First Friday in Calumet: Galleries feature local artists, unique gifts

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CALUMET -- Calumet galleries will be exhibiting hand-made art works for sale this month with First Friday evening, Dec. 7, openings and receptions. Take advantage of this opportunity to find unique holiday gifts for the special people on your list!

Ziyad and Company: Glorious Gifting
Ornament by Jack Oyler, one of the artists whose work is featured at Ziyad and Co., Calumet. (Photo courtesy Ziyad and Co.)

The art work of local and Michigan artists will be featured for this season of giving. The Ziyad and Co. gallery will be filled with wonderful one-of-a-kind handmade unique gifts. Don't miss their December Glorious Gifting show! Choose from over 75 different artists and find the perfect Holiday gift.

An open reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Ziyad and Co. art gallery at 109 Fifth St, Calumet. For information call 906-337-5970 or email ziyadgallery@gmail.com. Happy Holidays from Ziyad and Co. art gallery!

Copper Country Associated Artists: Gifts and Door Prizes
Winter pillow by Jeanne Rosemurgy. (Photo courtesy Copper Country Associated Artists)

The Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) will be celebrating the Christmas Season with a Holiday Open House on the evening of Dec. 7, the last First Friday of 2012. The Gallery will be filled to the brim with creations made by over 25 artists who call the Copper Country their home. From watercolor leaves by Ginny Douglas to colorful quilts by Millie Little, there will be a broad selection of gifts available for purchase. Every half hour a door prize will be called. Thanks to the CCAA Artists, you'll have a chance to win one of the following prizes:

*    a Matted Print donated by Photographer Mark Upton,
*    a Fused Glass piece by Nancy McCabe,
*    a Ceramic Pot by Miriam Pickens,
*    a Wire Wrapped Pendant by Pam Hecht,
*    a Print by Ellen Torola,
*    a Collage by Fredi Taddeucci,
*    a Necklace by Kathleen DeLisle,
*    a Basket by Dolly Luoma.

The event will run from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m, and refreshments will be served.
  
The CCAA Gallery will be open for special events and First Fridays during the months of January through April. The artists will be spending those months working on projects rather than keeping the gallery open for regular hours. Some classes for the general public may be offered during those months, and you can check their web page at www.ccaartists.org for more information.

Calumet Art Center: A Tradition on the Keweenaw
This First Friday in Calumet, stop in at the Calumet Art Center between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and see the Gallery as it moves into a wonderful space and new artists are added. The Center has for sale many new works that have been made to benefit their youth programs.

The Calumet Art Center is at 57055 Fifth Street, Calumet.

Gallerie Bohème: December exhibit

The December exhibit at Gallerie Bohème will include the outstanding lifelike carved Birds and Feathers from Stuart Baird, exquisite small still life oil paintings by Margo McCafferty, and a few new fish from the Lake Superior indigenous series by Tom Rudd. A reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Dec. 7, with refreshments and good company.

Gallerie Bohème will be open on a limited schedule throughout the winter. They will be open for the first Friday events and on each Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  through April 2013. So if you can't make it Friday night stop by on Saturday, (there might a few leftovers from the Friday party).

The other option is that Tom and Margo are always close-by or in the gallery, and a call to 369-4087 will open the door and turn on the lights; heat takes a minute or two longer.

Finlandia Young Women's Caucus for Art to hold concert, silent auction Dec. 7

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HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University chapter of the Young Women’s Caucus for Art (YWC) will host a concert and silent auction from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

Silent auction items include artwork by Joyce Koskenmaki, Margo McCafferty and Tom Rudd, Rebecca Langlais, and Maggie Parr. Music will be performed by local artists Rhythm 203, Randy Wakeham, and The Rest.

Admission is $5. Free refreshments will be served.

Proceeds will help Finlandia YWC members travel to New York City in February 2013 to attend the 41st annual conference of the Women’s Caucus for Art.

Little Bit of Outlaw to play dance music Dec. 8 at Dance Zone, Marquette

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MARQUETTE -- A Little Bit of Outlaw will play for your dancing and listening enjoyment at Dance Zone from 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8. Come and bring your friends for a fun pre-holiday time. $6 per person at the door. Please do remember to bring clean shoes to protect your knees and the dance floor.

The Dance Zone is at 1113 Lincoln Avenue, corner of Lincoln and College Avenues, in Marquette. For more information about Dance Zone events and dance lessons, visit their Web site at http://www.dancezonemqt.com/.

DNR's Western Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Council to meet Dec. 10 in Houghton

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HOUGHTON -- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Western Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Council (CAC) will meet in Houghton County on Monday, Dec. 10, at Michigan Technological University's Memorial Union Building in Isle Royale Ballroom B, located at 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., DNR staff will present division reports on current DNR projects and business and answer questions from council members and the public. The council meeting will immediately follow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (all times are Eastern).

Agenda items include:

    DNR presentation on regional state forest planning process
    Upper Peninsula Deer Advisory Team recommendations
    Public comment (for public comment instructions, see www.michigan.gov/upcac)

The Eastern Upper Peninsula and Western Upper Peninsula CACs are designed to advise the DNR on regional programs and policies; identify areas in which the department can be more effective and responsive; and offer insight and guidance from members' own experiences and constituencies.

The council members represent a wide variety of natural resource and recreation stakeholders and interest groups. Agenda items are set by the council members, and council recommendations are forwarded to the DNR for consideration.

CAC meetings are open to the public. If you would like to be considered as a future CAC member, please fill out the application form found on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/upcac. For more information, contact DNR Upper Peninsula Regional Coordinator Stacy Welling Haughey at 906-228-6561.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve: EPA issues decision on CR 595

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From Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve (reprinted with permission)Posted Dec. 5, 2012*
BIG BAY -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Dec. 4, 2012, that they are both removing and upholding objections to the permit for County Road 595. The objection over whether the Marquette County Road Commission did an adequate job analyzing the alternative routes was removed. The objection over whether the Road Commission supplied an adequate Compensatory Mitigation Plan was upheld.

This wetland in the proposed CR 595 corridor is one of many sensitive areas that would be impacted by the proposed wilderness road intended primarily for hauling ore from the Eagle Mine to the Humboldt Mill. In their recent decision on the permit application for the proposed road, EPA continues to object to the inadequacies in the Compensatory Mitigation Plan for wetland and stream impacts. (Keweenaw Now file photo © and courtesy Jessica Koski)
Originally, the EPA came up with their objections in April 2012, with the consultation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The main issues they saw with the project were the potential for damaging impacts on aquatic resources, a lack of information regarding alternatives analysis, and a project purpose that was too narrowly defined. After allowing the permit applicant to resubmit information regarding the EPA's concerns, as well as holding a public hearing and soliciting public comments, they have now supplied their decision letter. Along with the decision letter was a document listing the requirements that the applicant needs in order to satisfy the EPA's only remaining objection over the Mitigation Plan.

That letter states that the applicant will be required to supply more information, such as a long term management plan for streams and wetland mitigation, secured mineral rights of wetland preservation area, a stewardship agreement with a third party who will maintain the proposed preservation area, and demonstrated financial assurances for construction and long term management of aquatic resources.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has 30 days to satisfy the objection by either denying the permit or issuing a permit for the application that contains a sufficient Compensatory Mitigation Plan. If the MDEQ does not act within that time period, the permit application would then be transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"For those of us who were, and still are, very concerned about the full impacts this project would have, we are glad that at least one objection has been upheld," states Emily Whittaker, Executive Director of Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve. "We particularly are interested to see how the applicant will respond to the numerous requirements needed before the permit can be issued or work started. We also request the chance to review the additional documentation that would be supplied for the project's Compensatory Mitigation Plan."

At the Aug. 28, 2012, EPA Public Hearing on CR 595 in Marquette, Emily Whittaker, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve (YDWP) executive director, summarizes YDWP's concerns about CR 595 for the EPA panel. (Keweenaw Now file photo © and courtesy Jeremiah Eagle Eye)**

For more information on the EPA's action, visit their website at http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cr595/. This website has the documentation including the EPA's letter to the MDEQ, the EPA's list of requirements for the mitigation plan, and all past documents regarding the project.

Editor's Notes:
* The Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve is an environmental organization comprised of grassroots individuals who take environmental ethics to heart. They focus on informing the public about the watershed, conducting sound science, and protecting the resources from threats like sulfide mining. Learn more about their work by visiting their Web site at http://www.yellowdogwatershed.org.

**Members of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve (YDWP), including their Executive Director, Emily Whittaker, spoke during the comment period at the Aug. 28, 2012, EPA Public Hearing on County Road 595. Click here for part 2 of Keweenaw Now's coverage of that hearing. Click here to read YDWP's formal resolution on CR 595, sent to the EPA during the public comment period.

Enjoy Christmas in Calumet fun Dec. 8

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CALUMET -- Christmas in Calumet continues this Saturday, Dec. 8, with more fun for the whole family.

Here's the schedule:
Santa arrives downtown via horse-drawn wagon at 11 a.m.
Visits with Santa and free goodie bags, Rowe Furniture, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Free horse-drawn wagon rides, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Holiday music by strolling musicians, various downtown locations, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Carolers tour the downtown, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Hampton Rock String Quartet "rocks" 2nd Keweenaw Honors String Festival Dec. 7-8

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HOUGHTON -- The Grammy-nominated Hampton [Rock] String Quartet (HSQ) is joining the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (KSO) at Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for a two-day residency on December 7 and 8, 2012, with a final concert on the Rozsa stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night, Dec. 8, 2012. As the world's best selling string quartet, HSQ plays classically-influenced arrangements of Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Nirvana, and more.

Wireless Magazine says: "One listen will change the way you hear both classical and pop music."

The Hampton Rock String Quartet will be the featured guest artist for the 2nd Keweenaw Honors String Festival, with high school string players from Houghton, Negaunee, Marquette, and Escanaba joining the string quartet and KSO in clinics, masterclasses, rehearsals, and the closing concert. The public is invited to the following events during the Festival (all on the Rozsa stage):

Friday, Dec. 7: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. -- Masterclass with HSQ and student musicians

Saturday, Dec. 8: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. -- Q and A with HSQ; 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. -- KSO/HSQ/Festival Combined Concert.

The final concert features the KSO performing movements from Holst's "The Planets" and a world premiere by composer Elizabeth Meyer. The Hampton Rock String Quartet will then rock the night away with an electric array of classic rock songs, ending with a combined performance with KSO and Festival strings on Queen's "We Will Rock You."

Tickets for the final concert are $22.75, $21.75 for seniors and $20.75 for students. To purchase tickets, call (906) 487-2073, go online at rozsa.mtu.edu, or visit Ticketing Operations at Michigan Tech’s Student Development Complex (SDC), 600 MacInnes Drive, in Houghton. SDC box office hours are 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday and noon - 8 p.m. on Sunday. Please note the Rozsa Box Office is closed during regular business hours and will only open two hours prior to show times.

This performance is sponsored by the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment and Minnesota Public Radio. Michigan