) and is only 0.4 miles from the Humboldt Mill (the concen trator which currently processes the raw nickel ore that is trucked from the Eagle Mine).

The deal comes with a large, high quality geophysical data package and access to historic drill core that con tain multiple high-grade nickel inter cepts up to 7.4 percent Ni.

The land package was originally assembled by Henry Ford and owned for approximately 70 years by the Ford Motor Company.

Program resumed to honor historic preservation efforts

The Michigan Historical Commis sion announced the return of its annual awards program and is en couraging nominations now through December 31 for both the Gov. John B. Swainson Award and the MAAK Award.

The Swainson Award recognizes the efforts of state, county and mu nicipal employees who have contrib uted to Michigan history even though history is not part of their regular job responsibilities. The award commem orates Gov. John B. Swainson, presi dent of the Michigan Historical Com mission from 1985 until his death in 1994 and one of the few public offi cials to serve in all three branches of Michigan’s state government – execu tive, legislative and judicial.

The MAAK Award recognizes one person who has shown exceptional leadership and vision in support of Michigan’s historic resources, pro grams and institutions. The award commemorates Gov. William G. Mil liken, Michigan Historical Commis sioner Elizabeth Adams, Secretary of State Richard H. Austin and Attorney General Frank J. Kelley, who all con tributed to the preservation and under standing of Michigan’s history over their lifetimes of service.

Sandra Clark, director of the Mich igan History Center, which partners with the commission in the awards program, said that the pause in the awards program—the awards last were given in 2018—provided an op portunity to re-evaluate the purpose and scope of each award.

Nominations are due Dec. 31. For details, visit www.michigan.gov and search for the awards.

Brewery pledges donations for trail service, promotion Bell’s Brewery is again teaming up with the Partnership for the Na tional Trails System (PNTS) to shine a spotlight on trails, including the North Country National Scenic Trail.

For every hour you pledge between September 1 and October 31, Bell’s will donate $5 to the PNTS, up to $20,000.

Pledges can include volunteering, telling a friend about a trail, simply going for a hike or donating. Visit www.bellsbeer.com/trails for details.

UGL receives community health quality recognition

The Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges rec ognize health centers that have made notable quality improvement achieve ments in the areas of access, quality, health equity, health information tech nology and COVID-19 public health emergency response for the most re cent reporting period.

These awards recognize the high est performing health centers nation wide as well as those health centers that have made significant quality improvement gains from the previous year. This year, Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center is being recog nized for achievements in the follow ing categories:

• Health Center Quality Leader— GOLD: Awarded to health centers that achieve the best overall clinical quality measure (CQM) performance among all health centers. This year, UGL has received the gold badge which represents the top 10 percent of health centers nationwide.

• Advancing HIT for Quality: This award recognizes health centers that meet all criteria to optimize Health In formation Technology (HIT) services.

• Addressing Social Risk Factors: Recognizes health centers that are screening for social risk factors im pacting patient health and are increas ing access to enabling services.

• Achieving Patient-Centered Med ical Home Recognition

West End Health Foundation fall grant cycle closes soon

The West End Health Foundation has opened the grant cycle for the Fall Programmatic Grant program. Applications are due no later than Oc tober 1.

Applications can be submitted at www.westendhf.org/grants

The Programmatic Grant is fund ing awarded to select organizations that plan to use the funding toward advancing the health and wellness of the Marquette County West End Com munity. Grants can range from $1,000 to $10,000, dependent on available funds.

For more information on the West End Health Foundation and what has been funded in the past, visit www. westendhf.org

Hockey Night Results

The Detroit Red Wings Alumni versus Yoopers United hockey game may have ended in a tie, but the real winner here is the Marquette County community. United Way of Marquette County raised more than $100,000 at Marquette County Hockey Night on September 17. The proceeds from the event benefits United Way of Marquette County’s Community Investment Fund, which goes directly back to the community, including through UWMC’s annual grant funding. The event was supported by more than 200 volunteers and attended by about 3,500 people. (Photo courtesy of United Way of Marquette County)

For application assistance or oth er questions, email manager@west endhf.org or call (906) 226-6591.

MDHHS seeks to expand mobile response teams

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is seeking proposals for the newly cre ated MI Kids Now Mobile Response Grant Program.

MDHHS is providing addition al funding during fiscal year 2023 to expand Intensive Crisis Stabilization Services for Children. The purpose of the program is to expand access to mobile response teams to address cri sis situations for youth who are expe riencing emotional symptoms, behav iors or traumatic circumstances that have compromised or impacted their ability to function within their family, living situation, school/child care set ting or community.

Eligible applicants are Communi ty Mental Health Services Programs as defined in the Michigan Mental Health Code—with each recipient eli gible for up to $200,000. This service will be available regardless of cur rent participation in or eligibility for Community Mental Health Services Programs, and the community mental health programs can use grant funding to design proactive services that ad dress crisis situations prior to further escalation.

Proposals are for the grant peri od of January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023. The department will issue

another request for proposals in late 2022. The department is also explor ing a similar grant program for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

Grant applications for the MI Kids Now Mobile Response Grant Program RFP must be submitted electronically by 3 p.m. on October 10.

For more information or to apply, visit the EGrAMS website and select “About EGrAMS” link in the left pan el to access the “Competitive Appli cation Instructions” training manual.

The complete request for proposals can be accessed under the “Current Grants” section under the “Behavioral Hlth and Dev DIS Adm Standard” link by selecting the “MKNMR-2023” grant program.

History center awarded MACC grant for operations

The Marquette Regional History Center (MRHC) has been award ed a grant of $19,500 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cul tural Affairs (MACC).

The grant was awarded through the MACC peer review process and was one of 639 applications to com pete for MACC fiscal year 2022-2023 funding.

This grant is for operations of the History Center. It is one of the only operations grants available in Michi gan.

Receiving these important funds help the small MRHC staff to focus on its mission of providing education al opportunities to our community, as

well as the preservation of artifacts and archival materials.

The MACC peer review pro cess allows for each grant ap plication to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture profes sionals.

This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legis lative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.

A complete list of grant awards around the state is avail able by contacting MACC at (517) 241-4011 or visiting www. michigan.gov/arts

Learn more about the Marquette Regional History Center at www.mar quettehistory.org

Foundation awards $30,000 toward youth mental health

The West End Health Foundation recently awarded $30,000 for its 2022 Proactive Grant Cycle. The Pro active Grant program was limited to programs and services developed to address youth wellness with a focus on mental health.

Three applications were funded based on a competitive review of the organization, the program, and the quality of the proposal. The following grants were awarded:

• Ishpeming Public School District will receive $15,250 to provide a men tal health and suicide awareness pro gram featuring Kevin Hines. Hines is a suicide survivor who has dedicated his life to educating audiences about mental health and suicide prevention.

• Great Lakes Recovery Centers received $9,190 to enhance access to mental health services by increasing provider hours at their Child and Ad olescent Psychiatric Specialty Clinic in Negaunee. This grant will provide 115 additional youth and their fami lies with behavioral health services.

• The Ishpeming Cancer Society, also known as Cancer Care of Mar quette County, will receive $5,560 to help meet the mental health needs of youth cancer patients. Established in 1979, the Ishpeming Cancer Society assists Marquette County residents who have been diagnosed with cancer.

In addition to the Proactive Grant Awards, the West End Health Foun dation also presented a check for $15,200 to the Upper Peninsula Dia betes Outreach Network for the 2022 Teal Lake Swim. The foundation has been proud to provide matching funds support to the Teal Lake benefit for since 2014.

The West End Health Foundation’s

next grant cycle will be this fall and will focus on programs and services that improve health and wellness. Additional information can be found at www.westendhf.org or by emailing mary@marquette.org or calling (906) 226-6591, ext. 104.

Funding of advocacy centers supports children in need

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has received good news from the federal government about funding administered under the Vic tims of Crime Act—the same act that provides funding for Michigan’s Chil dren’s Advocacy Centers that support children affected by physical and sex ual abuse.

An anticipated reduction in federal funds will not materialize and MDH HS has made the decision to ensure that all Children’s Advocacy Centers currently funded with federal Victims of Crime Act dollars will be funded at the same or greater levels next fiscal year.

Total funding for next fiscal year will be approximately $12 million.

Michigan to receive $25 mil lion to address orphan wells

The Michigan Department of Envi ronment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced that the U.S. De partment of the Interior has awarded Michigan an initial grant of $25 mil lion to address orphan wells through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 2021 (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40601.

Eligible activities authorized un der the initial grant include plugging wells, reclaiming lands impacted by associated development activities, and the removal of infrastructure as sociated with the wells on federal, state, tribal, and private property.

Orphan wells are abandoned or improperly plugged wells for which there is no known solvent existing owner or operator.

City of Negaunee receives placemaking grant

The City of Negaunee is excited to announce it has been award ed a Revitalization and Placemak ing (RAP) Downtown Enhancement grant in the amount of $885,261 from the Michigan Economic Develop ment Corporation (MEDC) for infra structure and placemaking upgrades in downtown Negaunee. The City is one of twenty-two projects award ed across the state for these program funds.

The total estimated $2.1 million

project includes water, street and sidewalk infrastructure upgrades, new lighting, streetscape infrastruc ture and furnishings, car charging sta tions and the development of several outdoor gathering hubs that will help to complement the unique charm of Downtown Negaunee.

City staff will be working with the DDA, Negaunee Parks and Recre ation Commission and the Negaunee Planning Commission to finalize the overall plan.

Upon final recommendation a for mal plan will be submitted to the City Council for adoption. Upon accep tance of the plan, the project could start as early as next spring. The pub lic is encouraged to attend the meet ings to provide input.

The project will work in conjunc tion with two other major funding sources, the Phase 1 USDA Water Project which will contribute roughly $359,000 and a $224,000 Small Ur ban Street Grant. Additional funding will come from various sources with in the city’s budget over the next two years.

Funding awarded for Sawyer International upgrades

The Department of Transportation (DOT) will be awarding Sawyer International Airport $2,700,120 to repair a hangar. This project is funded through the Federal Aviation Admin istration’s Airport Improvement Pro gram.

More information on the Depart ment of Transportation grant program can be found at www.dot.gov/grants

From the desk of U.S. Sena tors Stabenow and Peters

• U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (Michigan) and Gary Peters (Michi gan) announced that Stanton Town ship Volunteer Fire Department will receive $67,429 from the U.S. Depart ment of Homeland Security (DHS) to purchase 14 new sets of turnout gear. The funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s

(FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program.

News from the desk of Governor Gretchen Whitmer

• Governor Gretchen Whitmer cel ebrated the impact of the recent deci sion to forgive $10,000 in student loan debt on Michigan’s working fami lies. Up to 50 percent of Michiganders with federal student debt could have their loans cut in half or forgiven en tirely. The pause on payments for all borrowers has been extended through the end of the year.

• Whitmer sent a letter to the leaders of Apple, Alphabet, Ama zon, Meta and Microsoft, five of the world’s biggest tech companies that manage nearly every Ameri can’s data. She called on them to take additional steps to protect peo ple’s data, especially health data, as ex tremists try to weaponize it to go after women seeking reproductive health care and to prosecute nurses and doc tors for doing their jobs.

• Whitmer unveiled a statewide crackdown on crime called “Oper ation Safe Neighborhoods,” aimed at reducing gun violence by getting illegal guns off the street and out of the hands of people who cannot le gally be in possession of a gun due to prior criminal history. Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in Mich igan involve a firearm, and in the first half of 2022, more than 450 Michi ganders have lost their lives due to gun violence.

• Whitmer signed an executive directive to lower costs for families by ensuring Michigan takes advan tage of tax credits and other oppor tunities in the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as effectively as possible. This directive will ensure Michigan’s state departments and agencies use every tool in their tool boxes to pass savings on to Michigan ders, expanding on Whitmer’s work to lower costs for families across the state. The IRA will lower the cost of prescription drugs, health care and en

DiD You Know...

Submitted by Dr. Russell M. Magnaghi, history professor emeritus of NMU and a U.P. author and historian.

Who was the father of Native American gaming in the U.P. and, ultimately, the United States?

Fred Dakota of Baraga, who passed at age 84 in 2021, was a Keween aw Bay tribal leader who promoted the little understood concept of “tribal sovereignty.” On New Year’s Eve in 1983, he opened the first casino in his garage in Zeba. He moved to Baraga with a casino, but was closed down as only the tribe could develop casinos. However, the idea was planted, and soon after, casinos opened across the United States after being given approval by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The drawing for Keweenaw Natural Areas annual raffle fundraiser is coming up on October 15. Seven Mile Point and Gratiot River North— two KNA natural areas with Lake Superior shoreline—were rescued from potential development and preserved to benefit wildlife and na tive plants, as well as for public enjoyment. This annual raffle is one way that KNA ensures that the mortgage for these two stunning natural areas is paid and that they remain undeveloped. Seven cash prizes will be drawn, with a grand prize of $20,000. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, so the odds of winning a prize are good. Tickets are $100. You do not need to be present for the drawing to be a winner. For more information and tickets, email KNAraffle@yahoo.com or call (906) 3709022. (Photo courtesy of Keweenaw Natural Areas)

ergy, offer a middle-class tax credit to help families buy electric vehicles made in Michigan, and create millions of manufacturing jobs.

• Whitmer announced the Sault Ste. Marie Convention & Visitors Bu reau has been awarded $2 million to boost tourism by enhancing the Sault Ste. Marie International 500 Race way as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant program. The project is expected to support a total of 50 jobs in the area.

• Whitmer signed an executive or der establishing the Statewide Hous ing Partnership within the Mich igan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). The partner ship will develop a strategy to imple ment Michigan’s Statewide Housing Plan and ensure that every Michigan der has access to affordable housing that meets their needs. Additionally, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in Lansing to announce Michigan Strategic Fund approval of $83.8 million in grant funding across 22 statewide affordable housing and community development projects around Michigan through the Revital ization and Placemaking Program.

• Whitmer announced that the Michigan Department of Transporta

tion (MDOT) has begun a resurfacing project on US-41 in Marquette Coun ty. MDOT is investing about $1.2 mil lion to resurface three miles of US-41 from Kunde Road to Big Creek Road in Marquette County. Work includes milling and resurfacing, concrete curb and gutter, aggregate shoulders, cen terline and shoulder rumble strips, guardrail, and pavement markings. Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to support 15 jobs.

• Whitmer and Michigan Depart ment of Insurance and Financial Ser vices (DIFS) Director Anita Fox an nounced a $4 million federal grant that will expand access to qualified health insurance Navigators and help more people find health insurance. These grants, along with extended tax subsidies and other actions taken by state and federal partners, will help further reduce the national uninsured rate which hit an all-time record low of eight percent in 2022.

• Whitmer announced a new state wide strategy to ensure Michigan re mains the global leader in the future of mobility. The MI Future Mobility Plan maps out a comprehensive strat egy that addresses future mobility challenges by growing the mobility workforce, providing more accessible transportation infrastructure and de

veloping innovative policies.

• Whitmer announced a $1.2 million investment in veteran sui cide prevention programs, improving the health and well-being of Mich igan’s more than 550,000 military veterans and their families. This rep resents the largest investment in vet eran suicide prevention outreach since at least the year 2000 and likely the largest in Michigan history accord ing to available data. The investment was announced following a roundta ble discussion with veterans and vet eran advocates attended by Lt. Gover nor Garlin Gilchrist II and Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) Di rector Zaneta Adams.

• Whitmer announced the appoint ment of Brian Hanna as acting execu tive director of the Cannabis Regula tory Agency (CRA).

• Whitmer signed an executive di rective, the third of three, to ensure Michigan takes advantage of tax cred its and other opportunities in the re cently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as effectively as possible. The governor is focused on lowering the cost of doing business, and this direc tive will ensure state departments and agencies use every tool in their tool boxes to support Michigan’s innova tive companies.

Local business news…in brief

• Dan Perkins Construction do nated a large metal roof to Bay Cliff for their 77-foot arts and crafts build ing. The entire Dan Perkins Construc tion crew was onsite for this project from start to finish.

• Grow & Lead: Community and Youth Development announces the addition of Taylor Olson-Brutto to its staff as Outreach Coordinator. The position includes communications and marketing, member relations and the @Give906 GivingTuesday com munity campaign.

• The Marquette Downtown Devel opment Authority (DDA) has hired a new Business Outreach and Promo tions Director, Michael Bradford Michael graduated with a degree in Marketing from Northern Michigan University, and has an extensive back ground in marketing and events pro duction in the Marquette area.

• UP Health System welcomes Bri an Odom, MD, to the urology prac tice; Odom sees patients of all ages for diseases and disorders of the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract and male reproductive organs. With spe cialized training and experience in robotic-assisted surgery, Dr. Odom expands available minimally-invasive surgical options involving the urinary system—including the prostatectomy

procedure.

• Northern Michigan University graduate assistant Benjamin Fidler won first place in the most recent in ternational 3-Day Novel Contest. Eli jah Sparkman, an MFA graduate of NMU, also participated and advanced to the final selection. Instead of relax ing during Labor Day weekend 2021, both wrote tirelessly to create a nov el or novella in 72 hours, competing against other writers worldwide. The judges take nearly a year to read hun dreds of submissions and recently re leased the results.

• The Community Foundation of Marquette County (CFMC) is pleased to announce that Mark and Christine Troudt recently made a $25,000 gift for the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy (UPLC) for the Dead River Community Forest through the Mark and Christine Troudt Donor Ad vised Fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation. Found ed in 1988, CFMC collaborates with donors to establish charitable funds and supports nonprofit organizations through a variety of grant-making ef forts.

• Michigan’s largest non-profit dental organization, My Community Dental Centers (MCDC), announced the relocation and grand opening of its new Marquette dental center. All pa tients will now be seen at the office’s new location at 1110 W Washington Street in Marquette.

• Gregory Jones, MD, has joined the team of family medicine and ad diction medicine providers at Upper Great Lakes Marquette Family Health Center (UGL); Jones earned his BS in Nutritional Science and his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry Degrees from Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan in 2013 and then went on to complete his Doctor of Medicine degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine

• UP Health System announced Isaac Smith, MD, Pediatrician, has joined its medical staff and will be of fering pediatric services to patients at UPHS—Bell; Smith earned his Bach elor of Science in biomedical scienc es from Central Michigan University and later went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine at Michigan State Uni versity, College of Human Medicine. He completed his pediatric residency at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio.

Editor’s note: The deadline for event and press release submissions for City Notes is the tenth of the month prior to publication. Email your press release to editor@marquettemonthly.com

A Body Called Paula installation and performance art featured at Finlandia gallery on campus

Finlandia University Gallery will present A Body Called Paula, an installation that mixes screen print ing and performance by Finnish artist Sirkku Ketola at the Finlandia Uni versity Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) in Hancock through October 14.

Part installation, part perfor mance, A Body Called Paula in an art piece that develops in the gallery over four days of long-duration screen printing sessions. With the themes of time, temporality, pleasure and the meditative process of working, Finn ish artist Sirkku Ketola hand prints patterned imagery on long, fragile ribbons of paper.

Watching the performance, the viewer observes the pure physical ity of art making, while the process creates a sensual mix of visual orna ment and rhythmic sound. The four performance sessions—titled Light, Passion, Knowledge and Darkness— symbolize the elements of a full life.

“My character, Paula, is simultane ously enraptured and trapped (in Finn ish there is a sentence with both mean ings, derived from the word “paula” which is also a ribbon),” Ketola said. “She is a metaphor of a small human in the cosmos. The name Paula comes

originally from the Greek name Pau lus, which means small. So my Pau la works with paula, with her special ribbon. Her job is to communicate visually by printing a repeating and overwhelmingly beautiful ornament. She wanders globally and communi cates the beauty she sees.”

The physical conditions of the gal lery space affect the artistic process and the performance is physically de manding for the artist.

“The strength of the hands and the exactness of the eyes are sensing con stantly the fragility, stretching, moist ening and drying of the paper, and the consistency and volume of the ink,” Ketola said. “The site-specific humid ity and temperature strongly affect the functioning of the paper/color/body formed sensual machine.”

Ketola has chosen a long, fragile paper for her project, with the ribbon rolling past her hands many times during each performance. This pro cess demands a humility towards the materials, giving up tight control in preference of losing control and re sponding to the flow of the interaction between artist, materials and space.

“Maybe the greatest thing is that the ribbon still surprises me, even though I have been working with the

same materials for years,” she said. “The major errors have been avoided, but the danger of errors are constantly present. Everything can be irrevers ibly spoiled, even in the last round of printing.”

A Body Called Paula is a 10-year project that has been performed

and exhibited in Finland, Latvia, Canada, Belgium, Japan, Estonia, New York City and now Hancock.

A Body Called Paula will be on dis play through October 14.

Call (906)487-7500 or email gal lery@finlandia.edu for details.

MM

Broadway actor and Iron River native returns to U.P. to support new BFA in acting at NMU

Jimmy Ludwig’s 30-year acting career in New York City—from Broadway productions and perfor mance art to film and television— taught him a valuable lesson: “Grit and a willingness to outwork every body else” are far more important for sustained success than either talent, which is pervasive in such entertain ment epicenters, or connections.

He plans to share that sage advice with students in the new Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in acting program he is heading for Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance.

“There are very few overnight successes, and a lot of actors don’t do it long term; they walk away de jected and say the industry beat them up,” said the Upper Peninsula native. “There are thousands just as talented as I am, or better. In the industry, tal ent is the floor. Everyone had a lead in a high school play. You have to be willing to treat your life as a small business, and you can try to out-tal ent people or you can simply outwork them. I made a career out of the latter and I’ve seen others do the same.”

NMU students will learn both the

craft and work ethic, Ludwig added. They will also be prepared for the transient nature of the work and the unpredictable income, which for him

could volley from six figures one year to $30,000 the next.

Ludwig has ambitious plans for NMU’s conservatory-style program, which will provide immersive train ing in voice and movement, script and character analysis.

“The things we’re going to do ar tistically will be amazing,” he said. “My intention is to make our program one of the best in the country. Juilliard North is what they’ll call us at first. I’ll judge us a success when Juilliard starts calling itself NMU South.”

Ludwig recalled some of his favor ite roles in New York City: a lead char acter John in the off-Broadway musi cal john & jen, for which he recorded the original cast album; a member of Blue Man Group; his Broadway debut in Little Shop of Horrors; and being part of the “gargantuan, Tony-win ning juggernaut” Spamalot, directed by Mike Nichols, who brought The Graduate to the big screen. Ludwig shared the Spamalot stage with famil iar veterans Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and David Hyde-Pierce.

Based on the typical trajectory of successful actors, Ludwig was a rel

ative late bloomer. He enrolled at the University of Michigan as a pre-med major, but was disillusioned by organ ic chemistry.

When someone told him his out going personality would be suited to an acting class, he signed up. Three weeks later, Ludwig changed his ma jor.

Many of Ludwig’s peers planned to become college faculty members right after earning their advanced degrees, with little or no professional experi ence on their resumes. He opted to secure an agent and head to the Big Apple instead. Thirty years later, a se ries of strange occurrences—most no tably, the pandemic—drew him back home to the U.P.

“Our industry evaporated over night,” he said. “No one could have imagined a scenario where all of the ater just stopped. It’s coming back, but it has changed enormously.”

Ludwig also owns a film compa ny and said he hopes to pitch a fourpart miniseries to a streaming service based on an Upper Peninsula-focused screenplay he wrote 15 years ago.

Michigan Tech welcomes second largest class of incoming first-year Huskies

More than 7,000 students have ar rived on Michigan Tech’s cam pus to start the fall semester, including the second-largest class of incoming first-year Huskies since 1984.

Following last year’s record-break ing enrollment, Michigan Tech wel comed 7,073 students to campus this fall, including 1,388 incoming firstyear students.

John Lehman, vice president for university relations and enrollment, said last year’s class of new first-year students and this year’s class repre sent the two largest since 1984. He also noted that the average GPA of 3.83 for this year’s incoming class is a new university record. Overall enroll ment grew one percent.

More than 2,100 of Michigan Tech’s current students are women, continuing a decade of steady increase in the number of women choosing MTU. Women will make up nearly 30 percent of the student body—the uni versity’s highest percentage ever.

For the third straight year, the pro portion of students from domestic un derrepresented minority groups grew and now make up more than 11.5 per cent of the student body.

To Vice President for Student Af fairs and Dean of Students Wallace Southerland III, these numbers sug gest encouraging trends.

“Once again, Tech’s enrollment numbers reveal what we already know to be true—that Michigan Tech is a flagship technological universi ty where students of all backgrounds want to be,” he said. “We offer excep tional academic programs taught by superior faculty.”

Of the university’s five colleges,

none is growing faster than the Col lege of Computing.

“The demand for computing talent in the tech industry has never been stronger,” said Dennis Livesay, Col lege of Computing dean. “Our col lege’s growth reflects that demand.”

The College of Engineering has been Michigan Tech’s most promi nent college for many generations, and its reputation for producing some of the world’s most successful engi neers continues to thrive. Programs seeing increases in enrollment this year include geological engineering, geospatial engineering and mechani cal engineering technology.

Enrollment in robotics engineering has more than doubled, and the mas ter’s program in mechanical engineer ing has also seen significant growth. Biomedical engineering continues its growth in the number of women en rolled—nearly two-thirds of the in coming class of biomedical engineers are women.

Janet Callahan, dean of the College of Engineering, believes the same things that have always made Tech’s engineering programs exceptional are lining up with what students want in a college education.

“Engineering at Michigan Tech is unique because our students get rigor ous academics in classrooms designed for experiential, hands-on learning,” she said. “From their first year on ward, our students work closely with faculty, doing everything from build ing autonomous vehicles and vessels for unstructured environments to de vising technology to support life on the moon.”

NMU increases transfer students, retention

Northern Michigan Universi ty’s 10th day enrollment report shows increases in transfer students, retention and total learners reached, along with six-year graduation rates, which universities report regularly at the federal level.

Transfer students are up 7.2 percent from last fall, and the retention rate of 73.3 percent is up from the previous 72.5.

The six-year graduation rate in creased by nearly 4 percent, the big gest jump in recent history. NMU serves 17,622 learners across its many credit and non-credit, online and in-person educational offerings, which is 3.3 percent more than in 2021. However, total traditional head count is down 3.4 percent to 6,970.

“This is the first time NMU’s head

count has dropped below 7,000 in re cent memory,” said Jason Nicholas, assistant provost and director of Insti tutional Effectiveness. “We’re starting to feel some of the demographic chal lenges we knew were headed our way and that were perhaps accelerated by COVID-19. Recognizing the continu ing challenges, our new interim strate gic plan calls for efforts to better clar ify and measure NMU’s enrollment management strategies. Work along those lines has been going on for a number of weeks.”

Nicholas said NMU Continuing Education and Workforce Develop ment rebounded nicely in its recov ery from COVID-19 impacts on pro grams. It served 1,668 learners last year and is up to 2,300 this fall.

MM

then & now

The hotel first was referred to as the Thunder Bay Inn when Otto Preminger renamed it for Anatomy of a Murder purposes. Eventually, the name was adopted, as well as many other themed names, such as the restaurant, Duke’s Grill (the film’s jazz score, composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, won three Grammy awards).

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

feature

Magazine celebrates community, individuals who kept the dream alive

That was the tagline Mary Kinnunen assigned to her new publication, Marquette Month ly, in October 1987. Having recently returned to her beloved, “unspoiled” hometown after a decade away, those were the key elements Kinnunen wanted to convey: not to take any thing too seriously, but also provide coverage of important issues of which the community should be aware.

“Having been away for 10 years, I can look at the U.P. in an objective light, and I find myself thinking of why the U.P. is what it is,” she wrote in the first edition. “We can look back at our history and appreciate what has been done for us. And we look at the area and appreciate the good things found in it.”

Now, 35 years later, Marquette Monthly continues to thrive as a plat form for local writers and artists as well as a place to find information on local events. Advertising remains key to its success, and thanks to that support the magazine has continued to expand its reach and remain free to readers.

MM has changed ownership just three times and, despite a 17-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pan demic, it has reemerged as a unique publication filled with exclusive con tent that highlights what Kinnunen re ferred to as the “character of the U.P.”

Mary Kinnunen era Kinnunen initially left Marquette to pursue a degree in political

science at the University of Michigan. After college, she gained professional experience at an advertising agency and at Automobile magazine in Ann Arbor. When she returned to the U.P. with her daughter Eleanor, she recog nized an opportunity to fill a gap.

“She saw there was another way of doing media in Marquette. Her ef fort was considerable. She just went out and did it,” said Jeff Eaton, Kin nunen’s husband. (Sadly, Kinnunen passed away in 2016.)

And so, Marquette Monthly was

born in the back of Kinnunen’s par ents’ home, modeled closely on the Ann Arbor Observer, a monthly magazine of “concise and insightful news” that has been published since 1976. She had help from her mother, Sylvia Kinnunen, who was a contrib uting writer, and her sister, artist San dra Kinnunen, who was credited as associate editor and art director, and she was confident that the community would provide the necessary resourc es to make it work.

In fact, Kinnunen knocked on doors and secured advertising pledges from enough local businesses to cover the costs of the first edition—armed only with a well-designed advertising rate card. (Two of the original advertisers, White’s Party Store and the Marquette Food Co-Op, have advertised contin uously for the last 35 years.)

“This publication will be made available to readers free of charge through the courtesy of the advertis ers,” Kinnunen wrote. “I am deeply grateful to all businessmen and wom en who were willing to advertise in this first issue. I appreciate their con fidence and good wishes, and in turn, I wish them all many new customers.”

The 20-page inaugural issue, which displayed 17 ads, looked remarkably similar, though much smaller, to an MM of today. The cover was an illus tration of Washington Street in down town Marquette—the Delft is featured prominently—by Sandra Kinnunen. There were two feature articles, City Notes, a “Locals” piece and “Out and About,” the magazine’s calendar of events. In October 1987, the calendar

included an antique show, films, rock climbing and trivia nights.

“The calendar was a push with ad vertisers,” Eaton said, noting that it was a reason to keep the magazine around for the entire month. “People see your ad again and again.”

One of the feature articles was “Anatomy of a Murder: A Retro spect,” by Leonard G. Heldreth. At the time, Heldreth was teaching En glish at Northern Michigan Universi ty and serving as the acting chairman of the Department of English. He also did radio film reviews—a segment known as “Cinema Comment”—for WNMU-FM.

He didn’t know Kinnunen, but she cold-called him and asked if he want ed to write film reviews for her new magazine.

In the first edition, Heldreth’s fea ture is described as the “definitive ar ticle about ‘our’ movie classic. Suit able for the general public as well as seasoned film buffs.”

After the article was published, Heldreth received a handwritten note from John Voelker, the Ishpeming native and well-known attorney who authored the book on which the pop ular 1959 movie filmed in Marquette

County was based.

“He was very complimentary about it,” Heldreth said.

Heldreth’s subsequent reviews were written about movies that were available at the local video store. Hel dreth was always given the freedom to choose which movies he wrote about and said most of them are “de termined on a whim.” He likes to bal ance English language and foreign films, and makes a list of each year’s Oscar nominees. He said there’s al ways a market for horror films and he has a personal preference for science fiction, fantasy and “detective stuff.”

“It’s always interesting to see what a good director can do with a genre film,” Heldreth said.

Now 83 years old, Heldreth still writes for MM every month. After the pandemic, he is writing more about movies and series that are available on streaming services.

Also appearing on the masthead of the introductory issue was photogra pher Tom Buchkoe. Like Heldreth, he didn’t know Kinnunen, but he encountered her by chance during a visit to Beauchamp’s Camera Corner, where she was selling ads for the first edition. She and Buchkoe chatted and

he asked if she had a photographer.

Buchkoe submitted some work from his portfolio and it was published in MM’s Pictures section, which Kin nunen described as a “showcase for local artists.” Since then, Buchkoe has taken photos to accompany all sorts of articles and used his own work for at least six covers. He is now recognized as the magazine’s “chief photogra pher.”

Buchkoe described his work for MM as a “breath of fresh air.”

“Mary did a really good job of cre ating it and getting it out there,” he said. “It was well put together and well received by the community.”

Magazine grows

Kinnunen moved to an office on the third floor of the Wattsson and Wattsson building on Washington Street in September 1988. It was there that Mari Fleet White answered an ad and began her job as a “jack of all trades” and eventual managing editor.

“I had been reading MM and I en joyed how different it was,” White said. “I saw the [job listing] while sitting on the steps of the King Koin Laundromat and I said, ‘That is my job. I’m going to get that job.’ And I did. It was just a feeling about going to work there.”

She designed page layouts and ads, sourced artwork for articles, trans ferred freelance contributions from floppy disks (and reentered text if the transfer didn’t work), retyped entries that were submitted by typewriter and completed the first round of editing and proofreading.

“Mary had really gotten her feet under her when I got there,” White said. “But in the very best way, it still felt like we were really winging it.”

As MM continued to grow, Kin nunen brought on more writers and created more recurring columns, such as “Back Then” and Don Curto’s “Food and Other Important Things.”

Curto, a local chef and restaurateur, wrote the first column in July 1989; the next year, Curto became MM’s editor, while Kinnunen remained pub lisher.

White was still in art school at NMU when she first started the job. In addition to her other duties, she creat ed the MM logo—which is still used today—for Richard Gorski’s graphic design studio class. It was fashioned on Curto’s 1969 pagoda green type writer.

“I enlarged and reduced the letters on the photocopier a number of times to break it down a bit,” White said. “I first tried a ‘typewriter’ font, but it was too pristine. Luckily, Curto still used his typewriter in the office.”

When the monthly deadline ap proached, White remembered late nights at the office with loud music, which was “Mary’s thing.”

“The Pretenders, The Cramps, An nie Lennox, Siouxsie and the Ban shees, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, SaltN-Pepa, The Specials, David Bowie, Marianne Faithfull and Iggy Pop were among the regulars while frantically pasting up,” White said. She also re called “dancing, a lot of laughter and punchiness.”

In the spring of 1990, Kinnunen began dating Eaton, who also had a background in journalism and under stood the demands of a monthly pub lication.

“Our relationship had to work around the magazine,” he said.

Eaton described Kinnunen as a “Yooper girl and a homelander.” He said she saw value in covering the arts, the outdoors and natural aspects of the central U.P., as well as the ar ea’s development. He allowed that some aspects of the magazine were controversial at the time, including the local crime map and the restaurant reviews.

“If it made people argue, that meant they were reading it,” Eaton

said. “This was her gift to Marquette, something she could do for her home town that she thought they deserved.”

Kinnunen once wrote a two-part series about the development in Mar quette Township and the issues it raised, including ecological and infra structure concerns.

“She wasn’t out to get anybody, but no one was talking about this,” Ea ton said. “And she always addressed things with a sly sense of humor.”

Eaton was also a contributing writ er from time to time; his first piece was published in August 1990. Titled “The New and Improved Marquette Coun ty Fair,” he wrote about the county’s $17,000 purchase of 60 acres of land on County Road 553 to be used for the fairgrounds.

In the middle of 1992, Eaton, who had married Kinnunen, learned that he was accepted for a year abroad to teach English at Sichuan Normal Uni versity in Chengdu, China. Kinnunen and her daughter, Eleanor, would ac company him.

Kinnunen wrote a publisher’s note in the August 1992 edition in which she admitted she had “agonized” on what to do with the magazine.

“Running it from China seemed fea sible at first, but relying on the fax and modem—when the power’s on—from the other side of the world just didn’t seem to be realistic as MM demands one’s attention daily,” she wrote. “So I contacted Pat Ryan O’Day, who was also a local, independent publisher and talked with her about MM and my concerns with leaving it for a year. We talked at length about MM’s role in the community and found that we agreed very much about the magazine’s edi torial direction.”

Eaton said after a “hectic five years,” Kinnunen was ready for a new opportunity.

“Mary was OK to sell it; she was pretty exhausted at the time,” he said. “She laid framework that was viable.”

White said she and Kinnunen be came “really fantastic friends” during their time working together. Kinnunen and Eaton were even godparents to White’s daughter Neva.

“Mary was a delight to work for,” she said. “Man, did we have fun!”

Pat Ryan O’Day era Ryan O’Day’s tenure as editor and publisher began with the Sep tember 1992 issue. At the time, Ryan O’Day was also the publisher of the Action Shopper News and had previ ously published the Sunday Sun, an alternative weekly.

“It was with a good deal of trepi dation and a fair amount of hesitation that I became the new person-in-

charge at MM,” Ryan O’Day wrote in her brief introductory article to read ers. “Following Mary Kinnunen is not an easy task.”

Ryan O’Day further promised to keep Kinnunen’s spirit alive in MM’s pages and offered space for Kinnunen and Eaton’s updates from China, which they were happy to provide.

White was still at MM when Ryan O’Day assumed ownership.

“Pat was an MM fan,” White said. “She wanted to learn. She was re spectful and didn’t want to mix it up too much. It was working well.”

White left her position in 1993 to join her husband in Ghana, where he was working for a year as a Fulbright scholar. She returned to MM in 1994 before relocating to Wisconsin.

Besides highlighting those things that make the U.P. special, White said she’s also proud of MM for becoming a creative outlet.

“There are tons of artists [in the U.P.] working on their own projects, but MM offered a place for writers, photographers and illustrators to get some exposure and make a bit of money,” she said.

White also appreciated Kinnunen’s creation of MM’s short story contest in November 1990 and lauded the current publishers for offering a “reg ular spot” for fiction and poetry.

Under Ryan O’Day’s leadership, the magazine expanded. Ryan O’Day had more business experience than Kinnunen and leveraged her advertis ing contacts to expand each edition By 1995, MM averaged about 36 pag es each month with about 100 ads.

Contributing writer Larry Chabot said he appreciates the magazine’s ad vertising.

“MM is the only publication in which I read all of the ads,” he said. “Each one is unique, well-crafted and a lesson in layout for graphic design ers.”

Chabot first began writing for MM in 1999, when he was referred to Ryan O’Day by his friend Joan Zbacnik and invited to submit articles.

“So far, over 180 of my stories have been printed in MM, almost all of them historical,” Chabot said. “Pat only rejected one offering, but it de served the boot.”

Chabot’s articles are mostly illus trated by his brother-in-law, Mike McKinney, who was also a neighbor of Ryan O’Day on Hewitt Avenue.

“He’s an excellent writer,” McKin ney said of Chabot. “It’s fun visualiz ing and trying to come up with sketch es for his interesting and informative stories.”

During more than 20 years as a contributor to Marquette Monthly, Chabot had a few favorite moments of note.

“Among my MM memories were an example of superb writing by [for mer managing editor] Becky Taverni ni called ‘The Zen of Hunting,’ which I take out and read every few years, and the great food adventures of the late Don Curto,” he said. “You got a recipe plus a travelogue of its coun try of origin, and if it was lunchtime during a library or historical society research job, his deli was close by for some matzo ball soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. On the way in, grab a copy of MM from a pile by the door and wave to Don at Table 1.”

Dick Armstrong, MM’s head of distribution—“I’m the only one,” he joked—has also been with the mag

azine since the early days. He began working for Kinnunen thanks to a rec ommendation from his friend Babette Welch.

“She knew I liked to drive around,” said Armstrong, who also worked for UPS.

When Armstrong first began dis tributing copies of the magazine, he sometimes brought along his children, Daniel, Emily and Michael. Michael was just two years old at the time, but now all three are adults and Arm strong has four grandchildren.

As Ryan O’Day continued to ex pand the paper, additional distribution sites were added. Armstrong handles all of the Marquette sites, through the west end of Marquette County, and up into the Keweenaw.

“Pat was the best boss I ever had,” Armstrong said. “She had her finger on the pulse in many ways.”

Over the years, Armstrong has de veloped relationships with many of the business owners he visits each month. Sometimes, he transported things from one distribution site to another as a favor for the friends he’s made over the years. He once deliv ered a small piece of kitchen equip ment for Curto.

“But the van is pretty full of pa pers,” Armstrong said.

His favorite locale is Copper Har bor.

“I truly love Copper Harbor,” Arm strong said. “They are really friendly and positive about Marquette Month ly.” He added that some of the shops

there are now owned by the second generation, who were children when he delivered MMs in the early 1990s.

Armstrong works a full 12 hours to deliver throughout Marquette and Harvey. The next day, it takes him about two and a half hours to distrib ute in Ishpeming and Negaunee.

Then is his Keweenaw run, start ing at about 9:30 or 10 a.m. at Mount Shasta in Michigamme. He returns home between 9 and 10 p.m.

Armstrong takes pride in his work, ensuring that there are neat, straight and clean stacks of papers at each site.

“I want the paper to have a good reputation,” he said. “It’s the little things, but it matters. It’s been a joy for me to do all along.”

Throughout the month, Armstrong restocks locally. Others bring copies of Marquette Monthly to Alger and Delta counties, the Gwinn area and other locations. There are well over 200 distribution sites for the paper throughout the central U.P.

“This has been an interesting gig for all these years. The cool people I’ve met, it’s fun for me,” Armstrong said. “It’s a real positive world.”

MM continues

AsMM entered into a new millen nium, Ryan O’Day continued to expand the magazine’s page count and content, adding Leslie Bek’s “Health Matters” column and the Family Friendly Community Guide, which was a collaborative section that featured events and articles from community agencies and volunteers. The of fice also moved into the blue MM Cottage at 810 North Third St.

By 2002, the paper began publishing print stories from 8-18 Media, a program of the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum. At that point, it averaged 56 pages and some 170 ads.

Under Ryan O’Day’s leadership, Marquette Monthly won numerous Good News Awards and, in 2011, it was recog nized in the Marquette Arts and Culture Awards for its longstanding ex cellence and contribution to the community.

Among her many vol unteer roles, Ryan O’Day served on the board of directors of The North Wind, NMU’s indepen dent student newspaper. Many of those student

journalists found jobs at MM, including current ed itor Kristy Basolo-Malmsten, who worked for and was mentored by Ryan O’Day for 10 years. The other current editors, Jackie Stark and Mike Mur ray, also worked at The North Wind and have previ ous MM ties.

Ryan O’Day used MM’s pages to help build community and promote good causes and import ant events, including fundraising support for Public Radio 90, raising awareness of health and environ mental issues and encouraging readers to shop lo cally.

Sadly, Ryan O’Day passed away in January 2015.

“She was a true leader of the business communi ty who was devoted to helping others become better people, helping businesses to grow and supporting women,” said Welch, a longtime friend who had also introduced Kinnunen to Armstrong, in a March 2015 remembrance. “Her thoughtful insight helped the community evolve and become stronger.”

After Ryan O’Day’s death, ownership of Mar quette Monthly transferred to her family. In April 2015, Jane Hutchens came on board to sell adver tising, a field she had been working in since 1991. She was the only full-time employee and the only person working regularly in the office.

“I always loved MM; it’s a really neat magazine,” Hutchens said, adding that her role allowed her to “do what I do best with more time to do it.”

Hutchens’ first five years were relatively straight forward until the COVID-19 pandemic came about in March 2020.

“Although some advertisers said to run their ads to support MM even though they were shut down,

we couldn’t do that,” Hutchens said. “That wouldn’t have felt right.”

But the magazine is very event-oriented. With no events, fewer advertisers and less distribution sites, the painful decision was made to temporarily sus

pend publication of the magazine, too.

“At the time, we thought it would be for a month or two,” Hutchens said.

Hutchens/Larsen era

As businesses began to reopen and events began to take place, Hutchens really wanted to see Marquette Monthly revived. She said she “knew it was something people wanted to come back.”

She approached her longtime friend and former colleague James Larsen II, and the two purchased the magazine.

“I knew that it would work going into business with James because I knew his values and his eth ics,” Hutchens said. “The rest can be worked out.”

The first thing they did was contact the staff, all of whom were willing to come back after nearly a year and a half away. Hutchens said they are bless ed.

“I knew the community loved MM, but I’m sur prised by how much they love it—far more than I ever realized,” she said. “And I’m surprised at how much I love the new aspects of my job. It’s been pretty amazing.”

Hutchens said she’s also surprised at the num ber of young people who read the magazine. She attributes it to articles that are fresh and interesting, eye-catching covers and information about local happenings.

With the calendar, City Notes and advertising, there are often three ways to find details for upcom ing events in each issue.

Like the publishers who came before them, Hutchens and Larsen understand the importance of

the advertisers, who have consistently supported the magazine and ensured that it remains free to readers. She and Larsen made a conscious decision to put each edition online as a flip book, so that the ads are visible as well, not just the editorial content.

“The advertisers make it happen,” Hutchens said.

They also made a decision not to include stories about controversial content.

“Things in the U.S. are so divisive right now,” Hutchens said. “We know some would want us to be edgier, but we’re able to publish articles that can bring people together in our commu nities. We are proud that people are happy with the product that we’re putting out.”

For Larsen, he jumped at the chance to do something truly local.

“MM has a niche for delving deep into these stories,” he said. “There are amazing events and people in the U.P. who are doing incredible things.”

In addition to his newspaper, mar keting and management background, Larsen is also part of the Superior land Baseball League and is a for mer Negaunee High School baseball coach, his interest in which contrib uted to the newest MM section titled “Sporting Life.”

“We had an awesome foundation to start with. We don’t want to stray from it, we want to build upon it,” Larsen said. “Literally anybody can pick this up and find something that interests them.”

Larsen has also tracked distribution numbers and added new distribution outlets, and is able to see trends when

more copies are needed; for example, when the area sees an increase in tour ism in July, August and September.

This past summer saw the maga zine increase to a whopping 96 pages in July, but Larsen said “everybody rose to the challenge.” The August 2022 edition marked MM’s 400th is sue and Larsen said he wants to con tinue to showcase what’s going on locally.

“We’re connecting people to events and different experiences,” he said. “People missed [MM] and appreciate that it’s back.”

He also praised MM’s extensive list of contributors, freelancers and artists.

“We have such a depth of talent telling those stories,” he said.

In some ways, not much has changed during the past 35 years, al though Marquette Monthly has now grown to about four times the size of that inaugural issue conceived in Kin nunen’s parents’ house. It still serves as a platform for local artists, pho tographers, writers, poets, historians and leaders. It continues to grow and thrive due to the steadfast support of the advertisers and the hard work of those who put together the finished edition and get it into the hands of readers.

“Mary took a chance in 1987,” Larsen said. “We’re taking the baton and trying to advance it, as stewards of the publication.”

MM

Erin Elliott Bryan grew up in Ishpem ing and was the MM calendar editor from 2001 to 2005. She is now a free lance writer.

Mentoring key component to MM legacy

As an English/writing major at Northern Michigan University way back in the early ’aughts, I was fortunate to take a few classes taught by Dr. Ger ald “Doc” Waite. On sev eral occasions, he asked me to join The North Wind’s board of directors.

I wasn’t part of the newspaper’s staff, and he thought this was a good way for me to be involved. I didn’t really know what that meant at the time, but I finally accepted his invi tation and was appointed to the board.

That’s where I met Pat Ryan O’Day, the board’s community journalism li aison.

I liked her immediately. She was warm and welcoming, and incredibly supportive of the newspaper’s stu dent journalists. I knew she published Marquette Monthly and The Action Shopper, which had been a favorite of my dad. It was obvious Pat had a great deal of insight into journalism ethics and a newspaper’s role in the commu nity—in our case, the NMU campus community.

In 2001, before I even graduated from NMU, Pat came to me and asked if I would be interested in a job at MM. She had an opening for a calen dar editor. I jumped at the chance. I knew it was an incredible opportunity to have a job in my field of study, and I wanted to work with Pat. I knew I could learn a lot from her.

Pat brought me in where I met the managing editor at the time, Becky Tavernini. Becky was great to work with as well, and taught me many of the fundamentals of page layout and design. One of the first things I observed about Pat was how she put the pages together each month, taking special care in the placement of the ads for maximum impact.

I reached out to Becky in the pro cess of putting together the 35th an niversary articles, and she recalled a similar observation.

“This was Pat’s canvas,” Becky

said. “Like an orchestra conductor, she would arrange and rearrange so each element enhanced the other. If there were late additions from a com munity group she held dearly, such as the Women’s Center, Planned Parent hood, United Way and many more, new articles would be written and ac commodated at the last minute. She knew what she did this for. She was a passionate advocate, but in the most charming way.”

As it always has been, MM is pub lished with a very small full-time staff; at that time, there were only three of us plus Pat, so each role comes with a great deal of responsibility. I felt so fortunate, even from those first days, that I had this position. Both Pat and Becky saw potential in me and were willing to take the time to mentor me. They gave me confidence that I had what it took—even without my col lege degree yet—to be a valuable as set to the magazine.

After Becky left MM, Pat later brought in Kristy Basolo-Malmsten, who had been a previous editor in chief at The North Wind, to become the new managing editor. I had known Kristy in passing, but we had never worked together. We quickly recognized our selves in one another and discovered we had a great deal in common, both personally and professionally.

Kristy and I, nurtured by Pat, de veloped a great love and appreciation for Marquette Monthly and set out to make it the best it could be. We cre ated high standards for editorial con tent, such as bringing on Doc Waite and his “A Word to the Wise” column in City Notes, and stellar advertising content led by the ad designer at the time, Kathy Jeske. Pat also gave me the opportunity to write for the mag azine about stories that interested me, particularly pieces about the history of Ishpeming, my hometown.

We loved “deadline weekends”— late nights with loud music, lots of laughter and takeout food from Border Grill, Lake Superior Pizza & Subs and The Pasta Shop. When I spoke with Mari Fleet White, a previous man aging editor, she described a similar scene working with Mary Kinnunen.

And just like Mary and Mari, Kristy and I have maintained an incredibly meaningful friendship for some 20 years (and counting).

But beyond that, I experienced Pat as more than a boss or as a journal ist. She took us to Athena Luncheons, where we had an opportunity to hear from women leaders in the communi ty, and we saw how she lifted up art ists and writers. And we knew never to expect her in the office on Election Day as she often volunteered to drive voters to the polls.

She was so deeply entrenched in the community, and it was something that I admired about her and took from my experience at MM

Each time I went into the office, I always found a note from Pat, wheth er it was written on an item that she placed in my inbox or in a distinct ly Pat-styled email (short sentences, very little capitalization or punctu ation). She always asked how we were doing. We didn’t see her much in person until the end of each month, but she kept up with how things were going. She cared how we were han dling deadlines and the pressures of

publishing the magazine.

Becky also reminded me of Pat’s voice mes sages. Unlike her emails, those were never short.

“In the days of answer ing machines with record ing tape limits, she would often exhaust mine, cheer fully veering across the tangents, noting the love ly, deep impacts of the per son, group or business she espoused,” Becky said. “It would beep its end. And then she would call back and begin again.”

During my time at Marquette Monthly, my mom was experiencing a lot of health problems and Pat always kept tabs on how she was doing. I still lived with my parents in Ishpeming, so in those days before cell phones, if Pat had to call me at home, she sometimes reached my mom. Though they never met in person, they chatted briefly and my mom really enjoyed talking to Pat. Pat also gave me contacts of people in Marquette she thought might be able to help with my mom’s conditions. Pat was very supportive when my mom passed in 2003 and was gener ous with allowing me time to heal.

Becky recalled Pat’s generosity as well, when she had children.

“Pat helped me welcome and ac commodate my two children, with cribs in the office and napping space upstairs,” she said. “[Pat’s] daughter Aileen flew back from London and did my duties (much better) so I could take time off for my son. Her son and my kids became friends.”

When I was a senior at NMU, Pat helped me to develop a final project for my journalism class. She connect ed me with restaurateur, local foodie and MM’s longtime columnist Don

Curto and asked me to help publish a book of Don’s favorite “Food and Other Important Things” columns. It was a project she and Don had talked about before, and she was excited to finally see it come to fruition. I was thrilled to take on the project.

I had met Don a few times before when he wandered into the MM offic es, but I fully admit that I was intim idated by him. He was a larger-thanlife character with a booming voice and loud opinions. I remember our first “official” meeting when I walked in the back door of his New York Deli and saw him sitting at the round ta ble with local community leaders. He looked like he was holding court.

But he couldn’t have been more wonderful. He was equally excited for me to help him put this book together, and we hit it off almost immediately.

Over the course of that final semes ter, Don and I sorted through all of

his old columns, which dated to July 1989, and chose the ones he liked best. He told me so many stories, stories of the stories, and I was fascinated by his life experience. He had a background in journalism, starting from his time in the military, and he was an amazing storyteller. I learned quickly, howev er, that he enjoyed embellishment.

We did publish Don’s book, a col lection aptly titled Stirring It Up!, and we shared in the joy of seeing it in print. After that, we became friends. I was a house sitter and a dog sitter on occasion and Don often treated us to lunch at the deli, where we ate and talked. Don even recruited Kristy and me to help him extend the reach of his pasta sauces that he was placing into area grocery stores. In June 2005, we drove to Houghton and set up a demonstration station at the Econo Foods there. His vodka cream sauce was always my favorite.

When I was thinking of leaving MM to pursue a new opportunity out of state in 2005, it was Don’s advice that I sought. We talked for a long time and although he was sad to see me leave, he encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and go for it. Pat was equally encouraging, and they both sent me out into the world with their best wishes.

Pat and Don are both gone, but their impact continues to be felt in me and the countless others who knew and admired them, and in the pages of Marquette Monthly. I learned so much from both of them on how to be a jour nalist and a storyteller, but also how to be a contributing part of a community. My years at MM were the best way to begin a professional career, and I hope Pat and Don knew how much I valued our relationships.

at the table

Celebrating decades of good local eats

Inspired by this anniversary, I was determined to find out what MM writers and readers had on their minds with respect to food back then. How did it compare to today’s concerns and interests?

I started with a big picture: United Press International’s December 1987 summary of American food trends that year. It didn’t sound very dramat ic; the opening paragraph be moaned a year when “no ma jor gastronomic anythings hap pen[ed], … a year of abundant small changes and minor trends.”

Microwave cooking was big, punc tuated by the publication of Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Gourmet, which UPI called “the first great microwave cookbook.” Fresh herbs were widely popular, though unfortunately they don’t often do well in microwaves. Also popular, according to UPI, were fish (especially blackened redfish), Italian restaurants and salad bars.

UPI identified the drink of the year as the Bellini—“a bit like a mimo sa, but made from fresh white peach juice and champagne. We are also into blush wines and coolers this year, though in general we are drinking less,” UPI opined. But overall, “the wave of food interest in this country is cresting, and 1988 is going to be a year of diminishing food interest and growth in this country.”

Well, so much for prognostication. Here we are, 35 years on, and the na tional interest in food—reading about it, writing about it, watching it on dedicated shows and channels and, of course, eating it—has expanded expo nentially.

Harking back to 1987, did UPI’s observations (focused nationwide) match what was going on in Mar quette?

I can’t write from personal experi ence. Back then, alas, I did not have the pleasure of living here. More over, 1987 was the year my youngest

daughter was born, and after the ex piration of my all-too-short maternity leave, the year is lost to me in a blur of sleepless nights and tension-filled days. If I ate anything, I do not remem ber it; I do remember coming home from work one night to realize that I had somehow stumbled off to court in a skirt and jacket from two different, and differently-col ored, suits. Nor did those I asked find it any easier to tie long-ago food preferences to a particular year. Drs. Dan and Ann Arnold’s response was typical: “We find it very hard to locate that

date in our heads specifically, but here are some reminiscences of at least mid to late ’80s…The Northwoods Supper Club (which had a Sunday brunch that EVERYONE showed up for), …the Office Supper Club (next to what is now Niemisto Park) was not gourmet, but served excellent steaks because they bought prime meat and didn’t screw it up. The Bavarian pan cake house was a good place to go for breakfast with kids on Sundays.”

The Arnolds also remembered En tré Amigos, “a Mexican place with a charming up stairs bar with every booth decorated as a specific shop or building in a small Mex ican village.”

Laura Petrie worked as a bartender there, and said “Mark would meet me be fore I got off work and drink Jumbo Margaritas at the bar.”

The Petries tried to rep licate those margaritas at home, and

“fondly remem ber” how those “chunky ice cubes busted our blender.” On other occasions they “would party at 10 O’clock Char lies and walk home in the wee hours, occasion ally catching the Northern Lights.”

What about the historical record? Here I begin by offering hearty thanks to the wonderful reference staff at Peter White Public Library, who patiently helped me through my struggle with spools of ancient microfilm and yel lowing copies of the first few issues of MM. Media mentions of food in Octo ber 1987 proved fascinating.

Restaurants, first. Friday nights were celebrated by virtually every restaurant in town with the ubiquitous fish fry. Consider, for example, local advertising in the first week of Octo ber. Fish fries galore, from sources as varied as Alexander’s Family Restau rant, Clark’s Landing, the Loyal Or der of Moose No. 1059, the Mather Inn, Superior Shores Restaurant and Lounge and Vango’s. The Settlers Dining Room at the Ramada Inn dar ingly offered a baked chick en dinner in stead, but the next week it rejoined the parade of fish fries.

The Vierling was celebrat ing an anniver sary, and din ers who wished to celebrate could enjoy a free shrimp cocktail if they bought one sort of champagne or free deepfried mush rooms with another; free nachos accom panied every two margaritas. Wahl

strom’s in Har vey branched out with Satur day Night Par ty Specials of fering “baked ham or roast beef buffet.”

As for home cooking, I did not dare try to parse the huge grocery store ads. I did, however, read with fas cination about The Mining Journal’s “chef-of-the-week”—local people who sent in their own recipes and, if chosen, were rewarded with a short article, a $20 gift certificate and a week’s worth of fame. In October 1987, these chefs were:

• Robin J. Smith of Harvey with Lazy Man’s BBQ Chops

• Ann LaFountain of Munising with Zucchini Relish

• Karla Pohl Paterson of Marquette with Zucchini Bars

• Cindi Makela of Marquette with Apple Swiss Coffee Cake

• Gail Palomaki of Marquette for Meatballs with Tomato Soup Gravy

Congratulations, all!

The Mining Journal also ran mul tiple recipes from wire services each week as well as sponsoring an an nual cooking competition. From the titles of the 1987 entries, it appears that many ambitious Marquette cooks were paying attention to good health as well as good flavor.

The Arnolds confirm that by 1987 they had become subscribers to Cook ing Light and adopted its precepts in their own cooking. Howard Harding reminisces:

“In 1987, I was still a bachelor and had two years to go in my military career—which is also why I was in a desperate struggle with avoirdupois… My ‘favorite’ recipe…was a basic coleslaw. Not that I particularly love coleslaw, but it can be the basis for a range of add-ons — tuna fish, hardboiled eggs, minced meats of differ ent flavors, etc. It had the benefits of volume and not very many calories. It remained palatable in the refrigerator for days on end and did not require much attention between meals.”

For that matter, in October 1987,

the Marquette Coun ty Health Department launched its first-ever cholesterol screen ing with the goal of reaching 5,000 resi dents, and overshot that goal by more than 1,700. Harding was not alone.

Marquette Month ly was thus born into a place where food played a prominent role. What did MM do about it?

The late, great, in imitable Don Curto did not start writing for the magazine until a couple of years lat er, in 1989. But there was still plenty of food in that first issue and the ones that followed.

To begin with, the front cover of Is sue No. 1 features a drawing of Donck ers and two movie theaters with “Fine Candies” and “Popcorn” catching the eye. To drive the point home, the cov er of Issue No. 2 spreads across both the front and the back of the magazine with a delicate sketch by Sandra Kin nunen showing shoppers at the Mar quette Food Co-op.

Inside, food-related advertisers were there right from the start: the first issue included ads for Taco John’s, Dick’s Family Foods, the Co-op, the North Spot (groceries, fresh meats, beer and wine), White’s (advertising twelve distinctive vineyards) and Papa Paul’s Pasties. Issue number 2, in No vember, added Casa Calabria, J.T.’s Shaft (“potions and provisions”), the Village Appeteaser, Ten O’clock Charlies (“Chinese & American food at modest pric es!”), and the Vierling Sa loon & Sample Room.

So was a recipe-writer, an anonymized “Aunt Lil,” whose short recipes danced down a slender column. To my astonishment, one of these recipes, in July 1988, taught us how to make smoothies—something that I had believed to be a phenome non of more recent times. Here, Mar quette appears to have been distinctly ahead of the curve.

Most astonishing of all, the MM

sported a restaurant reviewer. Or actually a pack of them, under the pseudonym of “Duncan Joe and the Dinettes.” This, it seems to me, was a bold move for a nascent magazine that hoped to survive on advertising revenue, with an important part of that revenue coming from restaurants. Still, Duncan Joe waded in gamely, and in the resulting articles we get a broader sense of what was on offer, culinarily speaking, in Marquette.

First up was the Village Appeteas er, at 718 North Third Street. High lights included a plethora of breakfast feasts; “homemade soups with fresh ingredients” plus a roll “baked right in a soup cup…[t]hey have a chewy crust and a melt-in-your-mouth middle”; and a variety of sandwiches including “The Famous Nightmare,” a concoc tion in which “alfalfa sprouts, green olives, onions, tomatoes, and cream cheese are lay ered on whole wheat bread and grilled to perfection.”

Nor was the restaurant averse to lively flavors, offer ing both “nice ly seasoned” chicken stir-fry and beef tortel lini: “I thought [it] was nice and spicy, but one Dinette (she must have a more delicate palate) said the seasonings were a bit much for her taste buds to handle.” All in all, I am quite sorry that the Village Appeteaser is no longer with us. So would be Duncan Joe, who lauded its

“first-class fare.”

The MM’s second issue, November 1987, found Duncan Joe and his Di nettes at the Villa Capri, which they described as a “landmark restaurant [which] has been serving succulent steak filets, pizza and pasta entrees for the past twenty years. In a world where everything’s changed, includ ing the weather, it gives the Dinettes and myself a great amount of com fort and joy to know that the Villa has been, is now and forever shall be.” As, indeed, it remains in 2022.

Then they branched out to Es canaba, where they found tasty burg ers, ribs and the like at the Buck Inn, but were distressed to find that “non-smok ers are offered a single long table in the back,” with the Dinettes reaching that sanctuary only after traversing a row of leer ing men at the smoking-area bar. Surely that would not hap pen today.

Superior Shores Restaurant and Lounge, at 911 Lakeshore Drive (the site which later became the now-de funct Coco’s), brought out Duncan Joe’s fullest enthusiasm for its “wide variety of Greek and American fare,”

including such exotica as baby squid, octopus and teropeta (“deep-fried pas try triangles filled with feta cheese”).

After praising the avgolemono soup and the Greek salad he got right to the heart of the matter: “The Superior Shores’ ‘all-you-can-eat’ fish fry on Tuesday and Friday is one of the best in town.”

Then there was the Greek coffee, “brewed in a brass urn with a wooden handle and served in a demi-tasse.” Again, I am quite sorry that Superior Shores is no longer with us.

Ten O’clock Charlies, Laura and Mark Petrie’s hangout in the build ing now occu pied by Café Bodega, drew praise for huge sandwiches and a limited but delicious se lection of Chi nese-American food. Duncan Joe was par ticularly par tial to chicken with black bean sauce, “de scribed on the menu as ‘Made with fermented black beans’ and excellent in

a bizarre sort of way.” And, of course, fish fries on both Fridays and Satur days: “the fish comes from Thill’s Fish Market” and, in season, was no tably fresh.

Duncan Joe and the Dinettes didn’t

write about the Vierling until June 1988, but when they did, they were enthusiastic. Still, they mourned a then-recent re vision to the menu which removed rogan josh (“a very spicy Indian stew with yel low rice and chutney”) and Tahiti chick en (“a braised chicken breast with fruit in an orange-honey sauce”). Dun can Joe wrote, “I loved them both, but they just weren’t popular enough to keep a spot on the menu.” I guess there was a limit to how far afield Marquette appetites were willing to wander.

Duncan Joe admired the Vierling’s “very rich and garlicky” shrimp scam pi and vegetarian cheese ravioli, but reserved his warmest praise for the soups, especially spinach lentil which he called “superb.” “If we were to take a restaurant poll, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it were voted Mar quette’s favorite restaurant.”

Was this all? No! The MM’s early issues included a profile of Thaddeus (Ted) Bogdan, “the venerable restau rateur [who] now teaches his trade at the Jacobetti Culinary Arts Center,” and a three-part series on “Wild Ed

ibles” by Dr. Steven Gill, including mushroom-hunting and the delights to be found from such wild vegetables as dandelions and ramps, also known as wild leeks.

Humph! I thought I was being a bit bold when I wrote about ramps in May 2015 and dandelions just this past spring—indeed, I caught a bit of good-humored twitting for that dandelion article—but it seems I was just being repeti tive. To readers with good memories, I offer apologies.

So what do we conclude from all this? Food delights. Food entrances. Food nourishes not only people but also community. That was true in 1987; it remains true 35 years later, in 2022. Let us celebrate it with enthusi asm and with gratitude.

As Duncan Joe ended all his re views, “remember: when the going gets tough, just let your belt out an other notch.”

MM

Katherine Larson is a former law yer, former and current teacher and lover of good food. She counts her self lucky to be eating in Marquette.

sporting life

Engineering a football future

NMU coach follows unconventional path

So you want to become a college football coach. Can’t be that dif ficult, right? After all, more than 1,300 four-year schools field a team each year, employing about 11,000 coaches to coordinate offenses and defenses, train position groups and lead the whole operation.

As in any industry of this size and scope, there already exists a wellworn path for aspiring college coach es. All you have to do is follow these simple steps:

Be a good enough player in high school to earn a spot on a college team.

Succeed at the collegiate level, both on and off the field, by making the most of your abilities and devel oping an in-depth knowledge of the game.

Using the connections you gained as a player, latch on somewhere as a graduate assistant.

Keep an eye on the job boards, and jump when you see a coaching posi tion worth pursuing.

This is the career trajectory fol

lowed by most people working in the field.

It’s conventional, straightforward. As they say, it’s not rocket science—but what if it were?

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Chenzo Funari dreamed of playing football as far as his talent would take him and then someday graduating to the side lines as a coach. The sport, he said, was his first love, and that af fection was nurtured by the environment in which he found him self.

He attended St. Edward High School outside Cleveland, a football powerhouse whose aspirations in clude winning state ti tles (they have five in the past 11 seasons) and preparing their gradu ates to play at the next level (14 members of last year’s state champion ship team are on college ros ters this fall).

A talented if undersized offensive back, Funari never had those opportunities him self, as a series of knee inju ries ended his playing career prematurely. So he made the transition to coaching much sooner than he had antici pated—as a student assistant while still at St. Edward.

When it came time for col lege, Funari set aside his foot ball dream in order to pursue another. He said he was al ways interested in math and science, and a new goal took shape: working in the aero space industry with SpaceX. Funari enrolled at Ohio

State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronau tical engineering. Along the way, he secured an internship at Blue Origin, the aerospace company established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and worked as an undergraduate research assistant at OSU’s Aerospace Re search Center. His LinkedIn profile says he “served as a leadership mem ber of an engineering project team that competed in the annual Design/ Build/Fly competition, and co-led an engineering team that was part of a multidisciplinary project which aimed to study how human muscle atrophies in space.”

Next up on Funari’s itinerary was Purdue University, where he complet ed a master’s in aeronautical and astro nautical engineering. Again, LinkedIn tells the story: As a graduate research

assistant at the Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories, he “designed and built the only active rocket engine test stand in the world capable of sup porting full-flow staged combustion rocket en gine testing in an aca demic setting. … I was part of a research group that studied advanced propulsion and com bustion technologies. My specific focus was on rocket engine com bustion dynamics.”

In other words, the young man who had once dreamed of coach ing football for a living had become an actual, credentialed, certified rocket scientist. Next stop: Elon Musk’s SpaceX, where Funari worked as an associate engineer.

“It was definitely an interesting experience working there,” he said, noting that he regularly logged 100-hour work weeks. “I was reflect ing on where I was, and I asked myself, ‘Is this bringing me the fulfill ment I thought it would? Here’s the mountaintop I’ve wanted to climb since I was in high school, but is this goal really what brings me fulfillment in life? And if not, what does?’”

At the end of that year, Funari was back in Cleveland, visiting his parents for Christmas. He was going through some of his belongings when he came across a paper from elemen tary school. The assignment was to ponder a common question: What do you want to do when you grow up? Funari gave three answers: earn a col lege degree, start a family and become a college football coach.

“Even then,” he said, “that’s what I wanted to do. So I asked, ‘Why not?’”

The old football dream, Funari realized, had never gone away. He started charting a new career path, in vestigating possibilities, talking with

friends and acquaintances in the foot ball world. He left SpaceX and even tually landed at Youngstown State as a quality control assistant in the football program. Rather than being a hindrance, he discovered that his en gineering background was an asset.

“They were very receptive to someone like me,” Funari said of the coaching staff at Youngstown. “They saw that I could add value in differ ent ways than a typical football guy. They were always looking to be more productive, efficient, to gain an edge. And I have the skills to help them be more efficient and productive. They were very open minded.”

He broke down film, created scout ing cards, studied each opponent’s tendencies and learned as much as he could from the more experienced coaches on staff. The role, one of his colleagues told him, was like getting a Ph.D. in football.

This summer, a posi tion opened on the North ern Michigan University coaching staff and Funari expressed interest. NMU head coach Kyle Nystrom and first-year offensive coordinator Dylan Chmu ra both have former col leagues who were on the Youngstown State staff, and these connections helped Funari’s resume emerge from the pile.

“Working at such high-profile places that have very powerful lead ership was a very intrigu

ing thing for me,” Chmura said of Funari’s background. “You could definitely see his dedication and work ethic through his path in aerospace. Undergrad at OSU and master’s at Purdue are very impressive things that take a lot of hard work. I also liked the fact that he came from an analyt ical perspective and had worked on both sides of the football. He provides valuable evaluation and insight all the time.”

Funari got the job as NMU’s run ning backs coach and arrived in Mar quette just weeks before the start of preseason training camp.

As he takes this next step in his voyage from rocket scientist to foot ball coach, Funari carries with him the lessons he learned in the aerospace sector.

“SpaceX revolutionized the in

dustry,” he said. “One way they’ve done that is by always asking why. What are we do ing, and why are we doing it? Why have things been done this way? Why not try some thing else? They’re always looking for innovative ways to think about problems.”

He now applies this process to coaching the Wildcat run ning backs.

“I stress the why,” he said. “Here’s what you’re supposed to be doing, and here’s why. Here’s the overall concept of the offense, and here’s where we fit in.”

Funari said another key to the industry-leading success of SpaceX is Musk’s tendency to set arduous goals—a practice he can readily apply to coach ing football.

“The goal there,” he said, “is to get humans to Mars. It’s a very ambitious goal. In order to make that happen, we have to produce at a very ambitious level. … Elon would set very high goals knowing we probably won’t reach them. But in the process, we get so far above what had previously been done.”

In the short time they have worked together, Chmura has recognized the skills and habits Funari honed in his time as an engineer.

Funari “is a true technician all the time in everything that he does,” Chmura said. “You have to be in order to work in the aerospace industry, and you can see his intense attention to detail displayed constantly. I’m very happy he joined us, and he is doing an excellent job.”

In football, Funari has found a fo

rum to exercise many of the elements that enabled him to be a successful engineer, including precision, dedica tion and strategic planning.

The idea of a rocket scientist on a college coaching staff isn’t so farfetched after all.

But beyond the Xs and Os, even beyond the competition, Funari real ized what he missed most in his time away from football was the people— relationships with coaches and team mates.

“Family is most important to me,” he said. “But the team is my second family. This is why I wanted to come back to football.”

MM

Michael Murray, a writer and editor in Marquette, has covered Upper Pen insula sports for more than 25 years.

the arts

Program helps youth heal through music

Mostschool kids have the opportunity to join band, chorus or orchestra, as they move through their academic career, but sometimes kids get passed by, or they don’t have the interest in those kinds of music, and the option of mu sic seems out of reach.

Shane Murray, a Marquette singer/ songwriter, thought she could change that, and knowing the difference that music made in her own life, she de cided to found Music for All Kids (MFAK) with the intent to bring mu sic to the underserved kids in our area.

Since then, the program has been reorganized, become a registered 501(c)3 non-profit and run successful programs at both the Marquette Al ternative High School and the Great Lakes Recovery Center Adolescent Treatment Unit.

Niklas Johnson has been the mu sic director at MFAK for about four

years, and brings his passion for mu sic to the program.

“I’ve always enjoyed the process

of learning music, because it is a pro cess,” he said. “I wanted to pass that down to a kid who might not have had that chance. I’ve learned just so much from it and everyone should have that opportunity.”

Johnson has been a musician for almost 15 years. He started playing mostly guitar, keyboard, bass and drums when he was 18, and has been playing with local group The Day dreamers for about 10 years.

The programs at the Marquette Alternative High School are usually elective classes, and Johnson brings in instruments for them to play.

“They really enjoy having us there,” Johnson said. “It’s very bene ficial to the students involved. It gives the students an expression outlet that they might not have. Sometimes, we see a complete 180 in their mindset.”

Paul Trdan is a teacher with Mar

quette Alger Regional Educational Service Agency, and teaches at the Great Lakes Recovery Youth Pro gram.

“MARESA is a partner with getting MFAK into the places they’re need ed,” he said.

Trdan has seen their work in action.

“I serve a pretty unique population, the common factor being that they all have issues with substance abuse,” Tr dan said. “When they enter the Great Lakes Recovery program, there is an overwhelming distance between themselves and their family and com munity. Music for All Kids helps to close that gap by opening their arms to all parts of the student. It really of fers them an opportunity to heal while investing in their community.”

Johnson tends to bring instruments he owns, but recently the MFAK pro gram received a few grants that have

helped in purchasing new guitars to bring to the schools.

“Our mission is to provide music education to youth that don’t have the opportunity to have it,” Johnson said. “We step in to instruct on the impor tance of music when it’s not readily available. Depending on the program, we instruct on how to play the instru ments, and sometimes it just becomes a jam session.”

Jerry Mills is the MFAK board president, a musician and inspirational speaker who travels the country. He is mainly instructing at the Great Lakes Recovery Center Youth Program.

“They’re over the moon that we’re there,” Mills said. “And so are we.”

Mills has been with the program for about five years, and said there have been struggles.

“We’ve been trying to identify where our target audience is,” he said. “We’ve worked with many different groups over the years, and these are a really good match.”

Johnson said the program is helpful at the GLRC because it really empha sizes their program goals.

“It touches on every aspect of life, especially when it comes to being re sponsible, making good choices and learning how to work together,” he said.

The programs are geared specifi cally towards kids in need.

“A lot of the songs I sing in those classes are not ones I would sing at a gig outside,” Mills said. “These songs speak to these kids in particular be cause they speak to where they’re at in their lives.”

Mills, who spends his time be

tween Marquette and all points of the compass, said if he had this kind of program when he was young, it could have made a big change in his life.

“I became a teacher much later in life, and I figured that most of the destruction I endured happened in school,” he said. “I was looking for a way to resolve that. If there are issues with trauma or depression or anxiety, the thing I’ve discovered is that more than anything, if you can open up a person’s realization that they can ex press themselves creatively, it can be a very healing thing.”

Mills has trouble singling out any one profound experience at Great Lakes Recovery, but he did one.

“We introduced the instruments to the students and there was a young girl there,” he said. “She thought she’d like to play the guitar, but I don’t think she really believed she could. We got a guitar in her hands and taught her some basic chords.”

Since they only teach on Tues days, there is an opportunity for the students to have access to the instru ments during the rest of the week.

“We had to cancel for a couple of weeks because of COVID,” he said. “When I came back a couple of weeks later, I was almost brought to tears by the amount of improvement. The people at Great Lakes saw how excit ed she was with it. When it was time for her to leave the program, they ar ranged for her to get a guitar when she got back home.”

Many of the students in the pro gram don’t have a lot of confidence and are closed off.

“When it comes to expressing your

story or processing change or guilt that addiction brings on, the music is a vehicle to start working through that in a sophisticated and non-threatening way,” Trdan said. “Attitudinally and emotionally, it’s been a game changer. We’ve had students that need a rea son to get out of bed every day, and finding a guitar or keyboard, going to classes with Jerry and Nik, it really gets them moving.”

Getting kids motivated to better themselves is inspiring to those in volved. “It’s a mission that is really close to my heart,” said Ken Kelley, MFAK board treasurer.

Kelley was brought on board by John Magnuson, director of the Ce dar Tree Institute, which had MFAK under its tax-exempt tree until it was

set up on its own. The Cedar Tree In stitute is a nonprofit organization pro viding services and initiating projects in the areas of mental health, religion and the environment, based in Mar quette.

Kelley helped to reorganize the board of directors as well as to file the necessary paperwork for the 501(c)3 status. He said it was a labor of love.

“At the time I became involved, it was at Bothwell Middle School, set up as an after-school program,” Kel ley said. “It proved not to work very well. The kids had to stay afterwards, the busing and getting kids home was difficult. So we moved into the Lake Superior Village drop-in program and coincidentally ended up with most of the Bothwell kids because they lived

in that neighborhood.”

The business of serving the under served needs people like Kelley.

“Fundraising is a constant struggle with all of the nonprofits out there, and we don’t require much,” Kelley said. “But there are a lot of organiza tions looking for income.”

Looking forward to that, the Mu sic for All Kids program is hosting a workshop at the Hiawatha Music CoOp’s performance space in October. Known as “the Fold,” it is located at 1015 N. Third Street, and it will be an event free to the public, first come first served. Be aware that space is limited.

“We’re going to demonstrate one of the programs we do at Great Lakes Recovery,” Johnson said. “We want to go through the curriculum with com munity kids, so that people can see what we’re doing.”

It’s a challenge when doing the kind of work they do.

“We deal with a lot of at-risk youth, so we can’t take pictures or video,” he said. “You can’t show what the pro gram is to people outside of it.”

The classes in October will likely include a drum circle, and Johnson said that depending on how successful they are, they may look into following up with guitar classes after that.

For more information on the Music for All Kids Program, their commu nity classes or to donate, visit www. musicforallkids.org

MM

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

in the outdoors Found Treasures

Childhood hobby turns into Yooperlite sensation

ErikRintamaki has achieved what many people can only dream of, to turn a hobby into a lucrative business.

After discovering rocks determined to be syenite clasts containing fluores cent sodalite, Rintamaki was allowed to name his discovery. He did so by giving the rocks the name Yooperlites.

Rintamaki has been an amateur rockhound since an early age. A fami ly pastime was searching the beaches for Lake Superior agates. His father, uncle and aunts would take him on collecting expeditions each weekend.

The family comes by their love of agates and other minerals by way of Vilio Rintamaki, Erik’s grandfa ther, whose nickname was Mack. He owned Mack’s Jewelry Store in New berry and used agates to make jewel ry sold in the store. He also repaired jewelry and watches. His untimely death is credited to the chemicals and mineral dust he was exposed to while fabricating and repairing jewelry and watches.

The young Rintamaki had an eye for the agates, he would fill a jar with them every summer. As his collection grew, it spread throughout his house and yard.

One day a friend mentioned that his rock garden, filled with agates, was worth a fortune. His friend said people would buy agates, a foreign concept for someone who spent his life finding and collecting agates on local beaches.

Rintamaki decided to explore the market for agates by attending the Moose Lake Agate Days Rock & Mineral Show in Minnesota. Collec tors know Moose Lake is ground zero in the agate world. Once he saw what people would pay for agates, he start ed trading, buying and selling agates in what Rintamaki calls his “side hus tle.”

Discovering the market for agates was a blessing for the struggling Rin tamaki.

“I was working at the Poker Room at the Bay Mills Casino and living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “I was desperate to find a way to supple ment my income, and selling agates was a way to do that. Pretty soon I was buying cheap agates and resell

ing them at a profit. I couldn’t keep up with the demand.”

Rintamaki went on the gem and mineral show circuit for almost ten years. Unfortunately, agates were get ting harder to find.

“Back in the 1990s, I would hit the beaches and I was the only one there,” he said. “Now I go, and the beaches are crowded with people. Rockhound ing is getting more and more popular for people of all ages.”

With the agate stream drying up, Rintamaki started to look for a better, quicker and easier way to find ag ates. He started experimenting with ultraviolet light, hoping that the light would improve his chances of finding the illusive gems.

In 2017, he bought a cheap UV flashlight and started to explore. He hit the beach at Whitefish Point at 2

a.m. after finishing his shift at the ca sino.

For the first three or four nights, there was nothing to see. The next night he visited Vermillion Beach at 4:15 a.m. He found three small stones. Each would fluoresce brightly with a different pattern.

One rock had a snowflake pattern, and the others contained stars and stripes all glowing orange. This was a completely new phenomenon, and as Rintamaki found more stones, he started to question what caused them to fluoresce. He googled orange, fluo rescent minerals in Michigan.

He asked Gabe Reyna, a geologist studying fluorescent minerals in Cali fornia, to help him identify the spec imens. Reyna determined that the rocks contained sodalite, a mineral that is generally blue or grey in color,

and will fluoresce under ultravio let light.

Rintamaki started to sell the fluorescent rocks on Facebook Marketplace, which attracted the attention of people affiliated with the Michigan Minerology Project. Shawn Carlson of the Michigan Minerology Project did initial testing and determined the speci men contained sodalite.

Specimens were sent to Mich igan Tech and the University of Saskatchewan for analysis. Mich igan Tech’s study of the samples used a variety of analysis tech niques and determined that Rin tamaki’s rocks did indeed contain sodalite in syenite.

Syenite is a grayish mineral found along the Lake Superior shoreline. It resembles granite, which is abundant in the region, and for that reason, most people are unable to differentiate be tween a syenite specimen and one of granite. This resemblance and the large quantities of granite in the area have kept geologists and rockhounds from more closely studying the rocks now known as Yooperlites.

The studies took approximately eight months. When the study was complete, experts determined that what Rintamaki was picking up with his ultraviolet flashlight was indeed a new mineral combination that is classified as syenite rich in florescent sodalite. It was also the first documented incidence of so dalite in Michigan.

The experts told Rintamaki that it was up to him to name the new rock. After trying a variety of names, Rinta maki settled on Yooperlites. The first official use of the moniker Yooperlites was used in the May 2018 edition of Mineral News

Since that time, Rintamaki has be come a media sensation. A YouTube documentary “Light Up the North, the Story of the Yooperlites” was pro duced by Matthew M. Myers in 2018. Rintamaki has been featured on Dis covery, the Travel Channel and the History Channel.

In December of this year, he will be featured on a Smithsonian documen tary about the Great Lakes. He is ac tive on Facebook, podcasts and You Tube. He has also been in discussion with a variety of media outlets about hosting his own show. His agate-sell ing business has grown to an official Yooperlite Store located in Brimley, Michigan.

Rintamaki is free in sharing his tips for finding Yooperlites and other desirable rocks and minerals in Up

per Michigan. He loves to share his knowledge and is an advocate for starting a love of rocks in children.

“I started out collecting as a fami ly pastime, and it is a healthy way for families to explore nature, get exer cise and off screens,” Rintamaki said. “Yooperlites can be found on all five of the Great Lakes. They can be found in gravel pits, along dirt and logging roads and on beaches. A series of seven to 10 glaciers spread the rocks from the Canadian Shield, located 20 miles to the west of Marathon, On tario over 600 miles across the Great Lakes. This range makes a successful Yooperlite hunt within reach of most people.”

The naked eye cannot differentiate a Yooperlite from other rocks. To find Yooperlites, Rintamaki recommends using a quality, longwave UV flash light.

“If your light takes two or three AAA batteries, sends out a clear beam or is a black light, throw it away,” Rintamaki said.

He recommends the C8 Convoy longwave 365 nanometer filtered flashlight.

Rintamaki recommends visiting beaches in the spring and fall fol lowing big storms. It is important to hunt for Yooperlites in a sys tematic fashion.

“Most people walk way too fast when they are hunting for Yooper lites,” he said. “They should wait until it is dark, not dusk, to hunt. Selecting an area without ambi ent lighting is important. I tell my customers that they need to take it slow and stay in one spot and paint the floor with their flashlight.”

It is important to hold the flash light at the proper angle and cover the same area at least two times, he said.

“I scuff my feet as I walk, turn ing up new rocks as I go along,” Rintamaki said. “I try to get to a spot on the beach that is beyond the area most people will travel— those areas will be the most picked over. I will walk an area, scuffing my feet and then return to my point of origin along the same route. I will find stones that I turned over as I walked. Look in cracks and crevices and be patient.”

Michigan’s Upper Peninsu la is a treasure trove of minerals. The first inhabitants of the region mined copper in primitive pits. This copper was traded by nomad ic Native Americans, and ancient artifacts containing copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula have been discovered in far flung plac es across the globe. Iron was discovered in ranges across the U.P. and led to development of the mineral-rich territory. Rock hounds still search for native copper, gold, silver and other minerals.

Beaches along Lake Superior have long been favored by collectors look ing for Lake Superior Agates, unakite, greenstones, Thomsonite, chalcedony, jasper and quartz. Now prospectors have a new target as they search the Upper Peninsula for treasures thanks to Erik Rintamaki.

MM

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 manag er for the West End Health Founda tion, 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.

lookout point

U.P. embraces spirits at spooky hot spots

There are many things to take into account when planning a vacation. Destination. Time of year. Booking your flight or hotel stay. Hauntings…

The paratourist is upon us, and you may want to start checking if someone is al ready staying in the room you book. Don’t feel like you have to travel all the way to Colorado to stay at the Stanley Hotel to get your ghostings on.

You can book a vacation locally, and there are plenty of places in the Upper Peninsula that can offer you more than a hint of the paranormal—if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for.

For a day stop, the Seul Choix Light house in Gulliver has plenty of document ed spirits. It the only lighthouse that is still lit every night on the northern shore of Lake Michigan. It’s on the state and national registers of historic places. It was built in 1895 and has been, through various government and non-government agencies, working ever since.

According to Marilyn Fischer, presi dent of the Gulliver Historical Society, the lighthouse is still needed as the area around the lighthouse is hazardous to boats.

“There are 16 shipwrecks off of the point there,” Fischer said. “There is a mile of limestone going out on all three sides of the peninsula around the lighthouse; all of the ships went down around 1900. That’s why they had to build the lighthouse there. Across the Seul Choix Bay, there is a lime stone quarry that has been in operation for over a hundred years. One to three freight ers a day come into this bay, and they fol low our light to navigate the shelves of limestone.”

Those shelves cut the water depth to only 10 feet in places.

“We’ve been credited with saving three fishing tugs that were sinking, just from people visiting the lighthouse who saw the distress signals and notified us,” Fischer said.

But she has seen more than stranded boats in her time at the lighthouse.

“I’ve had encounters with all five spirits in resi dence at the lighthouse over the last 35 years,” she said. “I believe all of the spirits here stay because they love their lighthouse so much, they don’t want to leave.”

Fischer has written 12 books about the light house, three of which are stories of encounters she’s had or that have been told to her. She believes she knows who each of the spirits are, and can tell which is present because of habits they have.

Captain Joseph Willie Townshend died in 1910. He was a lighthouse keeper and is known to peer out at people from the mirrors in the house.

Townshend was an Englishman, and with En

glish tradition, the dinner utensils are placed oppo site of how it’s done in America. Capt. Townshend will move place settings around on the tables set up in the museum displays, and is also accompanied with the smell of cigar smoke. “He’s been recorded by professional camera men and has appeared on three national networks,” Fischer said.

Capt. Townshend’s granddaughter Dorothy is known to giggle throughout the house, while his wife, Ruth, flips bedspreads back and leaves im pressions on the mattresses.

Amanda Blanchard, married to lighthouse keep er William Blanchard, was a midwife who brought hundreds of babies into the world in an upstairs bedroom, looks out the window and has been seen and photographed standing there. The Wednesday before this interview, she was seen standing at that window.

Finally the spirit of another Blanchard, a relation to William, who’s murder is detailed in Fischer’s book Murder At Seul Choix Pointe, is also seen on

the property.

The museum is open Memorial Day to mid-October seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The best way to check out availability is through their Facebook page. Private tours are available by re quest, and Fischer’s books are also avail able at the lighthouse.

“The last two Saturdays before Hallow een (October 22 and 29) are our Haunted Lighthouse,” Fischer said. “The first hour is for little kids to go through with their parents, and from 7 to 11 p.m., all hell breaks loose. The senior class from Man istique High School come and help scare everyone.”

For more information on the Seul Choix Lighthouse, visit them on Facebook under “Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse.”

The Nahma Inn is only about forty miles west of Gulliver, and offers another spot to check out for paranormal activity.

Charley MacIntosh has been the owner of the inn for 15 years, and recounts the first experience he had.

“It was before we opened,” he said. “It took us about a year to fix the joint up, with friends and family helping out, and we were having a work bee. There were a couple of buckets of tools in the base ment, and when I put them on the floor, this beautiful lullaby singing started com ing out of the ceiling. It was crystal clear, I could almost make the words out, but it sounded like a different language. I started walking towards it and it just went away.”

MacIntosh said when people from up stairs came looking for him there were tears on his face.

“I guess I had been crying,” he said.

The Nahma Inn was established in 1881, and had always been a boarding house, but burned down and was rebuilt in 1909. Nahma was a company town, built by the Bay de Noquet Lumber Company, and the general store next door has since been acquired and set up by MacIntosh as a music venue.

“There’s more than one spirit,” MacIntosh said. “The popular opinion is that the main one is Nell Fleming, who lived in Room 16. She was a school teacher, a girl scout leader and we believe she still lives in the Nahma Inn.”

He also has pictures of an apparition that has ap peared several times.

The inn is open year-round, and there are many events going on throughout the year, so even if you don’t have a paranormal experience, you’ll still have an experience.

“It seems like more happens when the inn is full of people,” MacIntosh said.

For information about the Nahma Inn, visit their website at www.nahmainn.com

Another 23 miles west and you’ll be in Rapid River, home of the Swallow Inn. Trudy Boyer is the own er, and has had several strange things happen to her. The Inn was a boarding house which opened in 1890.

“I brushed it off,” Boyer said. “I never talked about it with anyone, ex cept employees and a few of the cus

tomers who knew about it.”

But Boyer has had encounters.

“Sometimes it felt like someone touched you,” she said. “Then music was playing and there was no expla nation where it was coming from, then it would just stop. I saw a woman sitting in the corner one night, it was very late, sort of a shadow, and then she was gone.”

Boyer had a paranor mal team investigate, and they were of the opinion that it was a female spirit under the age of 30.

To check for events at the Swallow Inn, search for “The Swallow Inn” on Facebook.

The Marquette Light house was originally built in 1853 but due to poor construction it was rebuilt in 1866.

Over the years, with the change in technology and the increased workload at the lighthouse, additional improvements were made and the structure was ex panded. The Marquette Maritime Museum now occupies the space, and takes care of the struc ture and the 2.5-acre park around the building.

Susan Hill is the guide who runs the paranormal tours at the lighthouse. There are paratours once a month, May through October. She’s been a tour guide there since 2017, but the paranormal bent at the lighthouse didn’t

come to light until 2019.

“I was having so many weird things happen on the daytime tours, my nerves were getting pretty creeped out, and I contacted Yooper Paranor mal, and they were willing to come check it out,” she said.

“They were like little kids on Christmas morning,” Hill said of the investigation that followed. There are three spirits that they get regular inter actions with.

David, who they think drowned nearby when he was two, is very in teractive.

“He likes when we sing ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat,’” Hill said. “I felt him touch my hand; it got cold and tingly.”

David has even made an appear ance on video. The clip was shot with a virtual reality camera, called an SLS, that is used by the Xbox game console for gaming. It recognizes ex isting forms and draws lines and dots virtually so the person can be input into the backgrounds of the game.

In the case of ghost hunting, some believe that the VR can recognize spirits in the same fashion. On the video in question, Hill is standing against a wall and the lines and dots, shot through the camera, are clearly visible marking her in VR. She be gins speaking to David, and you see a small figure appear in the VR camera next to her and even reach up to take her hand when she asks it to.

“There’s nothing malicious there, he has a very warm energy,” Hill said.

Keeper Adam Byron Sales is the only person on record to have passed away in the lighthouse, sometime in the early 1940s.

“He’s still working; the tours are an irritation,” Hill said, and describes the energy from Sales as “very strong.”

The third spirit seems to be a fe male. “We knew there was a woman there,” Hill said. “And we knew she was a lady keeper, and there have only been three lady keepers in the history of the lighthouse. Finally, at the end of 2020, we got the name ‘Eliza.’”

Eliza Truckey, the wife of keep er Nelson Truckey, took over light keeping duties when her husband left to fight in the Civil War. She had a growing family of three children, but managed to maintain the light for 3.5 years while Nelson was at war—and did it well, by all standards.

Nelson could no longer handle the job when he returned, and Eliza was passed over for the job because, ac cording to the U.S. Lighthouse Ser vice, “a woman could not possibly be a lighthouse keeper.” The Truckeys retired.

Now that Hill has a better under standing of what is going on there, she no longer feels as afraid by the pres ences there.

“We’re very respectful of them, and as long as we maintain that re spect, they seem very willing to inter act with us,” Hill said.

Ghosts of Lighthouse Point, set for October 20 through 22, is a fundrais ing event that takes visitors on a tour of the lighthouse park. Kid-friendly tours run from 7 to 8 p.m.; ages 12 and older can tour from 8 to 10 p.m. Tick ets will be available October 1.

To check on tours and events at the Marquette Lighthouse, visit www. mqtmaritimemuseum.com

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

Nancy Love and her jar of pennies back then

It’smid-August 1943. Nancy Love stood under a B-17 bomber, the legendary Flying Fortress, fresh ly towed out of a U.S. aircraft facto ry and destined for the air war over Europe with a 10-man crew, bristling with guns and loaded with bombs. The average B-17 then would last only 11 missions before being shot down or disabled, so Boeing factories were bustling to make more bombers.

Love looked up at this hulking war machine, 19 feet high, 75 feet long, with a wingspan of more than 100 feet, weighing 33 tons. She and co-pi lot Betty Gillies entered through a belly hole and pulled themselves, rear end first, into a most uncomfortable aircraft.

They were about to make history as the first women to fly the B-17, and this memorable U.P. woman had made it possible. Before the month was over, Love flew four B-17s to var ious U.S. air bases, and even launched a flight to England which was aborted in eastern Canada.

Love was born in Houghton on Feb ruary 14, 1914 to Dr. Robert Harkness and Alice Graham Harkness; by age 13, the bold and adventurous Yooper was already on the move, touring and studying in Europe.

On May 21, 1927, she shared an historic high like no other as part of a boisterous crowd of 150,000 people at Le Bourget airport in Paris on hand to welcome American aviator Charles Lindberg at the end of the first-ever solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Her passion for flying began in 1930 at age 16 when barnstorming pilots landed in Houghton to solicit passengers with the slogan “A penny a pound and up you go.”

Love earnestly saved enough pen nies to pay for a seat. During that flight, she felt something magical, and knew her future involved flying. May be she told them about seeing Lind berg’s landing in Paris.

That same year, still 16, she took a few lessons and soloed in a biplane, leading to earning her pilot’s license. While a student at Milton Academy in Massachusetts, Love pulled some mischievous stunts that displayed her exuberance, if nothing else.

Borrowing a plane, she flew low through the campus of a nearby boys school, rattling windows and suck ing shingles off the chapel roof. She

somehow escaped punishment. Trans ferring to Vassar College in New York, Love organized a flying club; with a newly earned commercial license, she helped support herself by taking fel low students around the countryside in a rented plane.

The perfect name

How wonderfully appropriate that in 1936, Nancy Harkness—born on Valentine’s Day—married a pilot named Robert Love, with whom she ran a successful aviation company out of Boston.

Nancy entered air races, tested planes for a manufacturer and paint ed town names on water towers, barns and other structures as navigational aids for other pilots. Her biggest tri umphs were still to come.

In 1940, as war clouds covered the world, and the United States be gan stepping up defense preparations, Nancy Love suggested that women could ferry aircraft from factory to air field because male pilots were joining

the Air Corps. She even had a list of 49 women each with more than 1,000 hours in the air—but her suggestion was turned down. When war did break out, the Air Corps began scouring the country for skilled pilots for ferrying work, and Love’s idea took fruit.

The Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) came into being, and Love was soon commanding fe male squadrons at four different air bases. In August 1943, as she was making history with that first B-17, the WAFS was merged with a similar group to form the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), eventually engaging more than 1,000 women in ferrying.

Women pilots!

doffed their helmets and shook out their curls—were often stunned to see a woman in the flight suit. Women pi lots! What next?

Her World War II career ended on a high note: piloting a giant C-54 Sky master transport over the fabled Chi na-Burma-India “Hump,” the crucial airlift route over the Himalaya Moun tains into China.

At the end of the war, Love and her husband were decorated simultane ously. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, and she the Air Med al. In recognition of her service, and her ingenious suggestion for ferrying, Nancy was given the rank of lieu tenant colonel, only two steps below a general.

A

s time went on, Love flew almost every kind of military aircraft, qualifying on 23 different planes, and became the first woman to pilot sev eral of them, like the P-51 Mustang fighter. Air Corps men at the vari ous bases—where WASPs deplaned,

She and her husband began a fam ily, raising three daughters, but she continued fighting for female flyers and proper recognition of their unique contribution to the war effort. Love and other pilots wanted the WASPs to be considered military veterans like the men. This overdue recognition

came in 1977, despite the opposition of veterans or ganizations, so the women were entitled to military rank and pensions. Sadly, Love had died of cancer the year before.

After her death, Nan cy Love was inducted into the Michigan Wom en’s Hall of Fame and the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and a statue of her stands at New Castle County Airport in Dela ware, where she did much of her work.

Tributes poured in after her death. General Linda McTague of the Air Na tional Guard wrote that “Nancy Love made her own indelible mark on history. Today’s military pilots owe her a debt of gratitude for breaking the ground.”

Astronaut Eileen Collins stated, “Without her contributions, and those of other women pilots of her time, my generation would not have had the opportunities of military flying and spaceflight.”

There’s a book about her, Nancy Love and The WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II, by Sarah Byrn Rick man, who recounted Nancy’s flight in Houghton in “a rather broken down Fleet biplane that her barnstorming instructor imported from parts un known.”

The year was 1930, before Amelia Earhart, the world’s most famous fe male flier ever, made her well-known solo flights, including one across the Atlantic. (Earhart visited Marquette in 1932 and 1935 for lectures at Kaufman Auditorium.)

It all started in Houghton with a barnstorming ride paid for with Nan cy’s jar of pennies.

Writer’s note: At some point, passen gers on flights out of the U.P. began noticing women serving as members of flight crews, and men serving as flight attendants. The flights were just as smooth as before and the coffee was just as hot.

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 almost 200 for Marquette Monthly.

locals

U.P. paranormal team searches for answers

Manypeople have a ghost sto ry to tell. Footsteps down a hallway when they were home alone. The whisper of a voice they aren’t even sure they heard. A chill that makes the hair on their arms stand on end.

But are these signs of contact from the afterlife? Or just our minds play ing tricks on us?

It’s probably easy to guess where Melissa Olson, co-founder of the Upper Peninsula-based group Mich igan Advanced Paranormal Society (MAPS), stands on the issue.

“I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, since I was very little,” Olson said, adding she had a particular penchant for the TV show Unsolved Mysteries as a kid. “My favorite ones were the ghost ones. That probably piqued my interest, and it just grew from there.”

MAPS is a paranormal investiga tion team, a group of individuals who hunt ghosts, seeking out evidence of life after death.

Also leading MAPS are co-founder Robert DeClercq and Olson’s neph ew, Kyle Dobson. The group includes people across the U.P. who attend in vestigations as they’re able.

With more than 50 years of experi ence between just those three people, MAPS has spent plenty of time hunt ing ghosts, and they definitely believe in what they’re doing.

“I know it’s true because I’ve felt it, I’ve heard it, I’ve seen it,” DeCler cq said.

DeClercq said his first encounter with the paranormal was seeing his mother the day after her funeral.

“Once you have your first experi ence of the paranormal, it will change your life forever,” he said.

DeClercq started out as a paranor mal investigator long before it was a popular idea, with multiple hit TV shows focused on ghost hunting.

“I was doing it before there was any equipment out there,” DeClercq said. “I was making my own equipment.”

Some 37 years later, this team has a plethora of high-tech equipment— from cameras to audio recorders, and even pieces more specialized to the trade. Take, for example, a spirit box, which continuously cycles through radio frequencies, creating white noise from the static. It’s theorized by those who use them that spirit boxes provide a place for those beyond the grave to find the energy they need to communicate with the living, and also

a medium with which to do it.

The group has invested thousands of dollars in this sophisticated type of equipment, helping grow the capabil ity of their investigations to provide evidence of life after death. Or, at least something after death.

The spirit box is a newer device used for making real-time contact with the dead. The group was able to use it on an investigation at the Edin burgh Manor in Jones County, Iowa. The building was originally built in the early 1900s as a “poor farm” and was later put to use as a place to “house the incurably insane,” accord ing to the manor’s website.

As MAPS was conducting an in vestigation at the manor, they used their spirit box to attempt to commu nicate. Olson and another member of MAPS were using the spirit box, with Olson asking the questions and her counterpart repeating what he heard from headphones connected to it.

“He said something about smoke, so I said, ‘Do you smoke?’ and he goes, ‘My tooth hurts,’” Olson said. “I asked, ‘Do you need me to get the nurse?’ He goes, ‘Yes.’ No pause. As soon as the question was out of my mouth the response was appropriate.”

It’s moments like that that keep the team investigating, staying up all night, sometimes seemingly talking

to empty air, hoping they’ll capture some sort of evidence. Investigations are often hours upon hours of nothing, occasionally punctured by moments of adrenaline-pumping paranormal activity.

Both Dobson and Olson said the plethora of TV shows dedicated to ghost hunting and other paranormal subjects can give people the wrong impression of what an investigation actually looks like.

“We try to tell people, when you watch these shows, they’re there for five days,” Dobson said.

Most of that time is spent in si lence, watching and waiting for some thing to happen. And then, those five days are distilled into a one-hour TV show, showing all of the most exciting moments.

“People expect it to be thrilling like it is on TV,” Dobson said. “A lot of it is kind of boring. You’re sitting there in a room talking to yourself, is what it feels like.”

The team has experienced its share of heart-pumping investigations. At the Edinburgh Manor, Dobson was working alone, secluded in his own part of the massive building. Out of nowhere, he heard a locker shut across the hall from him.

“You do get things that startle you,” Dobson said. “But for a lot of

the hunt, I wouldn’t say it’s boring, but it feels weird to talk to nobody.”

Olson described another encounter while doing an investigation on the decom missioned naval destroy er USS Edson (located in downstate Bay City). Three members of the investiga tion team were in the ship’s “war room,” seated together on a u-shaped couch. One person was on each end, and the third was in the mid dle. They were not close to each other, Olson said, and weren’t within reaching dis tance.

Olson was seated at one of the ends of the couch. Each of the team members had walkie talkies and they kept “squawking,” Olson said, so DeClercq radioed everyone and asked them to shut their radios off.

“All of the sudden, I could feel the side of my hair move, like if somebody was whisper ing in your ear,” Olson said.

She asked the person next to her if he said something. The answer was no, and either way, he was too far away to brush her hair back away from her ear.

On her way back home, Olson began reviewing evidence from the investigation (as she said, she gets “excited” and has “to start reviewing right away.”)

She reached that spot in the re cording of that night and heard a new voice. She realized it was the voice in her ear but this time, she could un derstand what it had said—“Did I do that?”

“I heard something, but I couldn’t make it out in actual time, but my re corder actually caught what it said,” Olson said. “It’s a crazy adrenaline rush when you find something like that after you’re home. It’s so awe some.”

Dobson agreed.

“It’s absolutely thrilling,” he said.

The group recently conducted an investigation at the Calumet Theatre, and were able to gather several pieces of evidence they’re excited to share at an upcoming presentation at the the atre.

“We got out of there, and we were like, ‘Man I don’t think there’s any thing in there,’” Dobson said. “To our surprise, we got three, four, five, piec es of evidence we didn’t think would be there.”

Olson and Dobson both have their own theories about the paranormal,

and hope their work as paranormal investigators can help provide more definitive answers.

In fact, Olson said all her years in vestigating the paranormal have only bolstered her own beliefs of what hap pens after we die.

“I believe in Heaven and Hell, but I also believe you’re not stuck in time. I believe that you can travel back and forth,” Olson said. “I think you can come and check on your relatives or your favorite place…I don’t think you’re stuck.”

Dobson sees his work on the team as a scientific endeavor, working through the evidence he gathers to see what the findings are.

“I almost wonder if there’s differ ent dimensions,” Dobson said. “I be lieve in Heaven and Hell, too. I won der if people get trapped in a different dimension, a different plane, a differ ent timeline than we are. That’s my personal opinion.”

Sure, people can choose not to be lieve that the living can communicate with the dead.

“But why live your life that way?” Dobson asked.

It’s tough to nail down a defini tive answer in a field where so much skepticism abounds. But skepticism doesn’t much bother the members of the Michigan Advanced Paranormal Society.

Dobson encouraged people to not be “narrow minded about it.”

“To me, it’s a scientific field,” Dob son said. “We’re trying to discover ways to communicate with what could

be a different … I don’t even know … a different dimen sion. Some sort of energy locked in time. That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

One way the group can help change the minds of skeptics, and also encourage people interested in ghost hunting but unsure where to start, is to hold public events. The group has done sever al events at Fayette Histor ic State Park, drawing in hundreds of people to show them how to use ghost hunt ing equipment, and learn the terminology of the trade.

After all, not everyone knows what an EVP is. (For the non-ghost hunters among us, an Electronic Voice Phe nomenon, also known as an EVP, is a voice picked up on audio recording that is not heard in real time, believed to be that of a spirit). In fact, they recently held another such event at Fayette in Sep tember.

For DeClercq, and the rest of the MAPS team, a lot of their work is done in an effort to help people. While they’ve done plenty of investigations at public destinations, they will also do the same at private businesses and residencies.

Sometimes, DeClercq said, people don’t feel comfortable in their home or business, and they don’t quite know why. They’re searching for answers.

“We go in there, try to show them, ‘You aren’t crazy. There is something going on in there. What else would you like us to do to help you?’” De Clercq said.

Both Dobson and Olson said the group is ready and willing to conduct no-charge investigations across the U.P.

“I don’t know if people realize that we’re here and we do that kind of thing. We’re around. We’re here. We’re willing to help if somebody needs help,” Olson said. “Now, we’re looking to find places that are close. We still love our big places, but what’s in our own backyard? We have a lot of history up here.”

Visit www.facebook.com/michi ganadvancedparanormalsociety for more information, or to request an in vestigation.

Jackie Stark has lived in the U.P. since she was 11. An avid reader, she also loves gardening and has been talking about learning to play the guitar for 14 years.

lookout point

Finlandia paper serves worldwide audience

Finnish enclaves without some help.”

Finlandia

University is the home of The Finnish American Re porter. Established in 1986, the monthly English-language journal features articles and news reports of interest across North America, Fin land and around the world.

Monthly features include colum nists, genealogy, history, sports and more. Current news reports from Fin land and across North America keep the Finnish community connected.

“My comfort zone is with the writ ten word,” Maki said. “It’s one of the things that drew me to The Finn ish American Reporter. I came here thinking it was a journalism job; this isn’t journalism. It’s predominantly a cultural job with a journalism compo nent to it. I absolutely love it, and I wouldn’t have been doing this for two decades if I didn’t enjoy it.”

Maki is the managing editor of the newspaper and the director of the Finnish American Heritage Center. It’s a role he took over when he replaced his predecessor, Jim Kurtti, who’d re tired after a long and successful career there. According to Maki, Kurtti was his mentor.

“Jim has a degree in Finnish Stud ies and social work,” Maki said. “I taught him journalism and he taught me his areas of expertise. Together, we helped the paper survive. It’s not a good time to be publishing a print edi tion, niche newspaper, but, somehow, we’re thriving. People like what we do. I couldn’t create this paper with out numerous volunteer writers from across the continent.”

The subscriber list is around 4,000, varying from month-to-month.

“We have subscribers in the Unit ed States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Australia and France (two Finn ish-American subscribers living in France are not related),” Maki said. “For a short time, we had a subscrib er who was doing missionary work in Africa.”

Maki grew up in Ontonagon Coun ty, attending the Ontonagon Area High School before heading to col lege at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

“I went to NMU, earning a degree in broadcasting,” Maki said. “I gradu ated in 1999 and had designs to work in television. I discovered—during my college years—that I had a face for radio and a voice for print.”

After he graduated from NMU, he was hired by The Daily Mining Ga zette: it was his first full-time job.

“I worked there for about a year,” Maki said. “I discovered that I en joyed journalism, but the life of a daily newspaper reporter didn’t mesh with the life of a young man about to be married and have a family one day. When you’re a reporter you go where the news is. To be a husband—and now a father—I couldn’t do both. I re alized my interest was in storytelling, so I got out of the newspaper business and was hired by Finlandia in 2000.”

Prior to Maki’s hiring, the publica tion from which The Reporter was an offshoot at the time, was written pre dominantly in the Finnish language. The owners realized a Finnish-lan guage newspaper was no longer sus tainable, so they started The Reporter as an insert or special section of the paper. The owners eventually offered the publication to Finlandia Univer sity; an agreement was made in late 1999, and the publication officially moved to Finlandia in 2000.

The non-Finnish speaking Maki said he knows enough Finnish to un derstand what might be said at any given time.

“I’m admittedly mono-lingual,” Maki said. “I’d never even begin to insert myself into a conversation. I can pick out root words and get the gist of things.”

Currently, Maki depends on volun teer freelance writers from the United States, Canada and Finland.

“This paper lives because of our freelancers’ generosity,” Maki said. “Luckily, we have talented writers with different areas of expertise will ing to share stories that are newswor thy. It’s a lot of human-interest stories and historical features.”

The Finnish American Reporter is the connection to a common bond of Finnish ancestry.

“One day, I would love to have students be involved in this process,” Maki said. “As it stands right now, we have writers who are willing to share their stories. I can’t cover the entire ty of North America and its different

The paper has a regular section, two or three pages of regional news and news written by different Finnish American groups around the country and continent. Canada is certainly not ignored. Freelance writers submit columns either monthly or every oth er month, noting what the Finns have been up to in their neck of the woods: a Finnish group had an annual picnic, or they have a festival coming up. It’s in the style of how local and regional weekly newspapers used to be when they had local correspondents.

“I can help share the stories of peo ple, places, things, ideas that are quite personal to me because I’m of Finnish ancestry on both sides of my family,” he said.

According to Maki, in the city of Hancock (where Finlandia University is located), one in three people are of Finnish ancestry. The six westernmost counties in Upper Michigan—Baraga County, Gogebic County, Houghton County, Keweenaw County, Mar quette County and Ontonagon Coun ty—are the only geographic areas in the United States where Finnish is the predominant ancestry.

“What makes it one of my passions is that these stories are similar to those my grandparents told me when I was young,” Maki said. “These are their stories. I wish I’d been older when they were younger so I could have appreciated what they did. They worked hard so I didn’t have to. They had more struggles than I could ever imagine. My grandpa jumped on a boat with his family: he was ten. His family arrived from Finland. It’s like, ‘Your life as you knew it is gone.’ I can’t imagine my youngest daughter, who is now eleven, moving across state lines let alone across an ocean.”

In Canada, the Finnish language and Finnish-language newspapers are more prevalent than they are in the United States.

“There’s one Finnish language newspaper that’s still operational in the U.S., printed in Finnish for Finn ish-speaking people,” Maki said. “It’s based out of Florida where a lot of Finns actually ‘snowbird.’ They gath er the news that you or I would read in The Detroit Free Press or USA Today or other national newspapers, but they print everything in Finnish.”

For years, the paper published a Finnish language lesson created by

Larry “Lauri” Saukko, the past dean of Salolampi, a Finnish Language Village in Minnesota. After he passed away in November 2018, Maki didn’t replace him.

“That column was his and only his,” Maki said. “It takes a certain skill set to create a column of that nature. You can’t just know both languages and do what he did. He had the knack for cre ating a column each month. Each sen tence had a common thread to it and taught a particular grammar lesson.”

Those language lessons, compiled by Saukko, became three books (the third volume of OPI was completed shortly before Saukko’s November 2018 death). They are a compilation of definitions and explanations of Finnish words and phrases.

The books are based on his articles in The Finnish American Reporter and are available at Northwind Books, next door to the Finnish American Heritage Center.

“I haven’t found a replacement for him,” Maki said. “Guys like Larry are few and very far between.”

This difference is just one of many in the ever-changing publication.

“The paper has evolved since the day I walked into the office as a naive journalist who thought, ‘I can make a newspaper every day, so I can certain ly do that every month,’” Maki said. “It’s a matter of trying to stay with the times, evolve, become more modern. People my age and younger should be able to read this while not leaving the 60- to 90-year-olds behind. It be comes a collectible. People tell me, ‘I just can’t part with my paper.’ Most

of our stories don’t become obsolete.”

The paper’s feature stories, hu man-interest pieces and historical content make it a keepsake, but also something that can be shared with a diverse group of people.

“Based on anecdotal evidence, our subscription numbers stay flat because Finns, by nature, are frugal people,” Maki said. “One person in a neighborhood or family will get the subscription. When they’re done reading it, they share it with their neighbor or family members. All these well-meaning people call to tell me, ‘Oh, your paper is so wonderful. I share it with four people.’”

Maki said this trait fits right in with the Finnish way.

“It’s the stereotype of Finns,” Maki said. “That’s how they made it in this country, by saving money and being resourceful. They’re the same way today. It’s the reason why we should never veer from the print edition. The Finnish American Reporter is renewable: you can reuse it, you can share it or you can save it. Having the print edition of a cultural, preser vation-minded newspaper fits those mindsets as well.”

Maki is committed to keeping the paper a vibrant publication. His an cestors deserve to be not forgotten.

MM

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

Center preserves, promotes Finnish culture

Since its grand opening in 1990, Hancock-based Finlandia Uni versity’s Finnish American Heri tage Center on the college campus has become a community focal point and a national center offering exhibits, lectures, plays, musical programs and community events. The building is a popular stop for tourists. It’s also the home of the Finnish American Folk School.

“The Heritage Center exists to preserve and promote Finnish cul ture in North America,” said David Maki, director of the Finnish Amer ican Heritage Center and managing editor of the Finnish American Re porter. “It’s the only Cultural Cen ter doing what we do nationwide.”

According to Maki, Finnish immigrants dreamed of an institu tion that would provide religious education, perpetuate the Finnish language and preserve their experi ence in North America.

Suomi College (now Finlandia University), built in 1896, was the realization of that dream. It’s the only remaining North American in stitution of higher learning founded by Finnish Americans. There are other museums, organizations and archives, but none are exclusive to Finnish America.

“Finns came here because there were economic opportunities in the mines,” Maki said. “Many of them stayed. It’s said they moved here because it looked like home. This area was the starting point of their new lives in the New World.”

Maki said Finns arrived as min ers who worked underground.

“Putting your life at risk, to be a human machine for 12 hours,

wasn’t the most appealing thing for a settler,” Maki said. “The mining companies made money, but the cost to the Finnish miners was often quite devastating.”

Maki said his jobs are about introducing people to the Finnish American culture.

“The Finnish American Reporter and the heritage center missions are similar,” he said. “We’re about pre serving and promoting the culture here.”

The Finnish American Heritage Center’s Martha Wiljanen Com munity Hall is a gorgeous, spacious event venue with a vaulted tin ceil ing. In addition to university plays, concerts and other programs, the hall is a popular site for communi ty events, including annual Finn ish programming.

The gallery is the one area in the building where the director doesn’t have full direction.

“We don’t have a true, defined museum space in the center,” Maki said. “We try to have it be passive immersion. We’re still slowly but steadily trying to crack our COVID cocoon. It’s hard to get a gauge for how many people want something and when. I will confess that I am the least artistic person I know, but I can appreciate those who are tal ented. As you might guess, Finns are very inclined to work in fiber arts.”

The art installations in the heri tage center are even on the ceiling of the Martha Wiljanen Hall, where you’ll discover a very large Christ mas ornament.

“What you see hanging from the ceiling is a rather large-scale rep

resentation of the Christmas orna ment of Finland,” Maki said. “It’s one-fifth the size of the original.”

According to Maki, a Finnish American group in the Milwaukee area arranged for the original piece to hang in the Mitchell Botanical Domes as part of a Christmas dis play.

When it was time to remove the piece, one of the members noted they had worked too hard to create the piece and he didn’t want to see it destroyed.

“He called up here while Jim Kurtti was director of the Finnish American Heritage Center,” Maki said. “Jim said, ‘Of course, we’ll take it!’ He was surprised by how large it was. He knew there was no way they could install the entire piece.”

According to Maki, through Kurtti’s connections, the original was gently broken into sections: The largest piece is displayed in the Martha Wiljanen Community Hall, while the other pieces are displayed at the Hancock High School and Elementary School, Zion Lutheran Church and Portage Hospital.

“Finnish America needs us; we can’t go anywhere,” Maki said. “It’s my goal to make sure we keep doing what we’re doing, finding ways to have people help us along the way.”

MM

Kathy Ihde is a lover of art but says she has no artistic skills of her own. She does enjoy designing and dec orating her Copper Harbor home and helping friends make their spaces beautiful, too.

Halloween happenings abound across U.P.

Now that summer has come to a rest, cookouts are being swapped for bonfires, jackets and boots are getting broken out of closets, and the leaves are changing from green to vibrant reds, yellows and oranges. The air has a chill to it, foreshadowing the next big holiday to celebrate—Halloween.

Phantasmic musical theater

For those looking for something theatrical to put them in the fall mood, Marquette Fringe will offer “Fall Phantasm.” Marquette Fringe is a volunteer-run non-profit that pro vides platforms for experimental and non-traditional artists.

“This is an immersive theatrical performance, almost like a Renais sance festival-type atmosphere,” said Marquette Fringe president Mike Bradford. “It’s a blend between the ater and music.”

Bradford said every part of the event is in a theme for the Fall Phan tasm Festival of Myth & Fire. From kings and queens to royal guests and medallions, participants can expect a show.

“There is a line-up of seven bands to provide music, all in varying types of genres,” Bradford said. “There will be a DJ at the end of the night to close things up.”

The event is free to attend, but there are options available for VIP experiences, like being in the king’s court with charcuterie.

“Last year was our first, which act ed like a fundraiser for us,” Bradford said. “We did three events last year, which spread us thin for a young or ganization.”

This year’s event will take place from 3 to 11 p.m. on October 1 at Lakenenland, located at 2800 State Highway M-28 in Harvey. There will be live music, theater performanc es, games, beverages and many cos tumes. Bradford said costumes are encouraged, but optional, and partic ipants should bring a flashlight.

Visit www.marquettefringe.org/ getinvolved for details.

Library offers Halloween fun

The Peter White Public Library in Marquette will host several free, all-ages-welcome events. A Hallow een Costume Swap will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on October 1 in

the PWPL Community Room. Youth of all ages can participate in the cos tume swap, and all costumes will be free of charge.

There will be a Halloween Slime Time event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Octo ber 6 in the PWPL Great Room. Par ticipants are asked to stop at the Youth Services desk to get their number for entry into the Great Room. Youth of all ages are welcome to attend this drop-in event, but children ages seven and under must have an adult present with them to help.

The Halloween School’s Out, Li brary’s In event will take place from

noon to 5 p.m. on October 7 at PWPL Youth Services. Kids of all ages are invited for Halloween slime and mummy bookmark-making and to watch the film Coco on the big screen. Slime and mummy bookmarks are drop-in from noon to 5 p.m., and the movie starts at 12:45 p.m. Children ages seven and younger must have an adult present.

An interactive showing of Hocus Pocus will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on October 22. Attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favorite character from the movie as they watch and in teract with it. All supplies for the in

teractive experience will be provided. This event is for families and kids of all ages. However, the movie is rated PG, and contains some scary scenes for kids younger than five.

Last, but not least, the library will also be hosting Halloween story time from 3 to 4 p.m. on October 29 in the PWPL Community Room. Families with youth of all ages are invited to join the library for a not-too-spooky Halloween story time. Costumes are highly encouraged. This event will feature Halloween stories and songs, followed by trick-or-treating.

For details, visit www.pwpl.info/ events or call (906)226-4323.

Tim Burton workshop

October is here, boils and ghouls, and that means it’s time to get creepy. What better way to go than to look at the life and work of one of the masters of American cinema, Tim Burton?

“He’s the father of modern creepy cult stuff,” said Joel Siegel, owner of the Art Drop Shop and Studio in Mar quette.

The Art Drop Shop is a used art supply store, located in the Masonic Square Building at 130 West Wash ington Street, a place where you can find all manner of art supplies at a rea sonable cost.

“Most of the stuff in the store isn’t more $10, unless it’s some crazy highthe arts

end supplies,” Siegel said.

The Art Drop is always open for do nations. What comes in is sorted and either used for projects at the store or put on the shelf for resale depending on the condition.

“We want it to be used,” Siegel said. “There are a lot of artists out there who will try a new medium or tool and either lose interest or decide it’s not for them. We get it to artists who will use it.”

The shop is also a place to learn about art. One a month they do a workshop where they walk people through an artist, style, art movement or medium. They cover the history of their subject, as well as doing a proj ect based on that subject. In June, they did Hokusai, a Japanese artist known for wood carving. They’ve covered surrealism, Van Gogh and, in Septem ber, Frida Kahlo.

“Since October leads up to Hallow een, we decided to go with an artist who is well known for being involved with the weird, strange, creepy and macabre,” Siegel said.

Siegel and his wife, Katie Carlson, said their love of Tim Burton goes way back.

“He’s a favorite of ours,” Siegel said. “We could choose from a hand ful of artists, Geiger, Gorey, Dali— but Burton was at the top of the list. It also helps us appeal to a younger demographic.”

There’s a lot more to Tim Burton than meets the eye.

“We’ll walk people through his poetry and animation, his work falls into a lot of categories, and it’s a good launch point for more Halloween stuff,” Siegel said.

Tim Burton is a household name and extremely well known for his cre ations, though there are some surpris es in store.

“Most people don’t realize that his first feature film was Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,” Siegel said. “It’s also the first time he was paired up with Dan ny Elfman, who went on to score most of Burton’s films. It’s a beautiful part nership.”

The workshop will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 20 at the Art Drop Shop in the Masonic Building. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at matimqt.square.site or at the store.

Other spooktacular events

The Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum in Marquette will host a free, family-friendly costume party as part of their Second Thursday Cre ativity Series. The party will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on October 13. Attendees are encouraged to dress up and dance to the music that will be re verberating through the museum.

Another acting performance for theatre lovers will be put on by MÄTI. Talented local actors and actresses will be preforming the Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 21 through 23, and October 28 through 31 in the Masonic Red Room located at 128 W. Washington St.; 7 p.m. performances will be on October 21, 22, 28, 29 and 31. A 1 p.m. performance will be held on October 23. Additionally, a mid night performance will be on Octo ber 29. General admission is $15. For tickets and more information, visit www.matimqt.org

If film is more your style rather than live theatre, Michigan Technological University will be screening the 1970s cult favorite film starring Tim Curry at 11 p.m. on October 29. Tickets are $15 and available online at https://events. mtu.edu/event/rocky-horror-2022, by calling (906)487-1906 or at the Roz sa Box Office. Audience participation

and costumes are encouraged.

If you’re interested in a good jumpscare, the Marquette Haunted Hayride may be just what you’re looking for. The hayride will run October 13 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and October 14 and 15 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the Mar quette County Fairgrounds. For ticket information, visit www.marquettes hauntedhayride.com

If you live in, or are adventuring to Rock, check out the Hayes Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch. It’s open on Satur day’s from 10:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Sun day’s from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. through October 30. Tickets are $10.75 each, and children two years old and under get in for free. For groups with a res ervation of 20 people or more, get $1 off each ticket. Activities include the corn maze with hidden stations and a game throughout, a hay maze, yard games, and a hayride to their pumpkin patch and apple slinger. Hayes can be found at 3474 St. Nicholas Road in Rock.

If you’re looking for a chillingly good scare, the Quincy Mine, along with the MTU Preforming Arts De partment, will be holding haunted mine tours on October 27, 28 and 29. Tours will be held at the mine, locat ed at 49750 US-41 in Hancock. For updated times and ticket information, visit www.quincymine.com MM

Taylor Johnson is a Marquette native who graduated from Northern Michi gan University in 2017. She thorough ly enjoys writing and has worked as a journalist for a local newspaper.

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

back then

Lace Up & Chill Out

Awarming

house at an outdoor rink? Not unusual, but most essential in the glacial Upper Peninsula.

There were several outdoor rinks in Marquette prior to the Palestra, but they were always subject to the whims of weather. One of the early outdoor rinks was the Cinder Pond, now a marina located next to Mattson Park.

The Cinder Pond site had a warming house for those bone-chilling winter days. This was considered a luxury in the early days—but still not an indoor rink—not until the Palestra arrived in 1921. A quality indoor rink would be a blessing for skaters whose fingers and toes were under constant assault by frigid temperatures.

The Greeks defined a palestra as “a placed of recreation for young peo ple.” However, Marquette’s Palestra provided recreational opportunities for both the young and old alike for 53 years before it was demolished in 1974.

The Palestra was constructed in 1904 in Laurium—not in Marquette. Not generally known, it was famous

as the first building in this country built specifically for hockey; howev er, at the time, it was mostly unused and was for sale.

Marquette city commissioners con sidered buying the ice rink, but Mar quette voters at a special bond election rejected purchasing the ice arena by a 648-422 vote. A group of Marquette businessmen jumped in the void and expressed interest in buying the build ing and moving it to Marquette.

A year later, a local stock company, the People’s Development Company, was formed to buy the building. In 1921, they purchased it for $15,000; it was dismantled, moved to Marquette, and re-erected in just 55 days.

Recognizing that this was a good investment for the community, the City of Marquette purchased the Pal estra from the original investors for slightly more than $12,000; it was a financial loss for the investors, but a great deal for the community.

Ten years later, an artificial ice surface was installed in the Palestra; it was considered cutting-edge tech nology at the time. Winter thaws that raised havoc with the ice arena would

forever be a thing of the past.

The American Legion team was one of the first hockey teams to take up residence in the new arena. Lack ing the money for regular uniforms, they wore their World War I Khaki clothing. Combined with discard ed high school knickers and stock ings stuffed with magazines as shin guards, their garb must have inspired chuckles. They played barehanded.

Local blue laws adopted by the city commission and supported by local ministers forbade playing hockey on Sundays. Hockey fans and ice skaters alike were unhappy about not being able to use the rink on Sundays—one of the few days that working men and women had off.

The uproar was settled by a local referendum in which the ordinance was overturned by 519 votes in a 3,000-voter turnout. The people of Marquette had spoken; hockey would be played on Sundays in Marquette― presumably with the divinity’s bless ing.

No story about Marquette hockey would be complete without mention of the legendary Olson Family—nine

brothers who all played hockey. One of the most interesting games ever played in Marquette was when a team composed of the Olson brothers played a team from Pekin, Illinois.

Wearing old Marquette Iron Ranger uniforms for the historic event, the Olson brothers went on to shellac a hapless Pekin team by a score of 15-5.

Weldy Olson achieved interna tional status when he represented the United States in the 1960 Olympic Games in Cortina, Italy. Not to be out done by her brothers, Wendy Olson, a sister of the famed brothers, was a gifted figure skater.

In its long and productive life, the Palestra was home ice for many hock ey teams. Among them were the In dians, Blackbirds, Owls, Millionaires, Sentinels and Iron Rangers.

Marquette resident Walter Cook, who grew up in Negaunee and learned to skate on an outdoor rink in his youth, moved to Marquette where he spent considerable time skating at the Palestra.

“I enjoyed watching Tony Bukov ich, who played for the Portage Lake Pioneers coming to Marquette to play Marquette’s hockey team,” Cook said. “He was a real showman.”

The talented Bukovich played for the Detroit Red Wings in 1945-46. Cook recalled a narrow balcony above the stands in the palestra.

“It became a place where spectators threw stuff on the ice during hockey games,” Cook said. “It was loud and a madhouse up there.”

Disaster struck in 1954 when a fire destroyed the front of the building and gutted the ballroom where danc es with a disc jockey spinning the old “45s” was a Saturday must for local teenagers.

On Saturday and Sunday after noons, the Palestra was open for pub lic skating. Flocks of junior high and high school kids swarmed the arena not only for a casual skate with friends but hopefully a skate with their latest squeeze. Fashionable courtship skat ing demanded that a couple skate side by side in an interlocking position— somethings you don’t see anymore; a classy couple’s ice-skating style that is long forgotten. Hearts beat with trepidation at the sight of a “crush” lacing up for an afternoon on the ice.

Over the years, the Palestra also served as a popular auditorium for celebrities. Tex Ritter and his horse Wonder; Amos and Andy of radio fame; and heavyweight wrestling champion of the world, Skandia’s (Green Garden) own Gus Sonnen berg, were some of the celebrities who appeared at the Palestra. Son nenberg was a mere 5-foot-7 inches and weighed 200 pounds―but he was tough as nails.

Besides public skating, the ice are na was the setting for ice reviews, cir cuses, Halloween parties and bazaars.

With the construction of Lakeview Arena in 1974, the Palestra had out lived its usefulness and the Marquette City Commission ordered it razed the same year. A piece of Marquette’s his tory is now only remembered in cen tennial pamphlets, old photographs and an older generation’s fading memories.

MM

Sonny Longtine is a Marquette res ident who has published eight books about the Upper Peninsula. For more than three decades he taught Ameri can history and government in Mich igan schools.

the arts

Film festival showcases Great Lakes

Asthe autumn colors peak and the weather turns perfect for a comfy sweater, an event high lighting the strength, resilience and amazing natural beauty of the Great Lakes region will be making waves through the City of Marquette, one reel at a time.

The Fresh Coast Film Festival takes place at various venues in Mar quette from Thursday, October 13 through Sunday, October 16.

The festival offers a different fare than a typical movie-going ex perience, according to film festival co-founder and Marquette local, Jus tin “Bugsy” Sailor. Most of the films are short: five- to seven-minute films shown in hour-long “blocks” at ven ues throughout Downtown Marquette.

Sailor founded the festival in 2016, along with Bill Thompson and Aaron Peterson. Since then, Sailor said the board has gone from three people to seven, with all three co-founders still involved with organization and plan ning. The non-profit plans for this event throughout the year.

The event offers ticket holders a chance to view a variety of films that depict the natural beauty of the area, while showcasing a diverse range of voices, all speaking from different parts of the Great Lakes region. View ers can expect to engage with a vari ety of styles, viewpoints and topics, some of which might ask uncomfort able and important questions.

“We’ve got content from every corner of the Great Lakes in Canada, Wisconsin and Illinois,” Sailor said.

“It includes rural content, but it also includes content from Milwaukee and Chicago. Things that aren’t directly involved in Marquette, police shoot ings, pipelines, social issues, lots of playful films, and tug at the heart strings and emotions. We want to be representative of people as a whole.”

Over the years, Sailor said the fes tival has grown both in size and in scope. Organizing 100 films, shown in several venues over several days, is no easy task.

“We have one paid contractor to help organize and plan the event and make sure the creatives like me stay on task to get the rest of it done,” he said.

The rest of the work is only pos sible through a dedicated group of more than 100 volunteers. Sailor says there’s still plenty of time to sign up to volunteer. Those interested can find that information at www.freshcoast film.com

Many area businesses are also col laborators, offering their space up for screenings. Sailor said films will be shown in Black Rocks Brewery, Ore Dock Brewing Company and the Pe ter White Library. Viewers can catch all of the evening showings under a big tent in Mattson’s Lower Harbor. Films are shown all day Friday, Sat urday and Sunday, with Campfire Co-works acting as the festival’s HQ. That’s where ticket pickup and pur chase will be located.

The event starts on Thursday night, with the Fresh Coast Kick-off party at Mattson Lower Harbor Park from 5 to 9 p.m. Partygoers do not need tickets

to attend, and it is free and open to the public. The kickoff features area food trucks, as well as free films and other entertainment.

Sailor said anyone who is interest ed but not quite committed to buying a ticket should come check out the free opening party on Thursday. He also wants those who have never been to a film festival to know that this event stays true to the Upper Penin sula lifestyle.

“We don’t have a red carpet,” he said. “There are no black-tie events. Much like Yoopers are, we’re very ca sual. Come as you are, and come with an open mind.”

Sailor says that part of the festi val’s charm is the sense of commu nity the crowd builds while taking in stories ranging from gut-busting to heart-warming.

“For this content, I promise that all of this is better to watch in a room full of other people to experience those emotions together,” he said.

One of the things he loves most about the festival is the diverse range of voices participants can see in one block of films.

“We want you to be surprised by something, we want you to see con tent that you might’ve not sought out yourself,” Sailor said. “We’ve had ev erything from bird watching to Moun tain biking.”

Another unique feature of the festi val is a special chance to interact with the artists who are showcasing their work.

“One of my favorite aspects is the Q&A with the filmmakers after the

films are shown,” he said. According to Sailor, past audiences have created interesting, dynamic conversations with the filmmakers, which makes the process more accessible for those who might be coming to a film festival for the very first time.

It’s not just the audience that leaves the festival with a strong sense of community. For the filmmakers, Sail or said the festival is a chance to make new friends and potential creative partners. In fact, Sailor said several filmmakers have met at the festival and gone on to create films together.

Many artists return year after year with new stories, but Sailor said the board is always keeping a lookout for new creators to feature. The organiz ers try to encourage as many different points of view as possible.

“This year we have a lot of films focusing on handicapped people in the outdoors,” Sailor said.

Last year, the festival included a little divergence from the typical doc umentary fare.

“For our evening programming, we debuted an episode of Joe Pera Talks with you,” he said. “Of course, he was just in town to do a comedy show as well. Even though it’s out of our con tent realm.”

Sailor said the night was special because of the area’s connection to the popular Cartoon Network show that takes place in Marquette and the surrounding areas.

This year, there are several fes tival-sponsored outdoor activities that participants can join in on, rang ing from morning yoga and sunrise watching, to rock climbing and a local

history tour. It’s all part of the over arching theme: connecting with the environment.

“Our goal is not to get people to sit inside and watch films all day,” he said. “We want people to be outside and enjoy themselves. We really want people to go outside.”

Activity times and dates can be found on the organization’s website, which also features a list of the films and locations, volunteer sign-up and pre-sale tickets.

Tickets are available for pre-order now with options to fit anyone’s bud get, including special pricing for col lege students. Student tickets are $25. A weekend pass is $70.

A patron pass, which can be pur chased for $175, includes special seating, a backstage pass to the film makers reception dinner and a Fresh Coast T-shirt.

Sailor said it’s also a good way to give a little extra to the nonprofit so that they can keep making the festival better each year.

For those who can’t stay for the whole event, day passes can be pur chased for $35. Sailor said anyone with questions about the event can also reach out on all of the major so cial media platforms.

Tickets are available online at www.freshcoastfilm.com/tickets MM

Alex Lehto-Clark is a poet and es sayist who lives in Ishpeming. He has called the U.P. home for 12 years and graduated from Northern Michigan University with bachelor’s and mas ter’s degrees in English.

in the outdoors

Winged Mammals

Mention

bats and an entire world of impressions and re sponses may result, includ ing flying rats, vampires, nightmarish flying apparitions, incredibly import ant insect eaters, mosquito extermi nators, flower pollinators, fruit seed dispersers or victims of white-nose fungus syndrome.

Bats, like snakes and spiders, are a source of fear for many, but now more than ever, they are one of nature’s signs of the health of the planet. As more and more is learned about each valuable part of the natural world, more appreciation is given to the bat’s role in the scheme of food webs, their natural beauty, place in human health and the health of the planet, and means of telling us how we should pay atten tion to our surroundings.

“Many of the things people think they know about bats aren’t true. They are not blind, they don’t get into women’s hair, and they aren’t rodents. Most bats have good vision, and they’re a non-aggressive animal. The inci dence of rabies in bats is no greater than in other wild animals.”

With nearly all nocturnal animals, there is a certain air of mystery, occasional misunderstanding and mystique and bats may be the poster children for them all.

Movies about bats turning into vampires, tales of bats getting trapped in women’s hair and even the entire connection of bats at Halloween with ghosts, goblins and skeletons help keep many negative images alive. Large, ungainly ears, lots of sharp, pointy teeth and sleeping upside down probably don’t help their image much either.

Bats are also associated with rabies. While it is true that some carry it, the transmission rate to humans is incred ibly small. Only ten people have got ten the disease from bats during the past 50 years

Most bites have come from people actually handling bats, and because they are generally not active during the day, the chances of finding one,

especially sleeping, are greater than they are for most other mammals.

“Bats look and behave a whole lot differently than mice or foxes or ele phants, but nobody would argue that they’re not mammals.

No, bats are just a weird type of mammal that evolved wings and developed the ability to fly. Birds are just a weird group of dinosaurs that did the same thing.”

—Steve Brusatte, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

Like other mammals, they are warm-blooded, meaning ectother mic, able to control their own tem perature. They are covered with hair and have live births. They are the only mammals able to fly not glide, but fly. Unfortunately, females only pro duce one pup per year, making it ex tremely difficult for populations suf fering catastrophic losses to recover.

The smallest bat, Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, also called the bumblebee bat,

weighs only two ounces less than the weight of a penny. It lives in caves in Thailand and Myanmar. Its two separate populations in the Asian countries may eventually lead to be coming two different species.

Like bats in the United States, some of the largest challenges to its survival come from human visitation to its roosting caves and to changes to the surrounding habitat where it feeds.

The largest bat is the gold en-crowned flying fox, a fruit bat of the Philippines. It has a wingspan up to 5.6 feet As its common name im plies, it is a frugivore, a fruit eater. Fruit bats play an important role in dispersing seeds from their food, like figs. Like the bumblebee, the bat is also threatened by loss of its habitat, tropical forests.

There are a few bats with alterna tive diets. The greater spear-nosed bat, the ninth largest bat, eats other bats, birds and rodents, but will eat more typical bat food insects and fruit if other foods aren’t available. It lives in Central and South America and can

“We see then that the bat is a very wonderful creature, one of nature’s triumphs and masterpieces ...”

—W.H. Hudson, “Bats” from The Book of a Naturalist, 1919

have a wingspan of nearly two feet.

“The baby bat Screamed out in fright, ‘Turn on the dark, I’m afraid of the light.”

do not seek to be close to hu mans. Most close contact comes from bats that find their way into homes they do occasionally roost in attics of houses and other buildings during summertime, and when disori ented will spend the daytime in quiet alcoves, under facing flaps, even un der awnings and lawn umbrellas.

Bats

For bats that get into the home, the fastest way to help them get out is to close all room openings except a nonscreened window, and if it is night time, turn off the lights they’re used to working in the dark!

“Them bats is smart. They use ra dar.” —David Letterman

Actually, that is not true either. Bats use a system called echoloca tion to navigate at night. The high-

pitched chirping sounds they emit radiate out, strike objects and “echo” back, bounce the sound wave back to the bats to provide information about what is in front of them insects, oth er bats, predators and stationary ob jects like walls, trees and rock faces. It works well.

A little brown bat can catch up to 3,000 insects in a night. Other species can catch up to 1,200 in an hour and consume their weight in insects each night.

Bats have few enemies. Birds like great horned owls and hawks, and be lieve it or not, some snakes are among the predators that eat bats. Snakes take a different approach to catching bats than the birds do. They wait patient ly near the entrances to roosting sites and lunge out for them when they near the openings to caves, mines and oth er smaller openings. They must get really hungry to resort to that strategy for a meal.

They can be fast fliers, with one, the Mexican free-tailed bat, able to fly short bursts at nearly 100 miles per hour.

“I want something that’ll give me the stamina of a young werewolf, the vision of a shaman … and the gentleness of a hungry vampire bat.”

—Warren Ellis

The connection between vampires and bats goes back several centu ries. Ancient cultures like the Mesopo tamians, Ancient Greeks and Romans had folklore that included undead characters of evil and mischief. Most were bloated and dark, unlike today’s vampires.

As some folklore developed, these characters were often filled with blood to the point of hemorrhaging it from pores, noses and eyes. It wasn’t until European visitors to Central and South America began sharing their exaggerated descriptions of bats feed ing on blood there that the concepts of vampires and bats began to merge.

In 1810, the name “vampire bat” was coined to describe the bats of the Western Hemisphere. Those bats

don’t go right for the jugular, though. They are rather stealthy and quite sub tle, landing on the ground near the feet of their victim, walk over and gently climb up onto the foot of a sleeping animal like a cow, lick a site profuse ly, make a small slice through the fur on the foot or leg, then gently lick the blood.

Their saliva contains an anticoag ulant, draculin, to keep the site from clotting. The process is so exact, the sleeping victim is rarely awakened. The descriptions early European vis itors created often misstated or ag grandized the fact. When stories like Dracula became popular in the late 1890s, the image of vampires and bats crystallized into the picture we have today.

There are 47 bat species in the Unit ed States. Around the world, there are more than 1,400 species, making up about a quarter of the world’s mam mals, with new species still being dis covered. Last year, the big orange bat was discovered in the western African country of Guinea as researchers from

Bat Conservation International, Uni versity of Cameroon and a local min ing company found it while looking for a different bat They were search ing for Lamotte’s roundleaf bat, a crit ically endangered bat living in the iso lated peaks of the Nimba Mountains. The vivid orange bats, looking like no other known bats in the area, were living in abandoned, collapsing mine adits or tunnels in the region.

When new species are found, sci entists go through rigorous genetic and behavioral testing to make sure they are in fact new to science a pro cess that can take several years.

Nine species of bats live in Mich igan. They include little brown, big brown, long-eared, red, hoary, Indi ana, eastern pipistrelle, silver-haired and evening. The Indiana bat is en dangered in Michigan.

All are important eaters of insects like moths, beetles and mosquitoes

insects of importance to farming and the transmission of diseases like West Nile Virus.

The Upper Peninsula, having an array of abandoned mines with their varied shafts and passageways, pro vides a variety of places where differ ent species can winter.

“Even up until the final moment of life, bat and moth are linked together forever, through time, and beyond.

As a last-gasp evasive maneuver, a fleeing moth will sometimes stop its wingbeats in mid-flight, thereby ceasing to give off data to the bat’s radar. But sometimes the bat will pause, too, so that the moth can’t pick up any radar signals-the bat seeming to have disappeared-and for just the briefest of moments they will both hang there, suspended in eternity.”

—Rick Bass, The Sky, the Stars, the Wilderness

Bats eat insects at prodigious rates. Their echolocation system pro vides information the bats need to lo cate and grab their prey. Many catches are with the bat’s wings, stretched out to sweep the mosquitos or moths out of the dark sky

It can be pitch black out there, but bats funnel them into their mouths with their wings. It is amazing and ad mirable technology they use to secure their meals.

But there is often more technology out there. Moths can vibrate bits of tissue at the back ends of their bod ies to create a clicking sound. Many moths can make these sounds, but Grote’s Tiger Moth can make sounds loud enough to be heard by human ears at close range.

This small colorful moth is found from northern Mexico up to Colora do. The loud clicking is apparently enough to confuse the approaching bat and give the moth a better chance to escape. Some moths, like poly phemus silk moths, have eye spots on their hind wings that imitate owl eyes to startle or confuse bats. They are great examples of how animals may adapt to increase their chances of survival.

In warmer climates where food is more abundant year-round, bats diets become more diversified. Bats are im portant pollinators of some cacti, like the giant saguaro, avocados, mangos, bananas and agave, the plant used to make tequila. In some parts of Mexi co, the bats are now revered for their pollination role. Fruit eating bats are important seed spreaders.

“In many countries, wind turbines pose the single greatest threat to bats after habitat loss and white-nose syn drome.”

—Michael Shellenberger

Their wintering sites, called hiber nacula if underground, maintain year-round steady temperatures. Be cause the bats in the northeastern U.S. are strictly insect eaters, bats spending the winter there (including the U.P.) must hibernate.

They prefer wintering temperatures of 42 to 44oF, but that is not always the temperature of their winter homes. All have experienced sharp declines in the past nine years due to white-nosed syndrome. The fungus has been found in 38 states in the United States and at least seven provinces in Canada.

The effects of this fungus, Pseudo gymnoascus destructans, on bats has been overwhelming. It was thought to be seen and described for the first time in 2007 in a cave near Albany, New York, but turned up in photos of bats there taken the year before.

As scientists expanded their search for the fungus, they later found it in Europe and Asia, but apparently it does not affect bats there in the same way.

During the winter, the fungus cre ates a white growth of the wings, around the noses and on other bare skin areas of the bats, hence the name. It irritates the skin with itching and pain, causing the bats to wake up, be come restless and sometimes act in peculiar ways, like flying out of the cave or mine during the day or rest outside where the temperatures are colder.

The end result is the bats use up fatal amounts of stored energy before winter ends and their food supplies rise again, dying of hypothermia, star vation or dehydration.

One location where bat populations have been more heavily studied in the U.P. is the Millie Mine in Iron Moun tain. Early estimates of the number of bats there during the winter months ran into the millions, but numbers of 20,000 to 40,000 were probably more realistic.

The ventilation shaft is vertical and 365 feet long, so census work was very difficult. About 37,000 were counted in 2008. As recently as 2014, the estimate was 24,000. In 2017, the estimate was only 480.

Historically 95 percent of the bats have been little browns. The other four to five percent were northern long-eared, big brown and eastern pipistrelle. Because of the low repro ductive rate, if all the bats there con tinued to live—they can live to be 31 to 33 years old in perfect conditions, and all successfully bred each year, it would still take about 20 year to bring the population back to 40,000.

Of course, that won’t happen, but research is being done to see if the bats in affected caves can do better. Tests have been done to try exposure to ultraviolet light in caves, fog caves in summer with chlorine compound to kill the fungus, give the bats probiot ics to help their metabolism.

Pennsylvania biologists have tried a new approach that seems to be working—altering the temperature in side the cave. Apparently white-nose fungus does best when the tempera ture is near 12oC—about 54.5oF.

By closing up the entrances to warmer caves to hold cold air inside by bulldozing rock and soil to close them up more or by drilling holes in the cave walls to let in air to warm them slightly, they have increased the bat survival rate in some caves. Bat

species prefer different temperatures for hibernation, so different modifica tions are provided to assist the species that have historically been using dif ferent caves.

Biologists from the University of Michigan have also looked at bats and their survival in a different way. They have examined the DNA of the slim number of survivors in some cases to see if there were biological differenc es between them and dead bats found inside or immediately outside Onto nagon County mines where bats live.

Some bats with white-nosed syn drome will fly out of their hibernacu lum possibly in search of food and die in the snow near its entrance.

The researchers found three, possi bly four gene differences between the two groups, involving echolocation, fat breakdown, arousal from sleep and production of histamines associ ated with tissue directly affected by the fungus.

If the bats were successful in add ing extra fat during foraging prior to hibernation and did not awaken as fre quently from the irritations caused by the fungus, they were more likely to survive the winter.

The researchers found these genes have had a rapid effect on bat surviv al, but caution that because the repro ductive rate for bats is so slow it will still take a long time for bat popula tions to increase if this is a successful path for recovery.

“In their previous lives, poets were bats, and thinkers were owls.”

There is great delight in looking up as darkness descends in the Upper

Peninsula, in a yard, at camp or out on a late hike and spotting a bat dipping and diving after insects on the wing. Today, it is a wonder, and it is truly rare to see more than one. There seem to be a few more now than a couple of years ago, but they are still scarce.

The bat’s presence brings just a brief moment of delight. There are no long hooting serenades, no signs of struggle in the snow and no blood is

spilled. It is a brief, succinct appear ance, but one that sums up the arrival of nighttime in a way nothing else can.

MM

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

“To all in the village I seemed, no doubt, To go this way and that way, aimlessly.

But here by the river you can see at twilight The soft-winged bats fly zig-zag here and there They must fly so to catch their food.

back then

Menominee: where the U.P. begins

Onecan’t say that Menominee is in the middle of nowhere. Ac tually, it’s in the middle of the northern hemisphere, exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole (3,100 miles in either direction).

The true halfway point is at an historical marker just north of town. There’s more: horizontally, the city lies very close to halfway between the Prime Meridian in England and the international date line.

Of greater interest locally, Menom inee is the southern entrance to and exit from the U.P., where the penin sula squeezes into a point on the map, across the Menominee River from Marinette, Wisconsin.

For most citizens, it is comforting to know that they are only 53.8 miles

from the home of the Green Bay Pack ers. So it’s easy to find on the map.

On April 5, 1960, Menominee was host to one of the shortest pres idential visits in U.P. history when a family-owned Convair 240—outfitted with a lounge, beds and kitchen— landed at the local airport with candi date John F. Kennedy, his staff and 15 news reporters. Kennedy worked the crowd of about 2,000 people, shak ing hands and chatting before being whisked into neighboring Marinette for a speech, and then off to Milwau kee.

Situated on Green Bay and next to the shipbuilding facilities at Mari nette, the city has a rich maritime tra dition.

The community sent many a son to sea, in war and peace, and several ves

sels proudly bore the town name.

According to online records, a 120-passenger steamship was launched in Scotland in 1897 as the Alexandra, making its maiden voy age to New York before undergoing a name change to Menominee and becoming a British army transport in World War I. She made at least 60 round trips between England and New York carrying troops to the war zone. Post-war, she served as a cargo ship before being scrapped in 1927.

A USS Menominee ocean tug was launched in 1942 for towing ships on the high seas in Pacific Ocean combat areas, where it earned four battle stars. She was sold to the country of Indo nesia in 1961 for use as a target ship in the Indian Ocean, then scrapped in 2004.

Men at war

Menominee

County lost at least 94 men in World War II, 38 of whom were city residents. The tiny county town of Daggett suffered eight military losses, including Owen Ham merberg, whose heroics during a Pearl Harbor salvage operation earned him the nation’s very highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor.

Sailor Francis McGuire of Wal lace died on the battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor in the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, and airman Her man Reuss was killed the same day at Hickam Field, south of Pearl Harbor.

Seaman John J. Thomas of Stephen son was one of the last two Yoopers killed in the war when he was report ed missing off Japan in August 1945.

One of the U.P.’s most decorated soldiers was Menominee’s Fred Matz, a soldier in the 32nd division fighting in New Guinea in World War II.

Among his many awards for valor were the Bronze Star, Silver Star, two Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross (second only to the Medal of Honor). Matz was wounded in action behind enemy lines where he survived for eight days while shield ing another wounded soldier from the enemy. Matz is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and the local Vet

erans Administration Clinic is named for him.

Gracie for mayor Menominee

was involved in an entertaining stunt pulled off by the popular Burns and Allen national radio program in 1940.

Gracie Allen—the dizzy feminine star of the comedy duo—ran for pres ident of the United States as a joke. With husband George Burns and the show’s cast and crew, she launched a whistle-stop campaign across the country, entertaining folks wherever the train stopped.

A few voters took her seriously, like the 63 Wisconsin residents who chose her in a presidential prima ry. What does this have to do with Menominee? Someone nominated her for mayor of Menominee, but she was disqualified as a non-resident.

In sports, the Menominee Maroons high school basketball team won the Michigan state championship in 1967, while the school’s football squad cap tured three state titles. In 2006, the un beaten squad scored an unbelievable 513 points while yielding only 38 points all season. Its football rivalry with neighbor Marinette is the third longest in the nation,

Mitchell Leisen, a Menominee na

tive, was a Hollywood movie and TV director (“The Twilight Zone”) known for his success ful screwball comedies in the 1920s and 1930s.

Lt. Colonel William Nolde, another local man, was the last offi cial combat victim in the Vietnam War, los ing his life just hours before it ended.

Menominee was home to other nation al notables: nine-term U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak and pro fessional golfer Johnny Revolta, who won 29 tournaments in his hallof-fame career.

During the area’s prosperous lumbering days, Menominee produced more lumber than any other city in the country. They built their own magnif icent opera house in 1902 (which is now being restored), lauded as the fin est north of Milwaukee. It had 1,000 seats, several boxes for VIPs, dressing rooms and an orchestra pit.

Finally, a mysterious eruption in 2010 startled residents who were

afraid they were having an earthquake because a large ground crack opened near the Mich igan-Wisconsin border.

Alarmed residents noted that the ground, some buildings and even furniture were moving. Researchers from Michigan Tech suggested that the sudden appearance of six-foot high ridge as long as a football field was a “geological popup when underground pressure on the lime stone rock in the area was released, allowing the crack to form.”

Whatever that means.

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 nearly 200 ar ticles for Marquette Monthly

Gracie Allen ran for pres ident of the United States as a joke... Someone nominated her for mayor of Menominee

poetry How to Find a Poet

Follow the trail of stardust peeking from edges of pebbles and pockets and peanut butter, keeping a sharp eye out for bits of fishing line.

Listen for high-pitched cries for help punctuated by peals of laughter, simmering alliteration, the hush between thoughts.

Toss out handfuls of shimmering confetti, eerie reflections, and whimsical lullabies as bait.

Putter. Play music.

Play with babies.

Sing. Nap. Have a good time.

Complain vociferously.

Forget about finding a poet, or a petunia, or a pot to piss in.

A poet and poetry will join you when ready.

Marquette resident Roslyn Elena McGrath looks for the rhythm, rhyme and magic in her life and written, visual and healing work. She is the publisher of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine, a supporter of self-actualization at Empowering Lightworks and the author/illus trator of three card decks and six books, the most recent being her first book of poetry, Siz zle, Soar, Glow, Roar: Earth Pulse Arias. Learn more at www.EmpoweringLightworks.com

The Marquette Poets Circle is thankful for the support of Marquette Monthly with respect to its five-year anthology Maiden Voyage The 10-year anthology, Superior Voyage, has a book-release date of October 18 at the Peter White Public Library. Profits from books sold at the event will be donated to the library.

Novel delves into relationships in local setting superior reads

T he Dockporter by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone is a rollicking trip to Mackinac Is land, that jewel of the Great Lakes that The Detroit News says sees more than one million visitors per year.

The island sees it all, from bus loads of U.P. school kids on their long-awaited class trip to newly weds to even more busloads of re tirees.

The visitors can generally be di vided into two camps: the day-vis itors who do a bit of biking or ride the ubiquitous horse-drawn tour carriages and those who stay overnight usually from three to five days.

The overnight guests stay in hotels large and small, from the 400-room Grand Hotel to mid-size institutions like the Windermere and many smaller B&B-type accom modations.

As in any operation of this size, thousands of people work in the shad ows so that you can have a seamless and carefree visit. First among these are the bicycle-riding “dockporters,” those brawny guys who revel in their ability to carry huge loads of bags on a single ride to your designated accommoda tion of choice.

Unless you’ve just moved to Mich igan, you probably know that private automobiles were banned on Macki nac Island beginning in 1901. Thus, the dockporter is your first choice for moving luggage; the abhorrent alter native of pulling your Louis Vuitton bags through crowded fudge shops and horse manure-laden streets is both unthinkable and unnecessary.

These dockporters swarm to the docks like black flies and await the arrival of each and every ferry. Each one is clad in a polo shirt clearly iden tifying the hotel of his allegiance and greets the bewildered guests with a smile and assurance of an easy de livery so the family can roam the streets in search of fudge, souvenirs and, of course, getting steeped in the

of Mackinac Island itself.

Although I’ve stayed on the island a handful of times, including my own honeymoon 32 years ago, we always booked the Grand Hotel, which is the only destination that does not use dockporters, but rather has its own fleet of horse-drawn carriages end lessly cycling between docks and ho tel. So this book was an introduction to this essential bastion of the tour ism industry I had heretofore never known.

These brave riders work only for tips—a buck-a-bag was their suggest ed rate in the 1980s.

The Dockporter is a novel that takes place with Jack McGuinn, a dockport er, on three different timelines that the

authors deftly move between. The story opens in 1999 as he makes a nostalgic return as a successful fashion photog rapher at the age of 31. It has been a full decade since he last schlepped a load of lug gage, and now he’s re turning to at tend the wed ding of his estranged boy hood friend Gor don.

Although not formally invited, Jack has received a letter from Foster, his other boyhood pal, that Gordon is to be wed with Erin, the beautiful and talented young Irish woman that Jack was madly in love with in his early 20s. This lev el of the plot bookends the other two timelines and pulls the reader onward throughout the

On the surface, The appears to be a straightforward quest for Jack to chase after the “one that got away.” Underneath, it’s really a “bromance” of epic pro portions. I say this not in a pejorative way, but as a way in for readers to understand the paradox of the both delicateness and toughness of male bonding.

Young men on their own for the first time are invariably in search of a tribe. Whether this comes together as a result of shared military service or members of a college fraternity —or, in this case, a brotherhood of bicycle porters, outcomes can be seen as sim ilar: comradeship, pranks and gibes to test their bonds, and simply getting down to the business at hand.

In this book, the dockporters have a

mythology of a man known to history as “Black Jack” because he performed the gravity-defying feat of balancing 21 different bags on a single bicycle ride. In the quest portion of The Dock porter, which takes place in the 1989 timeline, our protagonist and narrator are challenged to beat the outstanding hauling record, which itself is carved into the very docks itself.

A second layer of bromance is the love between generations of the men of the McGuinn family, in a sem blance somewhat akin the three gen erations (grandfather, father, son) in John D. Haske’s novel North Dixie Highway. The eldest McGuinn was a World War II pilot whose claim to fame is buying a cottage on the east bluff for a pittance in the early 1950s.

His son, known only as “Big Jack,” now owns a struggling Oldsmobile dealership and makes the five-hour commute to the island most week ends. Big Jack is desperate to moti vate 20-year-old Jack McGuinn into the dealership before it hits the rocks. However, Jack has no life plan in the 1989 timeline, and he’s content with the seasonal work of a dockporter.

Lest you think I’m spoiling the sto ry, the bricks and mortar of the novel as described so far merely gets us into the first few chapters. Inside the book is a ton of authentic detail that any one who has ever visited the island will recognize and locals will delight in. There are familiar hotels, church es, bars, island landmarks and even Doud’s Grocery makes an appearance. The redoubtable Straits of Mackinac II ferry plays its part as well, contrast ed with the sexier hydroplanes.

The Dockporter is a joyful and fun ny island coming-of-age romance that will captivate you from the first page in the same way the thrill of your va cation starts as soon as you set foot on the ferry. It’s a 2022 Michigan Nota ble Books pick, so you can probably find it at your local library, too.

MM

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

home cinema

Scorsese, De Niro, Pesci and Pacino break stereotypes in satisfying movie

Violence and its after effects are considered in these films about suicide and mob mur ders.

The Irishman

Now and then a “big” picture is re leased that, for various reasons, I miss seeing, not deliberately, but because other films got in the way or took priority or simply sounded more interesting. Such was the case with The Irishman.

When a film is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, it will either be a knockout or it could be just another gangster picture.

I predicted the latter. But The Irish man turned out to be both, with the emphasis on “knockout,” but enough of the gangster trappings to place it firmly in that genre.

Based on a 2004 nonfiction book, I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt (screenplay by Steven Zail lian), the film tells the story of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), who becomes a hitman involved with mobster boss Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his crime family. According to Brandt’s account, Sheeran is the person who, at Bufalino’s orders, shot teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa and left the body in an empty house to be picked up for cre mation.

Many people who have heard of The Irishman have heard of its cost— $159 to 250 million—financed by Netflix after the cost became too high for the usual sources. Its other point of notoriety is the anti-aging process that required filming with a custom three-camera rig to facilitate the ex tensive digital effects that made De Niro, Pacino and Pesci appear young er in the early parts of the story—as opposed to the fairly common aging of a character.

For this viewer, the process worked well enough to be unnoticeable. An other common refrain among critics was that the film, at 209 minutes, was too long, but I was reminded of Pau line Kael’s comment about Heaven’s Gate: She had no trouble thinking what to cut; the problem was what to keep. With The Irishman, I’d have

trouble deciding what to cut.

The film opens with a traveling shot that echoes the opening of Scorsese’s GoodFellas. In the earlier film, the camera tracks a character and his girl friend as they enter a nightclub/restau rant through a side door, traverse the kitchen and finally seat themselves at a table just in front of the nightclub stage. In the current film, a camera en ters a nursing home, tracks down the halls and past the nurses stations and enters the sitting room where the aged Frank Sheeran looks up and starts to tell his story.

By refusing to name names in the 1950s, Sheeran gets the attention of lawyer Bill Bufalino, who introduces him to his cousin Russell Bufalino, head of the Northeastern Pennsylva nia crime family. Sheeran works his way up the Mafia ladder, eventually becoming Bufalino’s bodyguard and serving as his close contact with Hof fa (Pacino). After Hoffa is imprisoned, the heads of the mobs decide he is no longer safe, and Sheeran is designated to “paint his house” (assassinate him), which he does.

Although no one is indicted for Hoffa’s murder, the mobsters are eventually convicted on other charges and die in prison, with Sheeran being released to the nursing home. There he confesses his crimes to a priest who gives him absolution. As the

film ends and the priest leaves, Sheer an asks him to leave the door open a crack, echoing one of Hoffa’s sayings as well as his own earlier comment that “a closed door is so final.”

The acting is excellent throughout, as one would expect with this cast. De Niro is menacing, in a velvet glove sort of way, and often seems less than enthusiastic about the profession he has climbed into, especially in Hof fa’s case.

Pacino, in his first film with Scors ese, is also excellent, portraying Hoffa, in one scene, as the confident loose cannon that he ap parently was, and then in the next scene diving into a dish of ice cream with great gusto. The big surprise is Joe Pesci, who is calm and controlled as crime boss Russell Bu falino, totally the opposite of the twitchy, obnoxious characters he played in GoodFellas and Casino

Apparently it took a lot of persuading to bring Pes ci out of his self-imposed retirement, but the effort was worth it. And presid ing over it all is Scorsese, managing to sneak a num ber of humorous scenes

into this tale of a hired killer.

Although blood and violence are common in The Irishman, they do not dominate the film as they do in some other gangster films. Rather, even in the early part of the film, the emphasis is upon the effect of such a life upon the men living it, gradually isolating them from family and friends until they are totally alone.

To emphasize this point, when sup porting and minor characters are first introduced, the frame freezes and a caption tells how and when they died; none of them lived long. It’s prob ably no coincidence that the end of The Irishman has the same quality of melancholy futility as the end of The Godfather II.

The film received ten Oscar nomi nations, but did not win any awards— it was probably too “old guard.”

Monsieur Lazhar

This film, adapted from a one-char acter play by Evelyne de la Chenelière, opens in midwinter in a Montreal secondary school. A sixthgrade boy, Simon (Émilien Néron), as part of his duties, picks up cartons of milk to take to his home room, but as he starts to enter the room, he real izes that the teacher, a young woman named Mrs. Martine Lachance, has hanged herself from one of the over head pipes.

He recoils in horror and runs for help; the other teachers gather the students together in the schoolyard as they try to deal with the situation.

Thus begins one of the major questions of Mon sieur Lazhar, a Canadian Academy Award-nominat ed film: why did the teach er kill herself and why did she do it in the schoolroom as she did?

The next question is raised when a 55-year-old Algerian, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), shows up at the school and ap plies to replace the de ceased teacher. His cre dentials seem legitimate, he has nineteen years of

teaching experience and he is a certified im migrant. Mme Vaillan court (Danielle Proulx), the school administra tor, needs all the help she can get to deal with the tragedy, so she hires him.

But there are uncer tainties about Monsieur Lazhar—he seems out of date in his teaching practices, he seems unfamiliar with the current rules of never touching students and he has to visit the immi gration office on a regu lar basis.

Yet he comforts the children: “Don’t try to find a meaning in Martine’s death; there isn’t one,” he declares. “A classroom is a place of friendship, of work, of courtesy, a place of life.” Eventually we find out he is fleeing Algeria from terrorists who killed his wife and children and has applied for political asylum in Canada.

These two lines of inquiry—why did Martine kill herself and what is Lazhar’s true story—move in parallel tracks throughout most of the film, but never really come together. Questions are raised about the teacher’s relation ship with the boy Simon, who found her body, and he blames himself for

her death, but nothing explicit is ever uncov ered or any clear motive identified for her sui cide.

Lazhar is cleared of any complicity in the death of his family and is granted refuge in Can ada, but the school ad ministrator then finds he has no teaching cre dentials or experience (he ran a restaurant). Al though the students like him, she is forced to let him go, and the film ends with his giving a student a goodbye hug, despite the government’s rules.

There are no simple answers for what happens in the film, as people explore the situations they find themselves in, just as there are no simple answers for most suicides, but the film shows admirable courage in tackling such tough subjects.

MM

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

Answers for the New York Times crossword puzzle, located on Page 20.

Out

• A Course of Love. Donna Trudell will lead the class based on the book by Mari Perron. Participants will learn about peace, joy and clarity through this self-awareness class. 1 p.m. Calumet Art Center, 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228. Adventures in History Series: Neil Friends Concert. Join Michi gan’s Troubadour, Neil Woodward, in concert with invited musician guests. Donations appreciated. 7 to 9 p.m. Community Building, downtown. ke weenawhistory.org

• Bay Health and Wellness Fair: Surviving and Thriving. Local and national professionals will provide health and wellness information for day-to-day wellness. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Conference Rooms JHUC 952, Bay College, 2001 Lincoln Rd. (906) 2174045.

• Author Talk. Author Dianna Stampfler will discuss her book Death

& Lighthouses on the Great Lakes:

A History of Misfortune and Murder 4:30 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Houghton

• Samantha Ege Piano Workshop. Dr. Samanatha Ege will lead a work shop with piano students about reper toire and performance practice, and discuss what is means to be a per former-scholar of 20th Century music. 6 p.m. Rozsa Center, 1400 Townsend Dr. events.mtu.edu

Ishpeming

• Dinner and a Movie. The film Mon ty Python and the Holy Grail will be shown. Congress pizza and popcorn provided. 5 p.m. Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main St. (906) 486-4381.

L’Anse

• Farmers Market. 3 to 5:50 p.m. Waterfront Park, N. Front St.

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 sug gested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Mar quette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Wednesday Evening Farmers Market. 4 to 7 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers

market.com

• Americans and the Holocaust Film. The Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator will be shown. 6:30 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• La Table Française. French speak ers of all abilities are invited for in formal conversation and discussions. 7 p.m. NMU Library. (906) 227-2648.

Negaunee

• 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, ext. 18.

• Negaunee City Market. 4 to 7 p.m. Miner’s Park, corner of Maas Street and US-41.

29 THURSDAY

sunrise 7:45 a.m.; sunset 7:35 p.m.

Calumet

• Soup Bowl Sale Fundraiser. The bowl purchase will include one of three homemade soups and home made breadsticks. Proceeds ben efit the Calumet Art Center. Small bowl, $15; large bowl, $20. 1 to 4 p.m. Michigan House Café, corner of Sixth and Oak streets. (906) 9342228.

Houghton

• Samantha Ege Piano Concert. Pia nist Dr. Samanatha Ege will perform. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Roz sa Center, 1400 Townsend Dr. events.

Marquette

• Kids Consignment Sale. Shop for gently used items at this pop-up sale. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41. thekidssale.net

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. $5 for games. West wood Mall, 3020 US-41 West. supe riorland_bridge.tripod.com or (906) 360-3056.

• Learn About the Rocket Launch Site. Members of Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior will discuss what an industrial rocket launch site is, the background on the plans to build the site, updates and impacts on the local economy, environment and U.P. lifestyle. Registration required. NCLL members, $5; nonmembers, $10. 2 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 345-9295.

• Project Publish. Youth in grades 3 to 12 are invited to participate in writ ing, 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, ext. 18.

30 FRIDAY

sunrise 7:46 a.m.; sunset 7:33 p.m.

Crystal Falls

• Cold Tone Harvest Concert. The Southeast Michigan quartet will per form folk and bluegrass repertoires. Students, $5; adults, $25. 7 p.m. Crystal Theatre, 304 Superior Ave. (906) 875-3208 or thecrystaltheatre. org

Houghton

• Samantha Ege Piano Concert. Pia nist Dr. Samanatha Ege will perform. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Roz sa Center, 1400 Townsend Dr. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Kids Consignment Sale. Shop for gently used items at this pop-up sale. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41. thekidssale.net

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public

Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

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

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

october events

01 SATURDAY

sunrise 7:48 a.m.; sunset 7:31 p.m.

Calumet

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

Escanaba

• Story Hour. Stories are geared to ward children ages 5 and older. 1 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Lud ington St. (906) 789-7323.

Houghton

• Naila Ansari’s Movement of Joy. Performance artist, choreographer and director Naila Ansair and a host of multidisciplinary artists will cre ate movements, songs and poetry from the stories shared by the artists. Youth, $5; adults, $25. Time to be an nounced. Rozsa Center, MTU. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Marquette Fall Enduro. Cheer on riders in the open, sport and beginner enduro classes. Proceeds benefit the Noquemanon Trail Network. Pric es vary. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. NTN South Trails, 2375 CR-553. noquetrails.org

• Saturday Morning Farmers Mar ket. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

• Kids Consignment Sale. Shop for gently used items at this pop-up sale. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41. thekidssale.net

• Community Crop Swap. Home gardeners with a surplus of produce can swap with other gardeners for produce they do not have. Remaining produce will be donated to the Warm ing Center of Marquette. 10 a.m. Lakeshore Depot, 560 Fern Pl. (906) 360-6839.

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

• Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for

babies and toddlers with an adult. Old er siblings welcome. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Halloween Costume Swap. Clean and gently used Halloween costumes, dress-up clothes and accessories will be available. Noon to 4 p.m. Com munity Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• The Fall Phantasm: Festival of Myth & Fire. This themed event will feature music, campfire stories, creatures, illusions, costumes and a bazaar. Donations appreciated. 3 to 11 p.m. Lakenenland Sculpture Park, 2800 M-28 East.

• International Observe the Moon Night. View the moon and other ce lestial objects, including Jupiter and Saturn, using telescopes provided by the Marquette Astronomical Society. This is a weather-permitting activity. 9 to 11 p.m. Mattson Lower Harbor Park, 200 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 2361568.

Negaunee

• Strut Your Mutt. Bring your dog for a group walk along the Heritage Trail. Prizes awarded to top fundraisers. Following the walk visit with vendors and participate in the dog activities. Proceeds benefit UPAWS. Youth, $10; adults, $25. Additional donations ap preciated. 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jack son Mine Park, 199 Tobin St. upaws. org/sym

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

Skandia

• Pie Sale. 9 a.m. West Branch Town ship Hall, 1016 CR-545.

• Craft Bazaar. A variety of vendors will be on hand, with a soup and sand wich lunch available for purchase. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. West Branch Township Hall, 1016 CR-545.

02 SUNDAY sunrise 7:49 a.m.; sunset 7:29 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Snacks and beverages avail able for purchase. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-8080.

Marquette

• Climb Out of the Darkness. Join others to raise awareness about men tal health of new families. Activities include a meet and greet, yoga, kids activities and a walk. 9 to 11 a.m. Mattson Lower Harbor Park, 200 Lakeshore Blvd. climboutmqt@gmail. com

• Ciderday. Stop by for fall crafts,

music, donuts, cider, mead and ales releases. Noon. Barrel + Beam, 260 Northwoods Rd. (906) 273-2559 or barrelandbeamc.om

• Marquette County Crop Walk. Walkers are asked to raise funds to support their walk. Proceeds support local and international hunger-fight ing organizations. Registration, 1:30 p.m. Walk, 2 p.m. Marquette Hope Connection Center, 927 W. Fair Ave. (906) 225-0595.

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

03 MONDAY

sunrise 7:50 a.m.; sunset 7:27 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds pro duced by Tibetan singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. Joy Center, 1492 Southwood Dr. (906) 362-9934.

Marquette

•Book Babies. Newborns 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) 2264323.

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Superi or Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@ greatstartma.org

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activi ties to stimulate senses. 6 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Craft Magic Series: Crochet Mag ic with Alice Horstman. Join cro chet fiber artist Alice Horstman for a beginner crochet workshop. Space is limited. 6:30 p.m. Heritage 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/

sunrise 7:52

Escanaba

• Registration Deadline: Culinary Demonstration. See Tuesday the 11th.

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) 2264323.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

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

• Community Conversations: Abuse Prevention for Educators. Aman da Nickerson, director of the Alberti Center for Bully Abuse and Preven tion will give a presentation and lead a conversation on bullying abuse pre vention for educators, administrators and counselors. 1 and 7 p.m. Com munity Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264322.

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

• Dumbledore’s Army. Students in grades 4 to 6 are invited for Harry

Potter-related crafts. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Beginning Genealogy. Learn the basics on how to start genealogical research using pedigree charts, family groups, census records and organiza tional techniques. 6:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• What’s Up? Astronomy Series. Scott Stobbelaar of the Marquette As tronomical Society will discuss what can be seen in the U.P. skies. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl.info for Zoom link.

Munising

• Community Playgroup. This play group is for newborns to children age 5 and a caregiver. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Totville, Alger Parks and Rec reation Building, 413 Maple St

• Book Owls. This family-friendly storytime will also include a craft project and snack. 6:30 p.m. Mu nising Public Library, Suite A, 810 M-28.

05 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 7:53 a.m.; sunset 7:23 p.m.

Calumet

• A Course of Love. Donna Trudell will lead the class based on the book by Mari Perron. Participants will learn about peace, joy and clarity through this self-awareness class. 1 p.m. Calumet Art Center, 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228.

Escanaba

• Toddler Art with Nicole Nelson. Toddlers ages 1 to 4, with an adult, are invited for a morning of art. $5. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Ave. S. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org

on the town

Gwinn

• Hideaway Bar.

Mondays: The Hideaway AllStars. 7 p.m.

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

• Up North Lodge.

- Sunday, October 2: Shag Lake Drive.

Music, 4 to 8 p.m. 215 S. CR-557. (906) 346-9815.

Marquette

• Barrel + Beam.

- Saturday, October 12: Troy Graham. Noon.

- Saturday, the 22nd: Derrell Syria Project. 7 p.m. 260 Northwoods Rd. (906) 273-2559 or barreland beam.com

• Blackrocks Brewery.

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

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

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

- Thursday, September 29: Wal lens.

Music begins at 6 p.m. 424 N. Third St. (906) 273-1333 or blackrocksbrewery.com

• Drifa Brewing Company.

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

- Friday, September 30: Big Lake Band.

- Saturday, October 1: Chris Valenti.

- Sunday, the 16th: Alex Teller.

- Friday, the 28th: Iron Daisy Acoustic.

Music begins at 6 p.m. 501 S. Lake St. 273-1300.

• Flanigan’s.

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

- Friday, September 30: Under the Radar. 6:30 p.m.

Cover charge on weekends only.

429 W. Washington St. (906) 2288865.

• Ore Dock Brewing Company.

- Mondays: Board game night. 7 p.m.

Friday, September 30: Blanco Suave with Fake Baseball. $10. Must be age 21 or older.

- Saturday, October 1: The Drift less Revelers & Sugar on the Roof. 8 p.m.

- Friday, the 7th: Slowfoot.

- Friday, the 14th: Bumpus. $10. Must be age 21 or older.

- Saturday, the 15th: Stonefolk.

- Friday, the 21st and Saturday, the 22nd: Dave Bruzza Trio. Advanced tickets, $20; at the door, $25.8 p.m.

- Friday, the 28th: Not Quite Canada with special guest Iridescence. Ad vanced tickets,$8; at the door, $10. Must be age 21 or older.

- Saturday, the 29th: Sole Responsi bility. Must be age 21 or older.

- Sunday, the 30th: Westerly Winds. Students, $4; adults, $10. 2 p.m. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. unless noted.

114 W. Spring St. 228-8888.

• Rippling River Resort.

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

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

• Superior Culture.

- Wednesday, October 5: Electric Words and Music. 7 p.m.

- Friday, the 21st: Dylan Conger-Ly ewski. 9 p.m.

713 Third Street. 273-0927 or supe riorculturemqt.com

• The Fold.

- Thursday, October 13: Beechgrove & Blacksmith. $5. 7 p.m. 1015 N. Third Street, #9. (906) 2268575.

Munising

• Falling Rock Café and Book store.

- Wednesdays and Thursdays: Open Jam.

- Friday, October 14: R.M. Smith Jazz Band.

- Saturday, the 15th: February Sky. 7 p.m.

104 E. Munising Ave. (906) 3873008.

Negaunee

• Smarty’s Saloon.

- Thursday, October 6: Gena and Hozz. 7 p.m.

212 Iron St. (906) 401-0438.

Republic

• Pine Grove Bar.

- Friday, September 30: Toni Saari.

- Saturday, October 1: Soulshine.

- Friday, the 7th: Old Skol.

- Saturday, the 8th: Polar Blues Band.

- Friday, the 14th: Swampberry Moonshine.

- Saturday, the 15th: Lost Cause.

- Friday, the 21st: Matt Byce.

- Saturday, the 22nd: DayDreamers.

- Friday, the 28th: Halloween party with Spun.

- Saturday, the 29th: Halloween party with Diversion.

286 Front St. (906) 376-2234.

Ishpeming

• Ishpeming 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 develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Media Center, Aspen Ridge School, 350 Aspen Ridge School Rd. (906) 485-3178.

L’Anse

• Farmers Market. 3 to 5:50 p.m. Waterfront Park, N. Front St.

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 sug gested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Mar quette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Visual Art Class: Painting Fall Leaves. This class is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. Mar quette city and surrounding township residents, free; nonresidents, $5 dona tion. 1 p.m. Marquette Arts and Cul ture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Wednesday Evening Farmers Market. 4 to 7 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

• Junior Graphic Novel Geeks. Youth in grades 1 to 3 are will look at graphic novels that feature animals as characters, and have time to draw characters as well. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Teens Game On. Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited to play video games, board games and other games. 6:30 p.m. Teen Zone, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264321.

• Anatomy of An Election. Election expert Marie Wicks and local clerks will discuss election procedures, checks and balances, transparency of elections including safety and securi ty. 7 p.m. Room 1322, Jamrich Hall, NMU.

• Community Conversations: Men tal Health Care. Licensed counselor, Deborah Carello, will give a presen tation and lead a conversation on rec ognizing and helping young people cope with stress, sadness and anxiety. 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 pro duced by Tibetan singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. St. Paul’s Epis copal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. (906) 362-9934.

• NMU Jazz Ensembles Concert. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. events.nmu.edu

Negaunee

• 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, ext. 18.

06 THURSDAY

sunrise 7:54 a.m.; sunset 7:21 p.m.

Hancock

• Michigan Tech Music: Music in the Mine. Donations appreciated. 6 and 8 p.m. Quincy Mine, 49750 US41. events.mtu.edu

Houghton

• Kids Consignment Sale. Shop for gently used items at this pop-up sale. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Copper Country Mall, 47420 M-26. thekidssale.net

Ishpeming

• Feeding America Food Truck Drive-Up Distribution. Bring a large box or basket that can hold 50 pounds of food. 9 to 10:30 a.m. North Iron Church, 910 Palms Ave. (906) 4868080.

• Feeding America Food Truck Walk-Up Distribution. Bring a large box or basket that can hold 50 pounds of food. 9 to 10 a.m. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-8080.

Marquette

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

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

• First Thursdays Art Walk. Visit lo cal art galleries, studios and creative spaces throughout the city. Maps of participating business available at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center and online. 4 to 8 p.m. Locations vary.

• Wings of Fire. Youth in grades 4 to 6 are invited to discuss the series while creating mask designs to use for Halloweens. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Halloween Slime. 6 to 8 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Marquette Area Public School Board Candidate Forum. This can didate forum is hosted by the League of Women Voters. Bring questions or submit the questions ahead of time. 7 p.m. Kaufman Auditorium, 611 N.

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 watercol or and oil, drawings, photography, sculpture, quilting, wood, textile, clay, glass and other media. Thurs day 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 photogra phy by Steve Brimm. Daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 216 First St. (910) 3191650.

Escanaba

• Besse Gallery.

- Escanaba Sky, featuring works by Jason Paradis, will be on display through October 19. 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. An exhibition, featuring works by Erin Wheary, will be on display through October 20. Days and hours vary. 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. baycollege.edu

• William Bonifas Fine Arts Gal lery.

- Abstraction: Unveiling the Sur face, featuring works by Ginnie Cappaert and Dan Cross, will be on display through October 20.

- A Retrospective, featuring works by Diane Kribs-May, will be on dis play through October 20. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3p.m. 700 First Avenue South. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org

Hancock

• Finlandia University Gallery.

- A Body Called Paula, an installa tion that mixes screen printing and performance by Sirkku Ketola, will be on display through October 14. 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.

- Collagraphs by Mike Marks, will be on display through October 4 through 31.

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 coppercoun tryarts.com

• Youth Gallery. Works by local stu dents. 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 cop percountryarts.com

Houghton

• The Rozsa Galleries.

- Arabesque, an exhibition featuring works by Clement Yeh and Tomas Co, will be on display through No vember 4, with a public reception at 5 p.m. October 28.

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 Pa paleo, 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.

- U.P. Focus, an exhibition featuring works by Lindsey Heiden and Linda King-Ferguson, will be on display through November 4.

- The Last Place on Earth, featuring works by Jan Manniko, will be on display through November 15. 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 jewel ry. Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, by ap pointment or chance. 555 E Michi gan Street. gracigallery.com

• Huron Mountain Club Gallery.

- The Best of Us: an NCLL Retro spective, featuring works by NCLL members, will be on display Octo ber 1 through November 30, with a public reception at 6 p.m. October 13.

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 Pub lic Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 228-0472.

• Lake Superior Photo and Gal lery. The studio features land scape 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.

- WATER. COLOR. WOOD, fea turing works by Mac Himes and Louise Laasko Lundin, will be on display October 1 through 31, with a public reception at 6 p.m. Octo ber 13. 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 Re ception Gallery.

- Digital Humans, featuring dig ital art by Lari Wendt, will be on display October 1 through Novem ber 30, with a public reception at 6 p.m. October 13. 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 work ing pottery studio features pot tery by Michael Horton and Terry Gilfoy, along with works by local artists. Days and times vary. 2901 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 225-1695.

• The Gallery: A Marquette Art ist 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 interna tionally acclaimed artists. Wednes

day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sat urday, noon to 4 p.m. 2905 Lake shore Blvd. (906) 360-4453.

• Wintergreen Hill Gallery and Gifts.

- Works by Laura Songer will be on display through September 30.

- Works by Astrid, will be on dis play October 1 through 14, with a public reception at 6 p.m. on the 6th.

- Works by Micki Hupp will be on display October 15 through 28, with a public reception at 6 p.m. on the 15th.

- Hopedreamsart, will be on dis paly October 29 through Novem ber 11, with a public reception at 6 p.m.Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 810 N. Third St. (906) 273-1374.

• Zero Degrees Artist Gallery.

- Paintings by Dan Cook will be on display through September 30.

- Works by Marquette Senior High School student, Isabelle Lagrou will be on display through October 30.

Works in oils, watercolors, mixed media, jewelry, photography, met als, woods, recycled and fiber arts and much more. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 525 N, Third St. (906) 228-3058 or zerodegreesgal lery.org

Munising

• Open Wings Pottery Studio & Gallery. Featuring works by more than 50 local artisans in a variety of media. Open by chance or appoint ment. E9795 County Road H-58. (906) 387-5070.

• UP-Scale Art. Featuring works by local and regional artists. Tues day through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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) 399-1572 or adhocworkshop.com

Sand River

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

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, ext. 18.

07 FRIDAY

sunrise 7:56 a.m.; sunset 7:19 p.m.

Escanaba

• Michael Waite Concert. Singer and songwriter, Michael Waite, will perform songs from his new album We’ve Always Been at Home. $15. 7 p.m. Besse Center, Bay College, 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. (906) 217-4045 or events.baycollege.edu

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.

Hancock

• Michigan Tech Music: Music in the Mine. Donations appreciated. 6 and 8 p.m. Quincy Mine, 49750 US41. events.mtu.edu

Houghton

• Kids Consignment Sale. Shop for gently used items at this pop-up sale. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Copper Country Mall, 47420 M-26. thekidssale.net

Marquette

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• School’s Out, Library’s In. Stu dents are invited to make Halloween slime, mummy bookmarks and watch the film Coco Slime and bookmarks, noon to 5 p.m.; Film, 12:45 p.m. Youth Services Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

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

08 SATURDAY

sunrise 7:57 a.m.; sunset 7:18 p.m.

Calumet

• U.P. Wild Fall Colors Wilderness Walk. Games open to all interested players. 1 p.m. Gardener’s Creek Na ture Trail, Calumet Township Falls, Lakeshore Dr. upwild.org

Crystal Falls

• Kelly Jackson Concert. Singer and songwriter Kelly Jackson will per form rhythms that compliment her native roots and lyrical messages to invoke healing, self-improvement and cultural reflections.. Students, $5; adults, $25. 7 p.m. Crystal Theatre, 304 Superior Ave. (906) 875-3208 or thecrystaltheatre.org

Escanaba

• LEGO Club. Bring your own LEGOs. 1 p.m. Escanaba Public Li brary, 400 Ludington St. (906) 7897323.

• UPtober Fest. Sample beer, wine and mead from Michigan during this annual event which benefits The Unit ed Way of Delta County. $50. 2 to 7 p.m. Ludington Park, near the Band Shell. uptoberfest.org

Houghton

• Kids Consignment Sale. Shop for gently used items at this pop-up sale. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Copper Country Mall, 47420 M-26. thekidssale.net

• Michigan Tech Music: Stephen Rush in Recital. Donations appreci ated. 3:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

• U.P. Wild Potluck. Open to those interested in learning more about U.P. Wild. 5 p.m. Trinity Episcopal Church, 205 E. Montezuma Ave. up wild.org

• Michigan Tech Music: The Music of Judith Shatin. Donations appreci ated. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

• Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to noon. Waterfront Park, N. Front St.

Marquette

• Saturday Morning Farmers Mar ket. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

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

• Enchanted Forest Tea Party. En joy an hour of stories, music, tea and crafts. Dress-up is encouraged. Ad vanced registration required. 10:30 a.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Onagomingkway Chapter of NSDAR Monthly Meeting Potluck. Bring a dish to share. Beverages and dessert will be provided. Noon. 48 Smith Ln. (906) 226-7836.

• Citizens Climate Lobby. This non-partisan, grassroots environmen tal advocacy group will discuss the ef forts to take action on climate change solutions. 12:30 p.m. Meet and greet; 1 p.m. Guest speaker; 1 p.m. Zoom meeting; 1:30 p.m. local project dis cussion. Lions Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. cit izensclimatelobby.org

• Marquette Art Awards Ceremo ny. The annual awards celebrates citizens and organizations who have demonstrated artistic excellence and contributions to the community. 6 p.m. Red Room, Masonic Center, 128 W. Washington St. (906) 228-0472.

Negaunee

• UP200 Dryland Dash. Cheer on racers and their dogs as they com pete. Races include rig, scooter, bike and canicross with 1, 2, 4 and 6-dog reams racing one and two mile cours es. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Negaunee Town ship Park, 42 M-35.

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

09 SUNDAY sunrise 7:58 a.m.; sunset 7:16 p.m.

Houghton

• Michigan Tech Music: Lungs of the City. This concert will feature new chamber music celebrating pub lic parks and commemorating the bi centennial of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted. Donations appreci ated. 3:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Snacks and beverages avail able for purchase. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-8080.

Marquette

• NMU Senior Recital. Curt Rogan will perform. 10 a.m. Reynolds Recit al Hall, NMU. events.nmu.edu

Negaunee

• UP200 Dryland Dash. Cheer on racers and their dogs as they com pete. Races include rig, scooter, bike and canicross with 1, 2, 4 and 6-dog reams racing one and two mile cours es. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Negaunee Town ship Park, 42 M-35.

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

10 MONDAY

sunrise 8:00 a.m.; sunset 7:14 p.m.

Escanaba

• Victoria Vox Concert. Singer and songwriter, Victoria Vox will per form. $20. 7 p.m. Besse Center, Bay College, 2001 N. Lincoln Rd. (906) 217-4045 or events.baycollege.edu

Marquette

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood

L’Anse

Big Bay

• Big Bay Lighthouse. The grounds of the 1896 lighthouse are open year-round. 3 Lighthouse Rd. (906) 345-9957.

Calumet

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

• Keweenaw Heritage Center. Ex hibits focused on different aspects of life in the Keweenaw are on display, with exhibits varying each year. $3. Monday through Satur day, 1 to 4:30 p.m. corner of Scott and Fifth streets. keweenawheri tagecenter.org or (906) 337-2410.

Caspian

• Iron County Historical Muse um. This complex is the U.P.’s larg est outdoor museum. Twenty-six buildings represent the industries of lumber, mining and transportation and include a homestead, cultural center and art complex. Youth 5 and younger, free; 6 to 18, $10; adults, $15. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Off M-189 or two miles off US-2 at Iron River. ironcountymuse um.org or (906) 265-2617.

Copper Harbor

• Fort Wilkins State Park. Built in 1844, this fort is a well-preserved, nineteenth century military post and lighthouse complex. Through museum exhibits, audio-visual pro grams and costumed interpretation, visitors can explore the daily rou tine of military service, experience the hardships of frontier isolation and discover another era. Park store, bookstore, concession stand and campsites are on site. Closes for the season in mid-October. 8:30 a.m. to dusk. $17 per car, per day for Mich igan residents, $9 for nonresidents. US-41 (one mile east of Copper Harbor). (906) 289-4215.

Delaware

• Delaware Copper Mine. This au thentic copper mine operated from 1847 to 1887. The tour takes visitors to the first level at 110 feet, where they can see veins of copper exposed in the walls of the mine. A deer pen and museum are also on site. Closes for the season in mid-October. Youth 5 and younger, free; 6 to 12, $7; 13 and older, $12. Daily, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. US-41, 12 miles south of Copper Harbor. (906) 289-4688 or keweenawheritagesites.org

Eagle Harbor

• Eagle Harbor Life Saving Muse um. View displays of early wooden rescue boats, surfboats, life-cars and more. Closes for the season in early October. Donations appreci ated. Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Marina Rd. keweenawhistory.org

• Eagle Harbor Lighthouse and Museum. Tour the museum and lighthouse complex. Closes for the season in early October. Youth, free; adults, $8. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. M-26. ke weenawhistory.org

Eagle River

• Eagle River Museum. The mu seum focuses on four themes, in cluding the Cliff Mine, the town of Eagle River the town and mine of Phoenix and the Crestview amuse ment area. Closes for the season in early October. Donations appreci ated. Wednesday, Friday and Satur day, noon to 4 p.m. M-26. keween awhistory.org

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 Del ta County Chamber of Commerce, 1001 N. Lincoln Rd.

• Upper Peninsula Military Mu seum. 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 Coun ty Chamber of Commerce, 1001 N. Lincoln Rd.

Garden

• Fayette Historic Townsite. This site was once one of the Upper Pen insula’s most productive iron-smelt ing operations. A town of nearly 500 residents grew up around two blast furnaces, a large dock and sever al charcoal kilns. It now includes a visitor center, museum exhibits, a twenty-six station walking tour and a scale model of the original town site. Closes for the season in mid-October. $17 per car, per day for Michigan residents, $9 for non residents. Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 14785 II Road. (906) 644-2603.

Greenland

• Adventure Mining Company. The mine opened in 1850 and re mains one of the best-preserved sites of its time. Although the mine closed in 1920, many of the shafts are still open for touring. Tours range from surface walking tours

educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Superi or Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@ greatstartma.org

• Authors Read Virtually: Jon Bill man. Author Jon Billman will read selections from his book, The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands. 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit pwpl.info for Zoom link.

Negaunee

• All-Ages Online Storytime. Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes from the comfort of your own home. 11a.m.

museums

to underground rappelling down a mineshaft. Closes for the season in mid-October. Tour prices vary. Youth 6 and younger, free; 7 to 12, $7.50 to $14.50; 13 and older, $14 to $25. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 200 Adventure Ave. (906) 883-3371 or adventuremine.com

Hancock

• Quincy Mine Hoist and Under ground Mine. There are two options for touring the site. On both the sur face 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 trac tor-pulled wagon into the mine, sev en levels underground. Prices, days and hours vary. (906) 482-3101 or quincymine.com

Houghton

• A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. View the largest collection of min erals from the Great Lakes region and the world’s finest collection of Michigan minerals. Exhibits edu cate visitors on how minerals are formed, fluorescent minerals and minerals from around the world. Prices vary. Monday through Satur day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1404 E. Sharon Ave. museum.mtu.edu

• Carnegie Museum. Features ro tating displays of local history, natural science and culture. The Science Center is dedicated to in teractive 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 ap

via Live. facebook.com/ NegauneePublicLibrary

11 TUESDAY

sunrise 8:01 a.m.; sunset 7:12 p.m.

Escanaba

• Culinary Demonstration: Meat balls and Sauces. Learn how to make homemade meatballs and three different sauces. Register by the 4th. Bonifas members, $12; nonmembers, $15. 6 p.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Ave. S. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org

Marquette

pointment. Lower level of the J.R. Van Pelt Library, MTU. (906) 4873209.

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 ful ly restored CG-4A G World War II gliders, military uniforms from the Civil War through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, memorabilia, re stored 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 appre ciated. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gossard Building, Suite 303, 308 Cleveland Ave. ishpeminghistory. org

• U.S. National Ski Hall & Snow board Hall of Fame & Museum. The museum features more than 300 Hall of Fame inductees, pre sented in photographs and biogra phies, and displays and exhibits of skiing history and equipment, an extensive library, video show, gift shop, special events and more. By appointment only. US-41 and Third St. (906) 485-6323 skihall.com

K.I. Sawyer

• K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Mu seum. The museum promotes and preserves the aviation history the air base brought to the area. Air Force-related materials are on dis play, including photographs, flags, medals and more. Donations appre ciated. Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. 402 Third St. (906) 2363502 or kishamuseum.org

Lake Linden

• 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) 2264323.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Tasty Reads Book Group. The group will discuss Miss Eliza’s En glish Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship by Anna bel Abbs. Noon. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St.

(906) 226-4303.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 12:30 p.m. $5 for games. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tri pod.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 for Harry Pot ter-related activities. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Read and Meet. As part of Two

• Houghton County Historical Mu seum. Exhibits include local Copper Country mining, logging and cultur al history. Outdoor exhibits include a working Calumet & Hecla Mining Company Train. Prices, days and hours vary. 53102 M-26. (906) 2964121 or houghtonhistory.org

Marquette

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

• Beaumier Upper Peninsula Her itage Center.

Above/Under the Surface: The Fish eries of the Upper Great Lakes, an exhibition examining the changes to fish populations and the impact of humans on native fish species, will be on display through Decem ber 2022.

Three separate collections focus on cultural artifacts relating to ethnic, religious and social diversity in the U.P. 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 Maritime Museum. The museum collects, preserves and presents maritime history. Many ex hibits and guided tours of the light house grounds are offered. Prices vary. Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 300 Lakeshore Blvd. mqtmaritimemuseum.com

• Marquette Regional History Center.

Railroads of Marquette County: Yesterday and Today, featuring se lect 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) 226-3571 or marquettehistory.org • Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum. A variety of interactive exhibits offer learning through in vestigation and creativity. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prices vary. 123 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 226-3911.

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 Satur day, noon to 4 p.m. 1496 Washington St. (906) 387-4308.

Negaunee

• Michigan Iron Industry Muse um. 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 admin istered by the Michigan Historical Center. Daily, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 73 Forge Rd. (906) 475-7857.

Phoenix

• Phoenix Church. Originally built in 1858 and located in the town of Cliff, the museum was dismantled and reassembled in its church loca tion in 1899. The last mass was held in 1957. Closes for the season in ear ly October. Donations appreciated. Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Junction of US-41 and M-26. keweenawhistory. org

Books, Two Communities, author Jean E. Pendziwol will discuss her books The Light-Keepers Daughters and Me and You and the Red Canoe 7 p.m. Northern Center, NMU. nmu. edu/onebook/twobooks

Munising

• Community Playgroup. This play group is for newborns to children age 5 and a caregiver. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Totville, Alger Parks and Rec reation Building, 413 Maple St.

12 WEDNESDAY

Calumet

• A Course of Love. Donna Trudell will lead the class based on the book by Mari Perron. Participants will learn about peace, joy and clarity through this self-awareness class. 1 p.m. Calumet Art Center, 57055 Fifth St. (906) 934-2228.

Escanaba

• Toddler Art with Nicole Nelson. Toddlers ages 1 to 4, with an adult, are invited for a morning of art. $5. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Ave. S. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org

Ishpeming

• Ishpeming 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 develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Media Center, Aspen Ridge School, 350 Aspen Ridge School Rd. (906) 485-3178.

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 sug gested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Mar quette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Wednesday Evening Farmers Market. 4 to 7 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

• Junior Teen Advisory Board. Stu dents 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.

• LWAS: Mountain Gorillas of the Virunga Volcanoes. Jeff Towner will describe the successes of gorilla con servation work in Rwanda and the current conservation status of moun tain gorillas. 7 p.m. Shiras Room,

Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 361-9255.

• Sierra Club: Man-Tracking 101. Michigan Sierra Club Wilderness Guide Michael Neiger will explain how to track people using a tracking stick, tracking card and how to visual ize tracks using sunlight and artificial light. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

Munising

• Read and Meet. As part of Two Books, Two Communities, author Jean E. Pendziwol will discuss her books The Light-Keepers Daughters and Me and You and the Red Canoe 7 p.m. Northern Center, NMU. nmu. edu/onebook/twobooks

Negaunee

• 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, ext. 18.

13 THURSDAY

sunrise 8:04 a.m.; sunset 7:10 p.m.

Crystal Falls

• Virtual Q&A with U.P. Authors Brad Blair and Tim Ellis. Brad Blair and Tim Ellis will discuss their book Great Lakes Monsters and Mysteries. 7 p.m. Call or email to register and receive the Zoom link. (906) 875-3344 or egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us

Escanaba

for a Halloween-themed night filled with hands-on activities, snacks, mu sic, and free Culver’s frozen custard. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. U.P. Children’s Mu seum, 123 W. Baraga Ave. (906) 2263911 or upchildrensmuseum.org

• 906 Miners vs. LU 906 Electrical Workers: Project Jade Fundraiser. Local hockey teams will compete in this fundraising event for Project Jade. Project Jade provides communication boards to facilities, which assist chil dren to communicate. Youth ages 12 and younger, free; thirteen to eighteen, $5; adults, $10. 7 p.m. Lakeview Arena, 401 E. Fair Ave.

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, ext. 18.

Sands

• Haunted Hay Ride. Ghouls, ghosts and other scary creatures will be lurk ing in the darkness during this haunt ed hayride Prices vary. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Marquette County Fair Grounds, address CR-553. marquetteshaunted hayride.com

• Basic Food Preservation. Learn the basics of food preservation with a focus on the blanching and freezing method from MSU Extension educa tor Stephanie Ostrenga Sprague. 4:30 p.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

Ishpeming

• Horror Writing Workshop. Join lo cal author Teagan Sturmer for a writ ing workshop focused on all things horror. Register in advance. Time to be announced. Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main St. (906) 486-4381.

Marquette

• Fresh Coast Film Festival. This documentary film festival celebrates the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. Prices, times and locations vary. freshcoastfilm.com

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Superiorland Bridge Club Sec tional Bridge Tournament. Game times and prices vary. Marquette Township Community Center, 1000 Commerce Dr. (906) 225-1907.

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

• Second Thursday Creativity Se ries: Spooky Science Costume Party. Youth are invited to dress in costumes

Trenary

• Spooky Science Family Fun Night. Join Alger Great Start Parent Coali tion for a free dinner and education al activities. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Trenary Community Building, E2997 M-67. cmills@greatstartma.org

14 FRIDAY

sunrise 8:05 a.m.; sunset 7:06 p.m.

Calumet

• Calumet-Keweenaw Sportsmen’s Club Gun and Knife Show. Vendors will showcase a variety of gun, knives, ammunition, and related items. Pro ceeds benefit the Supplemental Deer Feeding Program. 4 to 9 p.m. $5. Sis kiwit, 26070 Pine St.

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: R.U.R. Watch the story unfold as a world revolt of robots takes place and mankind struggles to start new. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Fresh Coast Film Festival. This documentary film festival celebrates the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. Prices, times and locations vary. freshcoastfilm.com

• Lake Superior Performance Rally.

Race times and locations vary. lspro rally.com

• Superiorland Bridge Club Sec tional Bridge Tournament. Game times and prices vary. Marquette Township Community Center, 1000 Commerce Dr. (906) 225-1907.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

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

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

• NMU Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu. edu

Sands

• Haunted Hay Ride. Ghouls, ghosts and other scary creatures will be lurk ing in the darkness during this haunt ed hayride Prices vary. 7:30 to 11 p.m. Marquette County Fair Grounds, 715 CR-553. marquetteshauntedhay ride.com

15 SATURDAY

sunrise 8:06 a.m.; sunset 7:304 p.m.

Calumet

• Calumet-Keweenaw Sportsmen’s Club Gun and Knife Show. Vendors will showcase a variety of gun, knives, ammunition, and related items. Pro ceeds benefit the Supplemental Deer Feeding Program. 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $5. Siskiwit, 26070 Pine St.

Escanaba

• Author Fair. Noon. Escanaba Pub lic Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7323.

• Cops ‘N Kids. This activity is for children age 5 and older. 1 p.m. Es canaba Public Library, 400 Luding ton St. (906) 789-7323.

• Scare Away Domestic Violence Run/Walk. Run or walk to raise mon ey for TriCounty Safe Harbor. Cos tumes welcome. Youth age 17 and younger, $20; adults, $30. Registra tion, 6:30 p.m. Run/Walk, 7:30 p.m. Pavilion, Ludington Park. (906) 7891166.

Houghton

• Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra:

Unquiet Earth. Youth, $5; adults, $19. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

• MTU Theatre: R.U.R. Watch the story unfold as a world revolt of robots takes place and mankind’s struggle to start new. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Fresh Coast Film Festival. This documentary film festival celebrates the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. Prices, times and locations vary. freshcoastfilm.com

• Lake Superior Performance Rally. Race times and locations vary. lspro rally.com

• Superiorland Bridge Club Sectional Bridge Tournament. Game times and prices vary. Marquette Township Community Center, 1000 Commerce Dr. (906) 225-1907.

• Saturday Morning Farmers Mar ket. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

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

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

• 100th Annual Archaeology Fair. Learn about local and global arche ology through activities, demonstra tions, artifacts and displays. Youth 12

and younger, $2; students, $3; seniors, $6; adults, $7. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mar quette Regional History Center, 145 W. Washington St. (906) 226-3571 or marquettehistory.org

• NMU Musical Sensory Friendly: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. This per formance will include a reduction of jarring sounds and strobe and spot lights into the crowd. Prices vary. 1 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu.edu

• Marquette Symphony Orches tra Concert. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Kaufman Auditorium, 611 N. Front St. (906) 227-1032 or tickets.nmu.edu

• NMU Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu. edu

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

Sands

• Haunted Hay Ride. Ghouls, ghosts and other scary creatures will be lurk ing in the darkness during this haunt ed hayride Prices vary. 7:30 to 11 p.m. Marquette County Fair Grounds, address CR-553. marquetteshaunted

hayride.com

16 SUNDAY

sunrise 8:08 a.m.; sunset 7:03 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Snacks and beverages avail able for purchase. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-8080.

K.I. Sawyer

• Dance. Dance to music performed by the Hart Beats. $8. 1 to 4 p.m. K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum, 402 Third St.

Marquette

• Fresh Coast Film Festival. This documentary film festival celebrates the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. Prices, times and locations vary. freshcoastfilm.com

• NMU Choral Ensembles and Or chestra Concert. 3 p.m. Reynolds Re cital Hall, NMU. events.nmu.edu

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

17 MONDAY

Ishpeming

• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a relaxing meditation with sounds pro duced by Tibetan singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. Joy Center, 1492 Southwood Dr. (906) 362-9934.

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) 2264323.

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Superi or Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@ greatstartma.org

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers to age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Senior Theatre Experience: Monthly Workshop and Discussion. This workshop is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. Marquette

city and surrounding township res idents, free; nonresidents, $5 dona tion. 4 p.m. Marquette Arts and Cul ture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Global Geeks Book Club. The group will discuss Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi. 6 p.m. Dandelion Cottage Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4312.

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activi ties to stimulate senses. 6 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Docu Cinema. The documentary film America and the Holocause will be shown. 7 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• NMU Siril Concert Series. Princi pal flutist from the Memphis Sympho ny Orchestra, Adam Sadberry, will perform. Youth younger than 18 and NMU students, free; Adults, $12. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. tickets.nmu.edu

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

• Beginning Genealogy Workshop. Learn the basics on how to start ge nealogical research using ancestral/ pedigree charts, family group sheets, research logs and other resources. Advanced registration required. 5:30 p.m. Reading Room, Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 4757700, ext. 18.

18 TUESDAY

sunrise 7:11 a.m.; sunset 6:59 p.m.

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) 2264323.

• Superiorland Duplicate Bridge Club. Games open to all interested players. 12:30 p.m. $5 for games. Marquette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. superiorland_bridge.tri pod.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. Registra tion required. 4 p.m. Teen Zone, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St.

(906) 226-4321.

• Online Genealogy Resources. Lau rie Johnson will lead a guided presen tation of FamilySearch.org genealo gy database. 6:30 p.m. Shiras Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• Superior Voyage Launch Party Reading. Members of the Marquette Poets Circle will launch their anthol ogy, Superior Voyage. Enjoy readings from anthology poets and acoustic music by Terri Bocklund. 6:30 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264322.

Munising

• Community Playgroup. This play group is for newborns to children age 5 and a caregiver. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Totville, Alger Parks and Rec reation Building, 413 Maple St.

19 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 8:12 a.m.; sunset 6:57 p.m.

Escanaba

• Toddler Time. Toddlers ages 2 to 4 with a caregiver are invited. Ad vanced registration required. 10:30 a.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7328.

Ishpeming

• Ishpeming 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 develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Media Center, Aspen Ridge School, 350 Aspen Ridge School Rd. (906) 485-3178.

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 sug gested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Mar quette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

PWPL Nonfiction Book Club. The group will discuss Radium Girls by Kate Moore. 1 p.m. Conference Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4311.

• Visual Art Class: Painting Fall Leaves. This class is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. Mar quette city and surrounding township residents, free; nonresidents, $5 dona tion. 1 p.m. Marquette Arts and Cul ture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

• Wednesday Evening Farmers Market. 4 to 7 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

• Teen Advisory Board. Students in grade 9 to 12 are invited to meet new people, plan activities and gain volun teer experience. 4 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4321.

• Americans and the Holocaust. An episode of Band of Brothers will be followed by a presentation from Janeen Rastall. 6:30 p.m. Communi ty Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Joy of Sound Meditation. Enjoy a

relaxing meditation with sounds pro duced by Tibetan singing bowls and metallic gongs. 7 p.m. St. Paul’s Epis copal Church, 201 E. Ridge St. (906) 362-9934.

• NMU Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu. edu

Negaunee

• 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, ext. 18.

20 THURSDAY

sunrise 8:13 a.m.; sunset 6:55 p.m.

Houghton

• MTU Theatre: R.U.R. Watch the story unfold as a world revolt of robots takes place and mankind struggles to start new. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers to age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

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

• PWPL Kindness Club. This club is for school-aged children to get in volved and give back to the communi ty. 4:30 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Ghosts of Lighthouse Point. Meet the ghosts of Marquette’s Maritime Past during this haunted tour. Youth, ages 12 and younger, $6; students, $8; adults, $10. Kid friendly, 7 to 8 p.m. Ages 12 and older, 8 to 10 p.m. Marquette Maritime Museum, 300 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 226-2006 or mqtmaritimemuseum.com

• NMU Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu. edu

Negaunee

• Music, Movement and More. This parent-led story time is for all ages. 10:30 a.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700, ext. 18.

21 FRIDAY

sunrise 8:15 a.m.; sunset 6:54 p.m.

Gwinn

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

Houghton

• Backstage Jazz: It’s a Swing Thing. The Michigan Tech Jazz En sembles, the Jazz Lab Band, R&D Jazz Band and Workshop Big Band will perform. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events. mtu.edu

• MTU Theatre: R.U.R. Watch the story unfold as a world revolt of robots takes place and mankind struggles to start new. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Global Cinema. The Ingmar Berg man classic The Seventh Seal will be shown. Noon. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

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

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

• Ghosts of Lighthouse Point. Meet the ghosts of Marquette’s Maritime Past during this haunted tour. Youth, ages 12 and younger, $6; students, $8; adults, $10. Kid friendly, 7 to 8 p.m. Ages 12 and older, 8 to 10 p.m. Marquette Maritime Museum, 300 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 226-2006 or mqtmaritimemuseum.com

• NMU Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu. edu

22 SATURDAY

sunrise 8:16 a.m.; sunset 6:52 p.m.

Crystal Falls

• Luminae Trio Concert. This New York City-based trio will perform traditional and lesser known music of the past and present. Students, $5; adults, $25. 2 p.m. Crystal Theatre, 304 Superior Ave. (906) 875-3208 or thecrystaltheatre.org

Escanaba

• Night of Magic and Wizardry. Transport to a wizardry world filled with snacks, games and magical activities. Meet wizard characters, learn magic spells and more. Cos tumes encouraged. Ages 11 and younger, $12; Ages 12 and older, $18. 6 to 9 p.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Ave. S. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org

Houghton

• Backstage Jazz: It’s a Swing Thing. The Michigan Tech Jazz En sembles, the Jazz Lab Band, R&D Jazz Band and Workshop Big Band will perform. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events. mtu.edu

• MTU Theatre: R.U.R. Watch the story unfold as a world revolt of robots takes place and mankind struggles to start new. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 7:30 p.m. McArdle Theatre, MTU. events. mtu.edu

Marquette

• Fall Fest Bazaar and Luncheon. Stop by for a bake sale, basket raffles, white elephant tables, jewelry sales. Lunch available for purchase. Bazaar, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Luncheon, 10:30 a.m. Church Hall, St. Peter Cathedral, 311 Baraga Ave.

• Saturday Morning Farmers Mar ket. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Par ent Café. Caregivers of newborns to children age 8 are invited to discuss and reflect together. Free brunch and on-site childcare provided. Email to register. 10 a.m. to noon. MARESA, 321 E. Ohio St. amillerporter@mare sa.org

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

• Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

• Saturday Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes, finger-plays and activities for

babies and toddlers with an adult. Old er siblings welcome. 10:30 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Interactive Hocus Pocus. Dress up as your favorite character from the film Hocus Pocus to watch and inter act with the film. 1 p.m. Community Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• Ghosts of Lighthouse Point. Meet the ghosts of Marquette’s Maritime Past during this haunted tour. Youth, ages 12 and younger, $6; students, $8; adults, $10. Kid friendly, 7 to 8 p.m. Ages 12 and older, 8 to 10 p.m. Marquette Maritime Museum, 300 Lakeshore Blvd. (906) 226-2006 or mqtmaritimemuseum.com

• NMU Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Watch as an eclectic group of students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Forest Roberts Theatre, NMU. tickets.nmu. edu

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

23 SUNDAY sunrise 8:18a.m.; sunset 6:50 p.m.

Ishpeming

• Bingo. Snacks and beverages avail able for purchase. Noon. Ishpeming VFW, 310 Bank St. (906) 486-8080.

Marquette

Vinyl Record Show. New and used vinyl records, CDs, posters, cassettes, books and t-shirts will be available for purchase. Noon to 11 p.m. Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. (906) 373-6183.

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

24 MONDAY

sunrise 8:19 a.m.; sunset 6:49 p.m.

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) 2264323.

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly

playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Superi or Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@ greatstartma.org

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers to age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Wiggle Worms STEM Storytime. Stories are intermixed with activities followed by STEM-related activi ties to stimulate senses. 6 p.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4323.

• North Words and Music Halloween Hoedown. Writer B.G. Bradley, poet Marty Achatz and musicians Ste phen Hooper and Ronnie Ferguson will perform spine-tingling music, poetry and stories. 7 p.m. Communi ty Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 226-4322.

• NMU Choral Invitational and Festival Evening Concert. 7:30 p.m. Reynolds Recital Hall, NMU. events. nmu.edu

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

• Intermediate Genealogy Work shop. Learn the basics on how to start genealogical research using vital and military records, Census records, directories internet searches and lo cal resources. Advanced registration required. 5:30 p.m. Reading Room, Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700, ext. 18.

25 TUESDAY

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) 2264323.

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

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

• Outword. LGBTQIA youth and allied students in grades 7 to 12 are invited. 4 p.m. Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264321.

• 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) 2264322.

Munising

• Community Playgroup. This play group is for newborns to children age 5 and a caregiver. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Totville, Alger Parks and Rec reation Building, 413 Maple St.

26 WEDNESDAY

sunrise 8:22 a.m.; sunset 6:45 p.m.

Escanaba

• Toddler Art with Nicole Nelson. Toddlers ages 1 to 4, with an adult, are invited for a morning of art. $5. 9:30 a.m. Bonifas Arts Center, 700 First Ave. S. (906) 786-3833 or bonifasarts.org

• Toddler Time. Toddlers ages 2 to 4 with a caregiver are invited. Ad vanced registration required. 10:30 a.m. Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington St. (906) 789-7328.

Ishpeming

• Ishpeming 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 develop ment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Media Center, Aspen Ridge School, 350 Aspen Ridge School Rd. (906) 485-3178.

• Dinner and a Movie. The film Ready or Not will be shown and food will be provided by Border Grill. 5 p.m. Ish peming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main St. (906) 486-4381.

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 sug gested donation. Noon to 1 p.m. Mar quette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Wednesday Evening Farmers Market. 4 to 7 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

• Uncovering the Story of the Yan kee Steam Engine. Learn about the Yankee Steam Engine used at the Jackson Mine, research into its origin and why its name is a misnomer. $5. 6:30 p.m. Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Washington St. (906) 226-3571 or marquettehistory.org

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

Negaunee

• 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, ext. 18.

• Halloween Party. Children of all ages are invited for a Halloween par ty. 6 p.m. Negaunee Public Library, 319 W. Case St. (906) 475-7700, ext. 18.

27 THURSDAY

sunrise 8:23 a.m.; sunset 6:44 p.m.

Escanaba

• Water Bath Canning. Learn how to preserve high acidic foods including fruits, jams, jellies, pickles and salsas from MSU Extension educator Steph anie Ostrenga Sprague. 4:30 p.m. Es canaba Public Library, 400 Luding ton St. (906) 789-7323.

Hancock

• Haunted Mine. Be on the lookout for ghosts and other scary creatures waiting in the darkness during this haunted tour. Youth, $5; adults, $10. 7 to 10 p.m.. Quincy Mine, 49750 US41. events.mtu.edu

Houghton

• American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. Classical, neoclassical and contemporary dances will be per formed. Youth, $5; adults, $28. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu. edu

Marquette

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

• Toddler Storytime. Toddlers to age 18-months to age 3, with an adult, are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• 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.

28 FRIDAY

sunrise 8:25 a.m.; sunset 6:42 p.m.

Escanaba

• Fall Harvest Craft and Trick or Treat Show. More than 100 crafters and vendors will be present. Wear your costumes and trick-or-treat at the booths. Youth age 10 and younger, free; ages 11 and older, $2. 2 to 8 p.m. Ruth Butler Building, U.P. State Fair grounds, 2401 12th Ave. N.

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.

Hancock

• Haunted Mine. Be on the lookout for ghosts and other scary creatures waiting in the darkness during this haunted tour. Youth, $5; adults, $10. 7 to 10 p.m. Quincy Mine, 49750 US41. events.mtu.edu

Houghton

• American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. Classical, neoclassical

and contemporary dances will be per formed. Prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu.edu

Marquette

• Preschool Storytime. Preschool age children are invited for stories, songs, finger-plays, crafts and oth er school-readiness activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

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

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

29 SATURDAY

sunrise 8:26 a.m.; sunset 6:40 p.m.

Escanaba

• Fall Harvest Craft Show. More than 100 crafters and vendors will be present. Youth age 10 and younger, free; ages 11 and older, $2. 2 to 8 p.m. Ruth Butler Building, U.P. State Fair grounds, 2401 12th Ave. N.

Hancock

• Haunted Mine. Be on the lookout

support groups

• Alano Club. Twelve-step recov ery meetings daily. Monday through Saturday, noon and 8 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41., Marquette.

• Al-Anon Family Groups. A fel lowship offering strength and hope for friends and families of problem drinkers. al-alon.org or (888) 4252666.

• 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, on line community for everyone affect ed 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. This peer support group is for amputees, friends and families to share resources, life experiences and create relationships. October 11. 6 p.m. SAIL Office, 1200 Wright St. (906) 273-2444.

• Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Checks. Cholesterol checks are $5. Call for Marquette County schedule. (906) 225-4545.

• Divorce Care—Ishpeming. This non-denominational group is for people who are separated or di vorced. New members are welcome. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Northiron Church,

for ghosts and other scary creatures waiting in the darkness during this haunted tour. Youth, $5; adults, $10. 7 to 10 p.m. Quincy Mine, 49750 US41. events.mtu.edu

Houghton

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The 1975 film will be shown. Audi ence participation and costumes en couraged. Youth, $5; adults, $15. 11 p.m. Rozsa Center, MTU. events.mtu. edu

Marquette

• Saturday Morning Farmers Mar ket. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Marquette Com mons, 112 S. Third St. mqtfarmers market.com

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

• Halloween Storytime. Families with youth of all ages are invited for a Halloween stories, songs and trick-ortreating. Costumes encouraged. 3 to 4 p.m. Community Room, Peter White

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) 4807848.

• Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice Grief Support Group— Gwinn. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Individual grief counseling is avail able. October 12. 2 p.m. Forsyth Senior Center, 165 Maple St. (906) 225-7760 or lakesuperiorhospice.

org

• Lake Superior Life Care and Hos pice Grief Support Group—Mar quette. People dealing with grief and loss are encouraged to attend. Indi vidual grief counseling is available. October 19. 5:30 p.m. Lake Superior 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 avail able. October 20. 3 p.m. Negaunee Senior Center, 410 Jackson St. lake superiorhospice.org or (906) 4756266.

• Michigan Tobacco Quit Line.

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

Michigamme

• Children’s Halloween Party. Games, treats and prized will be avail able as well as a costume contest. 1 p.m. Gym, Michigamme Community Building, 202 W. Main St.

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474 St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

30 SUNDAY

sunrise 8:28 a.m.; sunset 6:39 p.m.

Rock

• Hayes Corn Maze. Adventure through the corn maze, rope maze, pumpkin patch and more. Youth age two and younger, free; others, $11. 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3474

This free quit smoking coaching ho tline provides callers with a personal health coach. (800) 784-8669.

• Motherhood Support Group. This free group meets the second Thursday of each month. October 13. 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 individu al with mental illness are welcome. Dates to be announced. 7 p.m. Supe rior Alliance for Independent Living, 1200 Wright St. Ste. A. For the Zoom invitation, email ckbertucci58@ charter.net or call (906) 360-7107 by 6:45 p.m. the day prior to the meet ing. namimqt.com

• Nar-Anon Meetings. 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.

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

• Parkinson’s Support Group— Marquette. October 19. 2 p.m. Mar quette Senior Center, 300 W. Spring St. (906) 228-0456.

• Senior Support Group—Marquette. Vicki Ballas will discuss nutrition, strength, flexibility and balance training. October 20. 2 p.m. Mill Creek Clubhouse, 1728 Wind stone Dr. (906) 225-7760 or lakesu periorhospice.org

• Sexual Health and Addiction

St. Nicholas Rd. (906) 359-4825 or hayescornmaze.com

31 MONDAY

sunrise 8:29 a.m.; sunset 6:37 p.m.

HALLOWEEN

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) 2264323.

• Marquette Playgroup. This weekly playgroup is led by an early childhood educator and geared toward newborns to age 5. Activities include free play, story time, a snack and other activities to promote social-emotional develop ment. Kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center, 1901 Longyear Ave. sjhobalia@greatstartma.org • Toddler Storytime. Toddlers age 18-months to age 3, with an adult,

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 Calu met Avenue. smartrecovery.org

• SMART Recovery — Hancock. Thursdays, 7 p.m. Basement Confer ence Room, Old Main Building, Fin landia 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) 9328677 or TOPS.org

• Virtual Caregiver Support Group. U.P. family caregivers are welcome to join. A device with an internet connection, webcam, mi crophone and an email address are required. Advanced registration re quired. 2 p.m. Second Tuesday of the month. (906) 217-3019 or caregiv ers@upcap.org

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program. Clinics include nutritional counseling and coupon pick-up. Ap pointments required. Call for Mar quette County schedule. mqthealth. org or (906) 475-7846.

are invited for stories, songs and sen sory-friendly activities. 10:45 a.m. Great Room, Peter White Public Li brary, 217 N. Front St. (906) 2264323.

• Senior Theatre Experience: Monthly Workshop and Discussion. This workshop is for those age 55 and older. Register in advance. Marquette city and surrounding township res idents, free; nonresidents, $5 dona tion. 4 p.m. Marquette Arts and Cul ture Center, lower level, Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St. (906) 225-8655.

Michigamme

• Halloween Trunk or Treat. Stop by for candy, hot cocoa, carved pumpkin and scarecrow contests. 4 to 6 p.m. Michigamme Museum, 110 W. Main St. (906) 323-6274.

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