Mailbox

Dear editor
Regarding Leonard G. Heldreth’s review of the movie Good Night and Good Luck in the May 2006 issue, your readers might be interested to know there is a major Michigan connection with the story. The man at the center of Murrow’s first “McCarthy” program was a Michigan native, and he is alive and well, though now living in California. “The Case of Lt. Milo Radulovich” captured Murrow’s attention, though Radulovich’s story of guilt by association and guilt by rumor was repeated countless times with other soldiers and ordinary people with less fortunate results during the fifties.
Radulovich was fortunate to have for an attorney a Detroit consumer advocate, Charles Lockwood, who went straight to the newspapers with the problem and who praised journalists later for their willingness to see the issue and pursue it. Radulovich’s sister and two brothers are still in the Detroit area. We enjoyed the movie and the review in your very fine paper.
Mary E. Pfeiler
Detroit, Michigan

Dear editor
Damage was done to the trees on the Noquemenon Trail by the recent YMCA race. If you go to the trail off CR-550, you will find numerous trees permanently damaged with blue spray paint. There are so many arrows in some places, it is confusing.
Also noted were some initials and a heart with the same spray paint. If this was done by others, it would be considered vandalism. At least the graffiti that is present in the area is on man-made structures and can be removed.
As a regular user of the trail, I am saddened by the disregard this fine organization has for the environment. I wonder how we will impress future out-of-area racers that use the trail with our stewardship of this beautiful God-given gift. I would hope that a lesson can be learned by all involved by making this an educational opportunity of what not to do.
Kelly J. December

Dear editor
This was the YMCA’s first year in sponsoring the ten-mile run and, due to the complexities of the trails, marking them was necessary.
We had first considered using plastic ribbon as trail markers, but based on the experiences of others, thought that people might take them down. So, based on the recommendation of trail officials, we used a water-based spray paint, similar to children’s watercolor paint. The YMCA, by its very nature, does care a great deal about the environment.
We had several follow-up discussions with all parties involved to clean up the trail markings after the race. Everybody expressed satisfaction and welcomed us to use the trails again next year. The deadline for clean up was May 21.
I hope that anyone with concerns about the YMCA will bring them directly to the organization. I’m sure that people will find that we’re easy to talk to and responsive to community concerns.
David Staddon, CEO,
YMCA of Marquette County

First Sawyer Stampede set for June 17 and 18
K.I. Sawyer will host the first Sawyer Stampede on June 17 and 18. Events include bull riding, barrel racing and roping by the Prairie Creek Professional Rodeo Company, crowning of a rodeo queen, live music and amateur events.
Early tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children. At the gate, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Ages five and younger are free. Proceeds from the rodeo will benefit youth programming and the West Branch Community Center. Call 346-3559 for details.

Pictured Rocks regulations in effect for summer of 2006
Two new rules regarding boating and water use regulations are in effect for the summer of 2006 at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Personal watercraft are now permitted to operate within the lakeshore’s quarter-mile water boundary on Lake Superior from the western boundary near Sand Point to the east end of Miners Beach. Personal watercraft will not be allowed to launch or operate at any other location within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Also, gasoline outboard motors are no longer permitted on Little Beaver and Beaver Lakes. Electric outboard motors still are allowed. Call 387-2607 for details.

Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum opening for the season
The Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum is opening June 1. New displays include miners and mines, headgear and safety equipment available to miners in the past, blasting and diamond drilling equipment, communication methods and a laboratory display for testing iron ore samples.
Other attractions include the Ishpeming Historical Society Room with local artifacts representing the community during the mining era, the Ishpeming Rock and Mineral Club Room with more than 500 minerals from across the world, guided tours of the tunnels that local miners used to get to the Cliffs Shaft, a blacksmith shop and a 170-ton iron ore truck.
The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and is located at 501 West Euclid Street in Ishpeming. Call 485-1882 for details.

Marquette West Rotary now accepting grant applications
The Marquette West Rotary Foundation is preparing to distribute funds to Marquette area agencies and organizations whose activities will directly benefit children and youth, the elderly, the handicapped, the poor and those in extreme need.
The foundation was formed in 1988 and has dispersed more than a quarter of a million dollars to local charities through its Seafood Fest proceeds, an annual event that will be held from August 24 to 26 this year. To apply for a grant, call 228-6355. The deadline is June 30.

Ishpeming business closes, owner pursues interests
Toni’s Design and Fine is closing after eight years of business. Owner Toni Saari is going to pursue jewelry and metalsmithing in local art shows, starting with her custom-made jewelry in Helsinki.
Saari was invited by Dr. Rita Apuli to have an exhibit feature he work and that of a painter from Sweden. Apuli saw her jewelry when she was in town for Finn Fest last summer. She also is an artist and did some lectures at NMU on traditional Finnish Sauna and on her paintings.
Saari has her my own studio where she will be continuing her business name as well as carrying the same companies that the store did.
People who need repair done or a special item from a catalog can call on her. To see any of her custom pieces or to have repair done, call 486-6125 or 250-6674.

Youth journalists receive awards at annual event
Upper Peninsula youth received awards for journalistic excellence during 8-18 Media’s annual Recognition Night on May 1.
Marquette Monthly staff judged the best print stories produced by 8-18 Media in 2005. WMQT/Q107 Radio news director Dennis Whitley and WNMU Public Radio 90 news director Nicole Walton judged the top radio stories. Print story winners were:
• Overall Excellence—“Dealing with Alzheimer’s” by Nichole Holland, Chelsea Parrish, Faith Cole and Mandie DeBretto.
• First Place—“Listening and dealing with grief” by Erin Thomas, Danielle Thoune, Travis Ryan and Lane Whitley.
• Second Place—“High school service clubs” by Rachael Tillison, Lauren Belpedio, Carlie Coccia and Bailey Tucker.
• Honorable Mentions—“Lake Superior Village Youth and Family Center” by Jenny Heise, Taylor Reschka, Alex Bott, Alyssa Hakala, Erin Mahaney, Aryana Seiple-Welch and Kelly Sprouse; “Marquette native works with Argentina’s Cartonero children” by Zoe Rudisill and Ben Harris.
• Best photo—“What makes a cool city?” by Andrew LaCombe
• Best Book Review—“North” by Ben Brow.
Radio winners include:
• Best News Story—“Pet Partners” by Lauren Belpedio and Connor Remsburg.
• Best Commentary—“A Matter of Equity” by Kate Johnson.
• Honorable Mention News Story—“An A‘maze’ing Experience” by Andrew LaCombe and Carlie Coccia.
• Honorable Mention Commen-tary—“A Christmas Tree By Any Other Name” by Andrew LaCombe.
8-18 Media is a program of the U.P. Children’s Museum. Stories and book reviews, produced by youth ages eight to eighteen, appear each month in Marquette Monthly. Radio stories are broadcast each week on WMQT and Public Radio 90.

Bay Area Artists group seeks entries for juried show
The Bay Area Artists will hold their annual Independence Day Art Exhibit, a juried show, from July 2 through 8 in Dollar Bay. Entries will be accepted in all mediums, but artwork done in a class or workshop setting should not be submitted.
The deadline for entries is June 15. A $30 entry fee should accompany all entry forms. Write to Bay Area Arts Exhibit, P.O. Box 560, Dollar Bay, MI 49922 for entry forms or details.

Lake Superior Theatre news
• Lake Superior Theatre will host a fundraiser barbecue to celebrate its eighth summer season at 5:30 p.m. on June 16. Guests will depart from the cinder pond marina for a harbor tour and be transported to the Frazier Historic Boat House, where they will be served and entertained by favorite characters. Tickets are $50 per person; those donating $100 or more to the Lake Superior Theatre Donor Club will receive two complimentary tickets. Reservations are requested by June 14. For details, call 227-ROCK, e-mail frazier@chartermi.net or visit www.lakesuperiortheatre.com
• The 2006 Lake Superior Theatre (LST) summer season has been set. This year LST will present four musical shows in the Frazier Historic Boat House, located in Marquette on Lake Shore Boulevard. The summer season will feature the musicals A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Into the Woods Jr., The Christmas Schooner and Proof.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum will run at 7:30 p.m. from July 5 to 9 and July 12 to 16; Into the Woods Jr. will run at 7:30 p.m. from July 20 to 23 and July 26 to 29; The Christmas Schooner will run at 7:30 p.m. from August 2 to 6 and August 9 to 13, and Proof will run at 7:30 p.m. from August 16 to 20.
• The LST box office is open, located in Elwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park. Box office hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. before July 2. Ticket prices are $12.50 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6.25 for youth eighteen and younger. Groups over ten people are $10 each. Season tickets will be available for $45 for adults, $35 for seniors and $20 for youth. Season tickets must be ordered by July 1 and are on a first come, first served basis. To order by phone with Visa or Mastercard call: 227-ROCK(7625). For details, call 228-0472, e-mail nnason@mqtcty.org or visit www.lakesuperiortheatre.com

Host families needed for July 2006 Sister City delegation
A delegation from Marquette’s Japanese sister city, Higashomi, will arrive in Marquette on July 28 for a nine-day visit, during which they will stay with host families. The delegation includes ten members plus an NMU Sister City Scholar student.
Some of the ten delegates will be from towns that recently merged with our Sister City, which was called Yokaichi before its recent consolidation with six other towns. Plans are now being made to offer a well-rounded experience of Marquette for the delegates as well as an experience for Marquette area citizens.
The Sister City Planning Group, on behalf of the Marquette Sister City Advisory Committee, is looking for host families.
For details, call 228-6459 or e-mail plindberg@charter.net

Yellow bike programs sponsored by Noquemanon group
The Noquemanon Trail Network, in partnership with the Marquette Active Living Task Force and Marquette Cool Cities Committee, offer new bicycling programs for kids this summer.
Two programs are planned, the Yellowbikes and the Yellowriders, both for children ages seven to twelve.
The Yellowbikes will be a free bicycle loan program for children in the Marquette area for the entire summer. Children will be offered a bicycle and helmet for use during the summer 2006. Participants will be required to return the bicycles and helmets at the end of the summer.
The Yellowriders will meet on Thursday mornings from June 22 through August 10. Yellowriders will be taught by coaches, who will encourage a healthy lifestyle and teach bicycling skills, fun and safety to the participants. Snacks will be provided.
To sign up for both programs, call 228-6182 or visit www.noquetrails.org
The deadline for the Yellowbikes program is June 1; the deadline for the Yellowriders is June 22.

Humanities Council offers grant-writing workshop
The Michigan Humanities Council will host a grant-writing workshop on June 30 in Houghton. The workshop will discuss the application process for the council’s “Strengthening Michigan Communities through the Humanities” grants. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
Last year, the Michigan Humanities Council awarded more than $300,000 to agencies across the state. Individual grants included a wide range of projects, from a small award to support a book examining the history of Michigan ghost towns to a $25,000 grant to the Michigan Story Festival.
For registration or questions, call Phyllis Rathbun at (517)372-7770 or e-mail contact@mihumanities.org

Museum extends Yellow Brick Road fundraiser
The U.P. Children’s Museum is offering donors the opportunity to have their name or message engraved on a brick to be included in the yellow brick road that winds through the Celebration Courtyard to the museum’s main entrance.
Larger donations may be recognized by a personalized plaque on a mosaic bench or planter. Orders will be accepted through Labor Day.
Four benches, four planters, fifty-nine limestone pavers and nearly 400 yellow bricks have been sponsored by individuals and businesses in support of the museum’s Yellow Brick Road campaign since its launch in 2005. Contributions support educational exhibits and programs at the museum.
Call 226-3911 or visit www.upcmkids.org for details.

Tickets now on sale for Hiawatha Music Festival
Tickets for the twenty-eighth annual Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival are on sale. The festival is set for July 21 through 23 at Tourist Park in Marquette.
Adult weekend advance tickets are $45. Performers include The Mammals, Garnet Rogers, Cephas and Wiggins, Dale Ann Bradley, The Royal Garden Trio, The Jalya Ensemble with Mady Kouyate, Solazo, the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, Pat Madden and Sally Potter, Electric Porcupine Dance Band, Back Forty and many children’s performers.
Call 226-8575 for details or visit www.hiawathamusic.org

News from the Marquette County History Museum
• The Marquette County History Museum is hosting a fundraising event on June 11, providing an opportunity to explore the summer home and farm of John Munro Longyear. The estate is located on Ives Lake, surrounded by the Huron Mountain Club. Longyear was a founding member of the Huron Mountain Club and the Marquette County History Museum. The afternoon will include a tour of the property guided by John P. Case, great grandson of J.M. Longyear, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served at the “Stone House.” Parking is at a premium, and ride sharing is encouraged. Tickets are $75, available at the museum, the Coffee Cup and Down Wind Sports. Call 226-3571 for details.
• A new exhibit has been installed for 2006. Person to Person explores the ways people communicate with one another. From the earliest pictographs to modern telecommunications, people have a history of expressing themselves, and this exhibit explores them, from visual and written communication to sound. There are hands-on activities for children.
• The museum and the City of Marquette have signed the purchase agreement for the former Marq-Tran building on the corner of Spring and Third streets and Baraga Avenue. Plans and a 3-D model of the building and property are on display at the museum. This will provide the museum a space three times the size of the current facility, and space for larger items to be displayed outside the building. Visit www.marquettecohistory.org for details.

Wellness workshop set for July 18 and 19 in Escanaba
A two-day wellness workshop is planned from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on July 18 and 19 at the Bonifas Arts Center in downtown Escanaba. The workshop is designed for personal growth, professional development or continuing education credit.
It is open to professionals in health, education, counseling and the arts. Presenters include Bay College wellness instructor Denise Dufek; psychologist Pat Frueh; life coach Debra Russ and art educator Roslyn Cooper.
Fees for Bonifas members are $100 and $125 for non-members. There is a $25 processing fee for continuing education credits. Call 786-3833 for details.

Sixth annual Protectors of the Earth camp scheduled
The sixth annual Protectors of the Earth Camp will be held July 30 through August 5 for American Indian, African American and Latino students to learn more about the opportunities, careers, enjoyment and importance of natural resource studies.
Students in Grades 8 through 10 who enjoy learning about natural resources and conservation and may be interested in pursuing a career in the natural resource field are asked to attend.
Thirty-five students statewide will be accepted for this session. The camp will be held at Bay Mills Community College in Brimley. For details, call at 632-7033 or visit www.mi.nrcs. usda.gov/news/poe_camp.html

U.P. named in top ten summer destinations article
An article on MSN.com’s travel section included the Upper Peninsula as one of the top ten summer destinations for 2006, for its wildlife, rivers, waterfalls and forests. The article also praised the U.P.’s fishing, camping and canoeing.
The only other United States destinations included in the article were the Hamptons in New York and U.S. national parks. Global destinations included London, Montreal, the Isle of Capri and the Greek islands.

Nemacheck honored as grassroots champion
Marquette General Health System CEO William Nemacheck was honored as Michigan’s 2006 Grassroots Champion at the American Hospital Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
The award honors one leader from each state who has excelled at delivering the hospital message to elected officials, broadened the base of community support for hospitals and worked on behalf of patients and hospitals or systems.

Prince of Peace scholarships awarded to area students
Four Marquette Senior High School students have been awarded $220 scholarships to help with college expenses from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Harvey.
The 2006 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Post-Secondary Scholarships were given to Mathew Burling, son of Robert and Diane Burling; Matthew Johnson, son of Bruce and Michelle Johnson; Andrew Raisanen, son of Ronald and Beverly Raisanen; and Jeremy Wade, son of Don and Kimberly Hantz.
The recipients competed for the scholarship with other graduating church members through a written essay and personal interview.

Graveraet High School Class plans reunion at Northern
The Graveraet High School Class of 1946 will have a sixtieth reunion at 5:30 p.m. on July 1 at the NMU University Center.
Class members who graduated in 1946 or had their graduation delayed while serving in World War II are invited. If alumni are widows or widowers, they can bring a friend. For details, call Donna Berryman at 226-8808.

CCI scholarships awarded to sixteen area students
Sixteen U.P. high school students have been awarded scholarships from the Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and Associated Companies Scholarship Fund for 2006. The $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually to children of C.C.I. employees for college-related expenses.
U.P. recipients are Katelyn Argall, Andrew Goldsworthy and Ryan Lusardi of Ishpeming High School; Kymberly Brunette of Mid-Peninsula High School; Kerri Collins of L’Anse High School; Tierra Copley of Gwinn High School; Danielle Coron, Peter Lampi and Kelly Poirier of Westwood High School; Deonna Driscoll of North Star Academy; Michael Fletcher of Marquette Senior High School; Caitlin Frederickson, Kelsey Kennedy, Sarah Kinnunen and Eric Marta of Negaunee High School; and Sean Smith of Marquette, attending Knoxville Catholic High School in Tennessee.

Ethnicity symposium offers day-long diversity event
The ethnic history of Michigan’s Copper Country will be examined during a day-long event titled “An Interior Ellis Island: Ethnic Diversity and the Peopling of Michigan’s Copper Country.”
The symposium is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on July 1 on the third floor of the Van Pelt Library on the MTU campus. The event is open to the public and free of charge.There is no need to register.
It is sponsored by the J.R. Van Pelt Library at Michigan Technological University and funded in part by Michigan Humanities Council.
Speakers will include Dr. Timothy O’Neil from Central Michigan University, Jo Urion from Keweenaw National Historical Park and Edward Yarbrough from the Quincy Mine Hoist Association.
The event will include a “virtual ribbon cutting” for a new Web site devoted to Keweenaw ethnic history and a Web-accessible collection of historical photographs from the MTU Archives & Copper Country Historical Collections.
Call the MTU Archives at 487-2505 or e-mail copper@mtu.edu for details.

Pictured Rocks Run and Walk supports local shelters
The Pictured Rocks Run for Shelter is scheduled for its thirty-first running at 8:00 a.m. June 25 in Munising. The annual race is a fundraising project for Harbor House domestic violence shelters of Marquette and Alger counties.
There will be a half marathon of 13.2 miles, a five-kilometer run and a “fun walk,” which is open to walkers for any distance along the course. The funds raised from this year’s event will help the Harbor House increase the number of available beds at its new Marquette location.
In an effort to raise awareness of domestic violence, Harbor House will also display over 2500 small flags along the Lower Harbor Park walkway in Marquette from June 9 to 12.
Each flag will represent a night of shelter provided by Harbor House in the last year. Call 387-1751 or visit www.prrfs.com for details.

Zonta grants awarded to community organizations
The YMCA of Marquette County and Child and Family Services (CFS) of the Upper Peninsula each received grant awards of $1,000 from the Zonta Club of Marquette, who raised more than $6,000 in grant money this year with their annual fall Koeze Nut Sale. The Wig Salon also received a grant award of $400.
The YMCA will use the award to provide self-defense classes to Harbor House residents as well as two Y memberships.
CFS will use the grant to help fund their Better Future program, matching young women and men throughout Marquette County with positive role models to help develop academic, social and assertiveness skills.
The Wig Salon provides new wigs, hats and scarves at no cost to patients who have had hair loss due to a medical condition. For details, visit www.zontamqt.org

Lakeview School students change pennies into hats
The students of Lakeview Elementary School in Negaunee changed 4,350 pennies into a check for $435 that, in turn, will be converted to hats and scarves for cancer patients.
The students recently presented the check to the Marquette General Cancer Center. The funds were raised during the annual “100th Day of School” fundraiser in which students each bring in 100 or more pennies. The entire school participated, and the students decided where to donate the funds.

Bridgefest, Seafood Fest planned in Houghton
The Houghton-Hancock Bridgefest will be held on Father’s Day weekend, June 16 to 18. Events include shows, concerts, contests, boat tours, sporting events, the annual Bridgefest parade and fireworks display, and arts, crafts, and vendor exhibits.
The Houghton Rotary Seafood Fest, which provides a variety of foods including live lobster, is held the same weekend.
Bridgefest was organized to celebrate the “birthday” of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, which is a vital link between the communities of Houghton and Hancock, and to the Keweenaw Peninsula. For a complete schedule of events or to register, visit www.bridgefestfun.com
Volunteers are wanted for Bridgefest’s Trout Pond, Pig Roast, Senior Day and many other activities. To volunteer, call the Chamber of Commerce office at 482-5240.

DMA activities set for June
• The Downtown Marquette Association invites residents of all ages and skill levels to submit original artwork for the Blueberry Festival Poster Contest. Any medium is welcome, but artwork should not be larger than 11 inches by 17 inches and must not have been reproduced previously. The entry deadline is June 9.
• Applications are available for the Downtown Marquette Farmers & Artists Market. The open-air market will be from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., every Saturday from June through September, and from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., on Thursdays from July 6 through August 31. Thursday’s market will be located in the Marquette Commons Parking Lot near the intersection of South Third and West Washington streets. Saturday’s market will continue to be located on the corner of Washington and Fourth streets. The Thursday evening market will be part of the outdoor concert series, “UnCommon Thursdays,” that will feature musical performances from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Call 228-6213 for details.

Trail Network receives grant, donation to aid trail upkeep
The Noquemanon Trail Network (NTN) has been the recipient of a grant and a donation.
The NTN qualified for the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program through the United States Department of Agriculture. The $25,000 grant will fund the purchase of new snow grooming and trail maintenance equipment, and provide the opportunity to expand the trail system and offer better quality grooming.
The Sports Rack in Downtown Marquette will help fund the non-motorized trails in Marquette through the sales of their bicycles. The NTN will receive a $10 donation for every bicycle sale through July 31st. The Sports Rack has donated a Trek mountain bike as a prize for NTN’s summer fundraising raffle.
Tickets for the bike raffle are available throughout the summer. Winners will be announced on August 12 at the Ore to Shore Awards Ceremony. Call 228-6182 for details.

Camp New Day hires staff, sets summer camp schedule
Camp New Day U.P. has hired a new director and set its schedule for this summer.
Mike LeBeau of Escanaba, a teacher and deacon in the Catholic Church, is the new camp director. He has served as camp chaplain and dean.
The camp is in its fifth year of providing a week-long camping experience in a Christian setting for youth with a family member in prison. Two camps will be offered August 6 to 12, one for boys and girls ages nine to eleven, at Camp Michigamme, and the other for youth ages twelve to fourteen at Presbytery Point.
The camps are free and youth are provided with free transportation from Flint, Saginaw and St. Ignace. Last year thirty-eight children attended the camps.
Camp New Day U.P. is a cooperative effort of Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian ministries.
To make a donation or recommend a child who could benefit from the camp, write to Camp New Day U.P. at 201 East Ridge Street, Marquette, MI 49855. To work or volunteer at the camp, call 786-8479.

Diabetes Outreach Network provides free program
The U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network and the American Health Information Management Association are providing a free public education program titled “Your Personal Health Information: How to Access, Manage and Protect It.”
The goal of the program is to provide information needed to manage an individual’s personal health information and to teach participants how to maintain a personal health record.
The free program is scheduled at 7:00 pm June 14 at Peter White Public Library. For details or to pre-register, call the U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network at 228-9203 or (800)369-9522.

Tryouts planned for Olympic development program
Tryouts will be held in June for a new Olympic Development soccer program. Upper Peninsula tryouts are from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on June 10 for girls and June 11 for boys at the Niagara (Wisconsin) soccer fields. To register, e-mail normanpower@charter.net

New style for Michigan license plates coming in 2007
The familiar blue Michigan license plate is nearing the end of its twenty-five year run. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced that the “Old Blue” plate will stop being issued on January 1, 2007, and be replaced by a more reflective plate design that will assist visibility at night by law enforcement officers. New plates will be issued as the old plates expire.

Workshop addresses effects of proposed initiative
The Council of Michigan Foundations will hold a workshop on June 29 in East Lansing about how the proposed Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) will affect grants and funding priorities.
Participants will learn about the impact and experiences of other states that have voted on similar proposals and appropriate actions and advocacy for foundations. Registration is $40 for members and $50 for non-members. Register by June 23. Call (313)566-2444 for details.

Adaptive golf challenge planned in K.I. Sawyer
The sixth annual adaptive golf clinic and challenge will take place on June 23 at the Red Fox Run Golf Course in K.I. Sawyer.
The clinic is designed for individuals who are physically or mentally challenged to learn or relearn how to swing a golf club and improve their game. It will be from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Registration for the challenge will be at noon, and is open to all. Call (800)232-1143 for details.

Tidbits from the desk of Senator Debbie Stabenow
• U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin (D-Michigan) sent a letter to President Bush urging him to stand up to China and Japan and demand they stop manipulating their currency. The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a report saying that China does not manipulate their currency. The senators called this an inaccurate claim that hurts American business and costs Americans their jobs. 
• Stabenow and Levin announced that the Marquette General Health System, and its consortium partners, Helen Newberry Joy Hospital and Mackinac Straits Hospital, will receive a $149,988 federal grant for the Shaping Our Children’s Future: Pediatric Weight Management program. The funds, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be used to help reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Luce, Mackinac and Marquette counties.
• Stabenow made a statement regarding a bill on small business health insurance in the United States Senate. She said the bill has unintended consequences that would harm small businesses, and suggested an alternative that would allow small businesses to form groups to provide health care plans.
• Stabenow joined Senate Democratic leaders in a meeting with the CEOs of DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and Ford Motor Company. The CEOs were on Capitol Hill meeting with members of the House and Senate leadership to discuss issues critical to the future of American auto manufacturing such as alternative energy, trade policy and health care costs.
• Stabenow said the findings of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into gas price manipulation were a missed opportunity for the administration to hold oil companies accountable for price gouging. The FTC report was the result of legislation passed as part of last year’s energy bill requiring an investigation into gas price manipulation and post-Hurricane Katrina gas price spikes. Stabenow said the report seemed to find evidence of price gouging, but the FTC did not use their authority to label it as such. Stabenow and Senate Democrats introduced legislation to make gas price gouging a federal crime and to strengthen anti-trust enforcement tools in the industry.

USOEC update
• Boxing––Six USOEC resident boxers qualified for the Golden Gloves National Championships by winning the Wisconsin Regional Competition. The USOEC’s Dustin Fleischer was named the Outstanding Boxer of the tournament. One other resident boxer qualified through his home region, so a total of seven USOEC boxers will compete at the National Golden Gloves in Omaha.
• Speedskating––USOEC resident speedskater Anthony Lobello won a bronze medal at the 2006 World Short Track Speedskating Championships. Lobello teamed with former USOEC resident athletes J.P. Kepka and Alex Izykowski along with Jordan Malone to earn the medal in the 5000-meter relay. Also participating in the World Championships were resident athletes Kimberly Derrick and Tina Koenig and former residents Amy Peterson and Alison Baver.
• Weightlifting––The athletes are preparing for the National Collegiate Championships.
• Wrestling (Men’s Greco)–– Resident wrestler Spenser Mango won the 2006 FILA Junior National Championships on April 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mango was named the Outstanding Junior Wrestler at the tournament. Andy Bisek and Chas Betts also won Junior National Titles in their respective weight classes. In the senior division, Adam Wheeler finished in second place while Joe Betterman finished third.
• Wrestling (Women’s freestyle)–– Resident wrestler Sharon Jacobson won the 2006 FILA National Championships by pinning her opponent in the championship match. Jacobson was named the Outstanding Female Wrestler of the Tournament. Randi Miller earned a silver medal while Mary Kelly earned a bronze medal at this event.
• Speedskating Events––U.S. Speedskating has awarded two major international events to the USOEC. The first event is a World Cup that will be held in the fall 2007. The second event is the Senior World Championships, which will be held in March 2009. Both of these bids will now be scrutinized by the International Skating Union and evaluated against bids for other cities throughout the world. A final decision should be made in June or July.
• Miscellaneous––Former USOEC resident speedskater and five-time Olympian Amy Peterson was inducted into the U.S. Speedskating Hall of Fame on April 22. The search for a new Marketing Coordinator at the USOEC continues. This position should be filled in early June.

Local news and business ventures… in brief
• Emergency physician Dr. James Addison and obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. William Addison, brothers who have each served Upper Michigan patients for almost thirty years, have been selected as joint recipients of the 2006 Physician of the Year, the Nurses Choice award; the most important factor in the selection of the recipients is the relationship between the physicians and the hospital staff.
• Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. reported record first-quarter 2006 net income of $37.9 million, or $1.37 per share––a forty-five-percent increase from the previous first-quarter record of $26.2 million in 2005; the increased net income is attributed to stable steel prices and the addition of Australian mining company Portman Limited’s revenues, which C.C.I. acquired in 2005.
• Log Home Living has named Keweenaw County as the fifth best place in America to build a primary home, and Popular Mechanics, in its June 2006 issue, ranks the Keweenaw Peninsula’s M-203/US-41/M-26 Superior Route from Hancock to Copper Harbor and back to Houghton as number fifteen on its list of America’s Top 25 Performance Roads in America.
• The Marquette General Foundation, the fundraising team of Marquette General Health System, has an improved look on its Web site, www.mgh.org/foundation including a number of expanded tool-bar options, clear, easy-to-read information and a secure online method for donations.
• Marquette Area Public Schools 2005-06 Teacher of the Year Carolyn Northey and Teacher of the Year finalist Terri Balzarini were honored at the May 8 meeting of the Marquette Area Public Schools Board of Education; Northey received an award of $1,000, while Balzarini received $500, with the funds to be used for professional development or teaching materials.
• The Lake Superior Community Partnership is planning to produce and distribute a street map of the Marquette County area for visitors and those considering relocation to the area; the map will be sponsored by local advertising and will be available online.
• Reclaiming Futures: Project WEAVE was awarded an underage drinking prevention grant of $2,500 to help conduct a “placemat initiative.”

8-18 Media Book Review
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney
Published by Simon & Schuster, 210 Pages
Nothing ever happens in Sassafras Springs. This farming community in the middle of nowhere has been Eben McAllister’s home his entire life. It’s not a bad place, but Eben wants more. He dreams of seeing the world.
One day, while Eben is reading a book about the Seven Wonders of the World, his father challenges him to find seven wonders in Sassafras Springs in seven days. If he succeeds, his father will buy him a train ticket to go see his cousin and her husband and the Colorado Mountains.
Eben takes on his father’s challenge, although he doesn’t expect to find any wonders. Much to his amazement, he finds that he is wrong. People show him ordinary things, such as a table, with amazing stories behind them that make them wonderful.
For example, the table had been known as the “Four Legged Haint.” A haint is what people in Sassafras Springs call a ghost. Every night the table could be seen from a distance walking in the graveyard and heard wailing.
Eventually a girl braved the “haint” and found the table actually was being carried by a man who had lost his wife. Every night the man ate his supper on the table at his wife’s headstone. The wailing came from the man.
I loved the book for all the stories about the wonders. They were interesting and mysterious. I could relate to Eben. Sometimes I want to get out of Marquette. Most teenagers can relate to that. You want to get away from everything—school, friends, parents— just to be alone. I think most people my age would enjoy this book. It’s a pretty easy read, with no difficult words. I give it a nine out of ten. The only thing I disliked was that it was too short.
—Ben Brow, 13
A word to the wise
Verbum satis sapientibus: A word to the wise is sufficient
The many classifications of pronouns can be dizzying: personal, reflexive, relative, intensive, interrogative and more. This little column singles out one particular grammatical troublemaker, the indefinite pronoun.
Indefinite pronouns are aptly named, for they refer not to particular persons but to an undetermined person or group. Anyone at all. Each or either of them. No one or none. Few or many, and all or most. One would need to be a poet of vivid imagination to sense a body and soul in these pronouns.
Let’s try a little test on some particularly pesky indefinite pronouns. In each of the following, select the correct singular or plural predicate verb.
1. Each of the boys and girls is/are busy writing.
2. All is/are studying.
3. Most of the sky is/are cloudy.
4. Either is/are a good choice.
5. Either of the choices is/are good.
6. Neither the thrush nor its neighbors is/are singing.
7. None of the reporters is/are admitted.
8. None is/are so fallible as those who are sure they’re right.
We might group indefinite pronouns into three classes: those that always are singular, those always plural and those that can’t make up their minds.
The first class, those always singular, includes no one (or noone), someone, anyone, everyone and each. Each is much abused and is the only one of these that causes any difficulties, as in No. 1 when it’s used with a phrase with plural nouns. Think “each one” of the boys and girls is busy.
A second class, those always plural, is perfectly trouble-free. Few, many and several obviously take plural verbs. “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
It’s the third class, those that can be either singular or plural, that most befuddles us: all and most, plus either or neither and none. All and most are plurals when they stand alone as subjects: “Most are gray”; “All are studying” (No. 2). No problem. However, when used with a phrase that has a singular noun, many and all also become singular: “Most of the sky is cloudy” (No. 3).
Note the common misuse of most for almost. In the sentence, “Most anyone is welcome,” what we mean is almost or ’most.
Either/neither and none are extra special cases. They almost always are singular: “Either is a good choice” (No. 4). This is true even when they are used with a phrase having a plural noun. In No. 5, “Either of the choices is good.” It means that either one is good.
The only circumstance when we must use a plural with either/neither occurs when a qualifying phrase is a compound and the second noun is plural, as in No. 6: “Neither the thrush nor its neighbors are singing.” If the compound ends in a singular, the predicate is singular: “Neither the warblers nor the thrush is singing.”
As for the much abused none, consider that it means not one or no one, so it is singular almost without exception. No. 7: “None of the reporters (not one) is admitted.” Only in a few bizarre instances are we forced to choose the plural. Such an example is borrowed from that classy little writer’s guide, Strunk and White. In No. 8, the relative clause at the end of the sentence enforces a plural in the main clause: “None are so fallible…” An even better solution is to rewrite to avoid such a contradiction: for example, “None is so fallible as one (or he) who is sure he’s right.”
Indefinite pronouns, then, can pose behavioral problems, bloodless though they may be. One poet who was able to personalize such words is e.e. cummings, who constructed an entire poem about the lives and love of anyone and noone. Here’s the start of his lyrical 1940 poem, whose first line is also the title:
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.
Before it’s over, anyone has met noone, as “someones married their everyones,” until
One day anyone died I guess
(And noone stooped to kiss his face)….
Are these indefinite persons? Or a real couple? Well, yes and no and maybe.

Word for the month
Podzol (PAHD-zol), a noun of Russian origin that describes most of the native soils of our region: soils formed in temperate-to-cold moist climates, especially under coniferous or mixed forests.
Such earth has an organic surface layer above a gray leached layer, and is not dear to most farm crops.
—Gerald Waite

Edtior’s Note: Questions or comments are welcome by writing MM or at marquettemonthly@chartermi.net

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