LSCP accepting proposals for artwork in heritage area
The Lake Superior Community Partnership is requesting proposals from local artists for interpretive artwork along the proposed Iron Ore Heritage Trail. The proposal is open to Alger and Marquette County residents and is due on March 8. For details, call Carol at 226-6591.

Northern selects Koch as new provost, vice president
Susan Koch will be the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at Northern Michigan University, effective July 1. She currently serves as dean of the graduate college and associate provost at the University of Northern Iowa.
Koch will assume the duties of Fred Joyal, who will focus on serving as the point person for Northern’s economic development efforts. Koch brings the creativity, experience and style that Northern will need to meet current and future challenges, said NMU President Les Wong.

U.P. 3-A-Day dairy contest to promote healthy living
Beginning March 18, WELCUP (Wellness Council of the Upper Peninsula), Jilbert’s Dairy and the Marquette County Active Living Task Force will kick off its first “U.P. 3-A-Day Dairy Contest.”
For one week, participants will learn how to incorporate more dairy consumption into their daily routine and will be able to keep track of their daily dairy servings at www.fitUP.org
Incentives will be provided throughout the program. There will be a grand prize drawing of a gallon of milk a week for fifty-two weeks sponsored by Jilbert’s Dairy. Registration begins March 1. For details, call 779-7234.

Finlandia University picks finalists for president
Finalists have been selected in Finlandia University’s search for a leader to succeed retiring President Robert Ubbelohde.
The candidates are Philip Johnson, Joseph Monahan and Patricia J. Lull. Each of the three candidates will be available for informal discussion at Finlandia’s Portage Campus from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on March 5, 6 and 8.
Confidential feedback forms will be available if community members wish to share written comments with the Presidential Search Committee. Rev. Patricia J. Lull currently is the dean of students and faculty member at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Rev. Philip Johnson has served as the Finlandia University campus pastor and associate dean of the Suomi College of Arts and Sciences since January 2006.
Monahan has been the dean of the Finlandia University International School of Business since Fall 2006. The Finlandia University Board of Trustees expects to elect the university’s new president at a special meeting in mid-March. For details, call 487-7301.

Hiawatha Music Co-op sets March dance, concert
The Hiawatha Music Co-op presents a Celtic Dance from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. on March 17 at the Community Room of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.
The event will feature the Marquette Ceili Ensemble with Scottish and Irish dance instruction by Deborah Choszyzk and Jill VanderMeer, and a special performance by Tuah Danns and MacGregor’s School of Pipe and Dance. The suggested donation is $7 for ages twelve and older, and free for children younger than twelve.
The April Verch Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. on March 18 in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Marquette. Advance tickets are $13 for adults and $10 for ages twelve and younger. Tickets at the door are $16 for adults and $12 for ages twelve and younger.  For details, call 226-8575.

Negaunee Library volunteers form fundraising committee
As of January 4, the Negaunee Public Library had its budget cut in half, reducing the hours of operation to thirty per week. A group of residents formed the Concern Citizens of the Negaunee Public Library to begin fundraising. Their goal is to raise $5,000 during 2007.
Committee chairperson Diana Menhennick said if the funds are raised, the city will match their funds, dollar for dollar, which will serve to restore library hours and staffing.
The group has raised more than $1,000 to date from donation jars placed in businesses throughout the Negaunee community. Menhennick said the jar on the library counter is the most successful. The committee is hopeful about raising the funds, but realizes its only a temporary solution.
Because of this, Menhennick is a Negaunee representative on the District Library Exploratory Committee to find out what options the Negaunee library could have in the future.
In addition to the donation jars, the committee is planning a fundraising event during Pioneer Days, July 9 through 14, 2007.
Donations, which are tax-deductible, can be mailed to the library at 319 West Case Street; Negaunee, MI 49866 For details, call 236-9123 or e-mail dlmen@inbox.com

Prime Time health and leisure expo seeking vendors
Prime Time is a health and leisure expo featuring activities, workshops and displays primarily of interest to people fifty years of age and older.
Scheduled this year for April 11, this annual event offers businesses the opportunity to market to the largest demographic population of the central Upper Peninsula. Free admission to the event, information targeted to this age group and an easily accessed venue all help to ensure an abundant audience of potential customers for Prime Time vendors.
Prime Time will be held at Lakeview Arena, providing a comfortable, accessible site for this popular event. Lead sponsors, Marquette General Health System and Upper Peninsula Diabetes Outreach Network, will offer low- or no-cost health screenings during the event. Information provided is geared toward helping all Upper Peninsula residents to live longer, healthier and more active lives.
Other activities that contribute to the drawing power of this event include informational seminars, workshops and demonstrations, bingo and door prizes. Interested businesses can e-mail betsy@marquette.org or call 226-6591 for details.

MM short story contest announces this year’s judges
The seventeenth annual MM short story contest received fifty-one submissions. The MM staff reviewed all entries, and twenty finalist stories have been submitted to a panel of judges.
MM thanks this year’s judges: Lynn Emerick of North Country Publishing, professional writer Chris Hansen, retired NMU English professor Leonard Heldreth, former MM writer Moira Reynolds, NMU English department head James Schiffer and retired NMU journalism professor Gerald Waite and his wife, Sue. The winning story will be published in the April 2007 issue of Marquette Monthly.

Guter certified in health care facility management
Marquette General Health System Facility Planner/Architect Jacob Guter has earned recognition from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Certification Center as a Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM).
CHFM is a national credential that distinguishes an individual as one of the elite in a critical field of health care management. To earn certification, the individual must pass the CHFM Examination, satisfy eligibility requirements that incorporate a blend of work experience and education and agree to adhere to Professional Standards of Conduct. Guter has been the Facility Planner/Architect at Marquette General Health System since 2000.

40 Secrets to a Community’s Healthy Youth workshop set
The 40 Secrets to a Community’s Health Youth workshop is being offered by the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development in Marquette on March 8. The workshop is designed to address youth needs, building on what is working well and identifying where there may be gaps and new challenges.
The workshop has been approved for 3.5 Continuing Education (CE) hours for social workers. This is a newly instituted requirement of social workers in the State of Michigan. The workshop will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on March 8 at MARESA, Conference Room A, 321 East Ohio Street. For details, call 228-8919.

Local American Red Cross begins candle fundraiser
The Central Upper Peninsula Chapter of the American Red Cross will be selling candles made by the Flat Rock Candle Company from March 1 through 16.
Purchasing a candle will help the local Red Cross provide aid to families after a fire, help educate people on how to prepare for disaster and support local Armed Forces emergency services. All money raised will stay in the area. There are three different sizes and eight varieties of scents to choose from, including some from the company’s U.P. line.
Visit www.upamericanredcross.org for a complete list of scents. For details, call 228-3659.

Blue Cross Blue Shield supports scouting centennial
The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are planning a celebration in honor of the 100th birthday of scouting worldwide, and have received a $1,000 check from Blue Cross Blue Shield to support their efforts. The fun and fitness themed family event will be presented May 18 through 20 at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. For details, call 249-1461.

Teach Your Kid to Fish Day event held in Michigamme
A group of volunteers is planning to host a Teach Your Kid to Fish Day on June 16. The event will be held at the Michigamme Township Park.
Teams will spend the first hour of the event learning how to tie a hook on a line, attach a bobber and more. There will be casting stations along the shoreline, which will have a barrier for safety, so teams can practice throughout the day.
There will be fishing games to keep teams amused and provide rewards. If you have suggestions or are interested in being a volunteer, call 524-6288.

Chefs Against Domestic Violence event scheduled
Chef Tim Reinbold, executive chef of the Landmark Inn will host the fourth annual “Evening of Elegance,” a benefit dinner at the Landmark Inn on March 12. All proceeds will go to the Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter. The silent auction and cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Deadline for ticket purchase is March 9. For details, call 228-2580.

Twenty-six teams finish Jack Pine 30 dog sled race
The Bell Hospital-sponsored Jack Pine 30, a six-dog, thirty-mile trophy-class race, started at Larry’s Foods and finished at Upfront & Co.
This was the fifth year for the race, inspired by and held in cooperation with the U.P.200 and Midnight Run.  The first eight teams received engraved plaques, and the last-place team received the Red Lantern Award. The top eight finishers are as follows: Darlene Leafgren; Mike Johnson; Lynne Witte; Johnny Peterson; Jonathan Jones; Scott Doepker; Becky Johnson-Hines and Rodney Whaley.

Marquette-Alger Resolution Service releases 2006 stats
Marquette Alger Resolution Service (MARS) provides affordable mediation services and training to Alger and Marquette County residents. Mediation is a voluntary process in which two or more parties meet in a confidential setting, and with the guidance of professionally trained mediators, attempt to work out a mutually agreeable solution to their problem.
The total number of cases for MARS increased by sixteen percent in 2006. Cases increased from 249 in 2005 to 294 in 2006. Of the 269 cases mediated, 198 were mediated to agreement or partial agreement and seventy-eight were mediated without agreement. Sixty-seven percent of cases reached agreement. 
Anyone who is a resident of Marquette or Alger County can utilize the mediation center. Referrals are made by the courts, government agencies, legal organizations, educational institutions, schools, self-referrals and community organizations. Many types of disputes can be resolved through mediation.
Some types of disputes mediated in 2006 were: consumer/merchant, landlord/tenant, employer/employee, divorce, parenting & custody, contract issues, property, small claims, child protection and special education.

AmeriCorps VISTA program seeking new recruits
The Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) AmeriCorps VISTA program provides an opportunity for college graduates to gain a broad range of experiences while continuing to grow as a leader on campus and in the community.
Michigan Campus Compact is actively recruiting its next cohort of AmeriCorps VISTA members who will serve July 2007 through July 2008.  
The service performed by MCC AmeriCorps VISTA members will occur on campuses and in communities to provide service and programming to underprivileged youth and low-income communities. Each VISTA will be supervised locally by a campus host site staff member, and will report to staff at Michigan Campus Compact.
For more information, visit www.micampuscompact.org/join vista.asp

Distinguished Service award winners announced
The Lake Superior Community Partnership is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 Distinguished Service Awards, sponsored by the Marquette County Ambassadors.
Phyllis Maki is the individual award recipient, and Wells Fargo Bank was selected in the business category. The awards will be presented at the Lake Superior Community Partnership’s eighth annual membership dinner on March 23. For details, call 486-4841.

U.P. Catholic Services Appeal surpasses fundraising goal
Upper Peninsula Catholics responded generously to the most recent Upper Peninsula Catholic Services Appeal (UPCSA), surpassing the goal by nearly $150,000.
This appeal invites all Catholics to steward the work of the diocesan church through annual charitable contributions that support the work of numerous offices and programs of the Diocese of Marquette.
One hundred percent of the amount collected over and above the parish goal gets returned to the parish for parish ministry. Sixty-six of ninety-four parishes met or exceeded their goal, compared to only fifty-five parishes last year. Although the campaign is winding down, anyone wishing to make contributions, especially to those parishes whose pledges are short of their goal, is urged to do so. Donations may be made directly to the parish.

Sault Tribe provides gift for annual LSSU powwow
The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians has helped underwrite a springtime powwow that will be hosted March 23 and 24 on the campus of Lake Superior State University. The Sault Tribe presented a $5,000 check to help defer costs.
Activities begin at 10:00 a.m. on March 23 with an open house and spiritual gathering in LSSU’s Native American Center. The public is invited to a potluck feast during the day, and may bring a dish to pass. Saturday’s highlight is the powwow in LSSU’s Norris Center Cooper Gym. Grand entries begin at 1:00 and 7:00 p.m.
The powwow is free and open to the public. For details, call 635-2223.

Child passenger safety key for ages twelve and younger
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 214,000 children ages fourteen and younger were injured as occupants in motor vehicle-related crashes in 2004.
Secure your child’s car seat tightly in the car with a seat belt or latch system. If the car seat is loose and moves, your child may not be protected. Make sure you have a copy of the manufacturer’s instruction booklet for your child’s car seat and for your vehicle.
Follow these four recommended steps to help you choose and use a car and booster seat for your child: rear-facing car seats in the back seat from birth to at least age one and at least twenty pounds.
Forward-facing car seats should be used in the back seat from at least age one and at least twenty pounds to about age four or forty pounds. Booster seats should be used in the back seat from about age four and forty pounds to at least age eight, unless more than four-foot-nine-inches. Safety belts should be used at age eight or older or if your child is taller than four-foot-nine-inches. All children twelve and younger should ride in the back seat.
Set a good example by always wearing your seat belt, even for short trips. These important child safety tips are made possible by the Women’s & Children’s Center at Marquette General Hospital and by Kohl’s Cares for Kids.
For details, visit www.BlueKids.org

Keweenaw artist honors new Lighthouse Heritage Act
Upper Peninsula artist Kerrie Shiel launched a new series of oil-on-canvas paintings honoring the state’s proud heritage of historic lighthouses. The first six paintings in her Michigan Lighthouse Collection are available at the Vertin Gallery in Calumet, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, home to thirteen of Michigan’s picturesque lighthouses.
The initial paintings in Shiel’s series showcase three of the Keweenaw Peninsula’s notable lighthouses; at Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor and Jacobsville (the original south entry lighthouse for the Portage Lake Canal), with more underway. These paintings may be viewed online at www.MichiganLighthouseArt.com
TLC-Fest to be hosted at Negaunee High School
Negaunee High School will host the Upper Peninsula Teen Leadership Cooperative (TLC) Fest Leadership Intensive and ACTion Troupe tracks from March 9 through 11.
This two-track training is designed to build personal and group leadership skills by promoting asset development and skill-building. The Leadership Intensive track provides students with general skills for personal and group leadership.
The ACTion Troupe track teaches student teams to use drama to present powerful messages regarding healthy lifestyle choices. For details, visit www.upteenleadership.org

Teaching Family Homes hosts White Water Concert
White Water will present a folk/traditional concert at 7:30 p.m. on March 9 at the Silver Creek Church. Admission is $7 per person, and free for children younger than six. The proceeds will benefit Teaching Family Homes sports field development. For details, call 249-5437.

NMU plans fifteenth annual powwow at Vandament Arena
Northern Michigan University’s Native American Student Association will hold their annual “Learning to Walk Together” powwow on March 17 and 18 at the Vandament Arena.
Grand entries begin at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. The powwow feast begins at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The event is free and open to the public. For details, call 227-1397.

Native American group plans cultural, educational events
The NMU Center for Native American Studies will present “Hank Williams First Nations.” The film will be shown at 8:00 p.m. on March 16. The director of the film, Aaron Sorenson of British Columbia, will be on hand for questions and a discussion. This event is free and open to the public.
The Waaseyaasibii’ige: Writing With Light Photography Project will hold a public reception of students’ works from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on March 23 at the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum. High school students from the Marquette Area Title VII program, the Hannahville Indian Community, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Community have participated in this project, which celebrates cultural memory.
The eleventh annual Upper Peninsula Indian Education Conference will be held at Northern Michigan University March 25 through 27 at the University Center on the NMU campus. This year’s keynote speaker is MariJo Moore. Moore has written or edited an impressive number of books including Red Woman With Backward Eyes and Other Stories, Feeding the Ancient Fires:  A Collection of Writings by North Carolina American Indians, The Cherokee Little People and Eating Fire, Tasting Blood: Breaking the Great Silence of the American Indian Holocaust. The conference is free for all attendees, but registration is appreciated. For details, call 227-1397.

Lake Superior Binational Program seeks nominations
Do you know of someone whose efforts to protect or restore the Lake Superior basin’s natural environment are truly superior?
If so, help make others in the basin aware of their contributions by nominating them for this binational awards program before April 13. Winners will be notified in June.
Each winner will receive a commemorative award made by a regional artist and a framed certificate at an awards ceremony in July. Award winners also will be honored at an event at the State of Lake Superior Conference in Duluth in October. A full nomination packet is available at www.superior forum.info

Marquette Area Blues Society schedules meeting, social
The Marquette Area Blues Society (MABS) will hold its monthly meeting on March 21 at the Landmark Inn board room, with a social at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. MABS will hold its monthly social, “Blues & Breadsticks,” from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on March 27 at the Portside Inn in Marquette. Visit www.marquette areabluessociety.com for details.

231 House of Muses dinner fundraiser set for March 30
231 House of Muses will be conducting a formal fundraising dinner and art auction for the House of Muses rebuilding effort.
The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on March 30 at the Landmark Inn. The evening will feature a formal presentation of the plans for reconstruction of the House of Muses.
Tickets are available on March 1 at the Landmark Inn, the U.P. Children’s Museum and the Marquette Arts and Culture Center. For details, e-mail Ryan at houseofmuses@gmail.com

Marquette County 4-H starts new entrepreneurs program
Marquette County 4-H is in the process of gathering youth and adults to take part in 4-H Future Entrepreneurs Club. 
The program involves financial education and entrepreneurship training/experience through a curriculum and the hands-on creation of a business plan for youth ages fourteen through nineteen years old. Over the course of the following year, ten to fifteen youth will receive financial education and entrepreneurship training through a small-group, club setting.
The youth will develop a business plan for their local community and, in June 2008, present this plan at a statewide small business expo, which will be held during 4-H Exploration Days on the campus of Michigan State. Currently, MSU Extension is working on building partners for this program. Call 475-5731 for details. 

U.P. soccer standout gets his shot at professional tryouts
The Marquette Soccer Academy announced that Jeremy Hardy of Cooks has been invited to tryout for Major League Soccer’s Red Bull New York Academy U18 team.
Hardy plays club soccer with the Marquette Soccer Academy’s Senior Academy under head coach and director of coaching Norman Power, and plays high school soccer with Big Bay de Noc under head coach Todd Chambers.
Hardy has an impressive scoring record, capturing the state high school record with six consecutive hat trick games, scoring a total of fifty-six goals during the 2006 season.

Biennial Lake Superior Youth Symposium set for May
The seventh annual Lake Superior Youth Symposium will take place May 10 through 13 in Big Bay.
This symposium, for students in Grades 8 through 12, will include field trips, watershed research, team/leadership building skills and enhance knowledge of the lake and its surrounding watershed. For details, visit wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/lake_superior_symposium

Annual Holistic Health Fair slated for March 10 at NMU
Integrative Health Resources will hold the eighth annual Holistic Health Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on March 10 in the Great Lakes Room of NMU’s University Center.
Enjoy presentations, demonstrations, live music and experiential activities and information booths throughout the day. Admission is $2. For details, call 226-9031.

Federal agency concerned about proposed sulfide mine
Federal regulators concerned with the safety of drinking water raised a red flag that could delay the metallic sulfide mine proposed by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company in northwestern Marquette County indefinitely, even if the necessary state permits are granted.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently notified company officials that at least one federal permit will be required before construction may begin.
In a letter to Kennecott representatives, EPA water division director Jo Lynn Traub urged the company to submit previously requested information regarding a treated water infiltration system proposed by Kennecott. The proposed system is a series of pipes buried underground that allows treated water to trickle back into the ground, impacting the entire aquifer.
This permit is required to ensure that the infiltration system would not endanger an underground source of drinking water.
Acting independently of state regulators, the EPA official went on to state that, upon receiving the requested information, the agency will “make a determination about other potential requirements.”
Michelle Halley, attorney for National Wildlife Federation (NWF), described the EPA’s involvement in the issue as an important step.
“With the oversight of the EPA, the people of Michigan gain another layer of protection for our groundwater resources,” she said.
Halley, who is familiar with the legal and regulatory nuances surrounding the project, indicated that an EPA permit could stall the project for an unknown period of time, depending upon the information that is provided by the company and whether it satisfies EPA requirements.
Up until six months ago, when EPA began querying Kennecott for the absent information, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) provided the only oversight of the proposed project. Those familiar with the processes of both agencies say federal government requirements typically are more rigorous than those at the state level, possibly requiring Kennecott to further research environmental impact before a permit would be considered.
The Michigan DEQ previously had indicated the possibility of an announced decision in May. Halley said the EPA permit adds a new wrinkle to that timeline.
“In the event that the DEQ decided to approve the mining permit application, it could not take effect until all other necessary permits are in place, including any federal permits,” she said.
The NWF and others who have objected to the proposed project on the basis of permit application deficiencies and an inappropriate location still are advocating for a DEQ denial of the application. State regulators will hear from the general public at a series of hearings in March, beginning with a three-day hearing from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on March 6 through the 8 at NMU’s University Center.
A DEQ Public Comment Training Workshop, hosted by the National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and Michigan Environmental Council will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on March 3 in the Cadillac and Brule Rooms of NMU’s University Center.

High school music program seeks donations for trip
Members of the Marquette Senior High School choirs and orchestras will be departing for France on April 9. These musicians have been working hard at jobs and fundraisers to earn their way, but the group still is a bit short of the needed cash.
Donations are tax deductible and very much appreciated by the talented students who are making this journey. For details, call 225-5383.

Hannahville Summer Camp seeks counselors, lifeguards
Counselors and lifeguards are needed for Hannahville Summer Camp. This summer camp program for forty middle school students is sponsored by the Nah Tah Wahsh Public School Academy and funded by a grant through the Corporation for National and Community Service to the Hannahville Indian Community. For details, call 466-2952.

Tidbits from the desk of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow
• U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) issued the following statement praising the passage of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007: “Today’s vote is a victory for hard working Americans. I am pleased that Congress has finally taken action on this critical issue with a balanced, bipartisan approach that helps both working families and small businesses. I am also proud the Minimum Wage Act includes the expansion of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which will increase employment opportunities for disabled veterans. The brave men and women who serve in our military devote their lives to protecting our country, and we owe them our support both during and after their service. There are over 800,000 veterans in Michigan and these tax credits will ensure they have the resources they need to assist the transition from soldier to veteran.”
• Stabenow, Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) reintroduced the Lester Nichols Presque Isle Light Station Act, which would require the U.S. Coast Guard to return the historic Third Order Fresnel lens to the Presque Isle Lighthouse. Stabenow and Levin introduced the bill in the Senate and Stupak introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. The lens was removed from the lighthouse for restoration four years ago, and will now be returned to preserve the integrity of the lighthouse.
• Stabenow introduced legislation to establish a trade prosecutor to police our trading partners and protect U.S. manufacturers from unfair trade practices, particularly with China and Japan.  Last year’s U.S. trade deficit was the largest in history. China exports five products to the United States for every one American product shipped to them.  These unfair trade policies have cost the U.S. economy more than a million jobs.
• Stabenow told a Senate panel that Congress must work hand-in-hand with the auto industry to increase oil savings and promote domestic fuel sources.  In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Stabenow urged her colleagues to support investment in biofuel research and the necessary infrastructure to make such alternative fuels readily accessible.
• Stabenow, along with a bi-partisan group of senators, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressing concern over recent reports of insufficient supplies of body armor and force-protection equipment for troops being deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  In some instances, the Department of Defense concluded that fatalities of American troops could have been prevented if the body armor provided had been of higher quality.
• Stabenow has announced her cosponsorship of the “Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act,” which would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the legal authority to approve safe, effective and affordable generic versions of biotech drugs.  Biotech drugs, which are produced from living cell cultures and treat conditions such as arthritis, anemia and many forms of cancer, are among the fastest growing and most expensive components of the nation’s drug bill.  Currently, there is no pathway for generic versions of biotech drugs to enter the market, even after all patents have expired. 
• Stabenow and Lisa Murkowski (R-Arkansas) have joined U.S. Representatives Lois Capps (D-California) and Barbara Cubin (R-Wyoming) to introduce the Heart disease Education, Research and Analysis and Treatment (HEART) for Women Act.  The legislation, which is similar to legislation the four lawmakers introduced last year, seeks to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke among women.
 
Local business news...in brief
• Specializing in custom cabinetry, personalized design and installation for new and remodeled homes, Karen R. Larson Interiors expanded in January to include a second 2,000-square-foot showroom, located at 1510 West Washington Street in Marquette; highlights of the new showroom include six kitchen displays and one bathroom display, many showcasing the latest upscale products from Wood-Mode.
• Laura Katers Reilly has been promoted to shareholder in the law firm of Kendricks, Bordeau, Adamini, Chilman & Greenlee, P.C. of Marquette; Reilly has a general practice with an emphasis on labor and employment law, school law, probate and real estate matters.
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History has announced Richard C. Whiteman of Ontonagon as the recipient of the 2006 Carnegie Mineralogical Award.
• Phil & Lee’s Homes, an independent Stratford Homes Builder in Escanaba, received top honors for their outstanding sales achievements in 2006; the award is considered to be the highest honor a builder can receive from the modular home manufacturer.
• William Menge of Skanee has been named to a two-year term on the Michigan State University Extension and Experiment Station Council; Menge will represent Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties.
• State Farm Insurance donated $5,000 to the Lake Superior Community Partnership Foundation for their Electrical Line Technician School located in Gwinn; the program is a pre-apprenticeship program that prepares students to install, maintain and operate electrical systems to supply energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers and underground generation facilities.
• Twenty-year-old Ian Thorley of Marquette won the Chevy Grand Prix Slopestyle snowboarding competition at Mt. Bachelor in Bend (Oregon) on February 4; he scored forty-three out of a possible fifty points and earned an 8.7 rating from three of the five judges for the best marks of the day.
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) Corporation has signed an agreement with Liberty Media Corporation that will have Liberty convey its approximately 7.6 million common shares of CBS stock in exchange for WFRV-TV CBS 5, its satellite station WJMN-TV CBS 3, and approximately $170 million in cash.
• The U.P. Medical Center in Marquette has made all inside and outside facilities smoke-free, including entryways, grounds, sidewalks and parking lots; for more information on secondhand smoke and smoking cessation, visit www.smokefree.org

Star Date: March 2007
Moon & Planets—Saturn is visible most of the night, being already up in the ESE as night falls. Venus is very prominent in the west as it sets later and later after sunset all month long. Jupiter rises after midnight, so it is just starting to become easily observable in the SSE before first light. The sun will be directly over the equator on March 20th which is the vernal equinox. The sun will rise in the due east and set in the due west at most locations on the globe. The moon is full on the 3rd. Since a full moon is opposite the sun and being this close to the equinox, it too will rise almost due east. The night is exceptional because the moon happens to be exactly opposite the sun, which will result in a lunar eclipse. Local sunset and moonrise occur around 6:35 p.m. The moon will already be completely in the earth’s shadow at this time. A normal moonrise can appear bright and white or dusky orange depending on atmospheric conditions. The night’s moon will be a dark to medium orange-red due to the eclipse. How these two factors combine will have a great effect on the moon’s visibility. The edge of the moon starts to leave the shadow at 6:58 p.m. As it climbs higher and the sky darkens, more of its bright face will emerge until 8:12 p.m. when the eclipse ends.

Constellations—The prominent winter constellations are high in the south and west after sunset. This is actually the best time of year to view them with relatively warmer nights and their favorable location in the early evening sky. In the east the sprawling spring constellation of Leo the Lion is most notable with Saturn preceding it.
—Craig Linde
Courtesy of the Marquette Astronomical Society, which meets four times a year, once each season, on Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m. in the Shiras Planetarium. The next meeting is March 18. Visit www.geocities.com/sstobbelaar/mqtastro.html for details.

8-18 Media book reviews for kids by kids
Artemis Fowl, The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
Published by Miramax Books, 385 Pages
After reading the first four Artemis Fowl books, have you found yourself out of things to read? Are you dreading boring stories after the exciting writing of Eoin Colfer?
If you are in this position as I was, then you should read Artemis Fowl, The Lost Colony. Eoin Colfer’s writing is so entrancing that I found myself reading it over and over and over, and over once more. I chose this book because of the series’ suspense, high tech, weaponry and the plots of its juvenile genius main character, Artemis Fowl.
In the first four books, Artemis discovers fairies living underground. This is where he has many adventures with his elf friend, Holly, who is the only female in the Lower Elements Police reconnaissance squad. In the end, she becomes a citizen after losing her commander.
Now undercover with her techie friend Foaly and mastermind Artemis, she has to keep humans from discovering demons that are popping up in random places. But someone knows about demons, and they have a plan. Artemis and Holly end up trapped in a time warp with the lost colony. There is only one being that can help them, and that being is trying to kill them.
I like this book because it is funny and its plot is complicated and suspenseful. It is the best in the series so far. I don’t know if Colfer has another book planned, but I hope so.
Although I had no trouble following the book, some people might have trouble understanding words like “confounded” and “scything.” Of all the fiction books I have read, I think this is the best written. It appropriately uses conversation as well as narration, and Colfer uses commas better than any other author I know.
This series is for kids who like adventure and ingenious plots that keep changing. I recommend it for ages twelve to fifteen. I love this book, and I hope you will love it too.
—Eric Wagner, 12
Books reviewed are from the new book section of the children and teen areas at PWPL.

A word to the wise
Verbum satis sapientibus: A word to the wise is sufficient
Shortly after God created the world, He gave our father Adam an extraordinary authority—to give names to “all the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.”
One little creature liked to dart around Adam’s picnic table, begging for peanuts. Unlike the more aggressive red squirrel it resembled, and who ravaged his bird feeders, this little guy did not climb trees, and so Adam called it a ground squirrel.
Eve, however, was charmed with the little creature and thought the name too derivative and drab, so she insisted on calling it a chipmunk. Now sometime later, Adam found this chipmunk or ground squirrel raiding the family haggard. (See below.)
Angered, he began to call it a rodent, tossing it into the same context as the pesky rabbit (or bunny, as Cain and Able fondly called it) that chewed up lettuce in his garden.
Names make a difference. Consider the care we take in naming our offspring. The name may not change the little person or animal, but it at least colors, and even defines, our view of him, her or it.
Names also assert our authority and control. My grandson Moses used to insist that any dog smaller than their husky was not a dog at all, but a chipmunk. He was adamant. That was his way of forming the world, of bringing order to his world.
All of this is a long-winded, indirect way of introducing this month’s subject, the EUPHEMISM, from two Greek roots meaning literally a “good sound.” A euphemism, to be particular, puts a good face on something not so pleasant. To expectorate is a euphemism for to spit. A hundred years ago, the Sears catalogue was full of cheap goods, but as that word became unsavory, advertisers found more attractive euphemisms, like inexpensive and affordable.
Sometimes the choice between an attractive and a pejorative phrasing depends on our philosophy. Are you pro-life or anti-abortion, pro-choice or pro-abortion? Do you oppose a death tax or favor an inheritance tax? Words that refer to the same idea can differ significantly in the positive or negative vibrations they emit.
A euphemism I’m hearing often lately is issue, which seems a more genial way of describing a problem. One may have a drinking issue instead of a drinking problem. The first is a bland statement, while the latter makes a definite judgment.
Obituaries are regular sources of euphemisms. Instead of simply dying, we pass away or even go to our eternal reward, which, aside from being a euphemism, is hardly objectively verifiable. The terms body or earthly remains may not be pretty, but they’re preferable to corpse.
Major inventors of euphemisms are government offices and especially the military, which after all does have many unpleasant subjects to deal with. After World War II, the old War Department became the Defense Department, as striking an example of Orwellian Newspeak as I’ve ever heard of. Said former columnist Jim Fitzgerald, “Verily, there is something about warfare that prompts our brave leaders to say unadulterated excrement when they mean pure crap.”
At the time, Fitzgerald was struck by the Pentagon’s renaming the neutron bomb a radiation enhancement weapon, a real mouthful of euphemistic jargon. Bombing became air support.
Our spies, needing to get rid of a compromised agent, did not kill him; instead he was dismissed with prejudice, which sounds less fatal but had the same effect. In more recent years, we hear not of civilian casualties but collateral damage.
Good writers avoid euphemisms that cloud the true picture of reality, but putting a pretty face on the world is not always a bad thing.
For instance, take the testimony of my dear old Grandma. As a boy, I once remarked that the hot weather left me sweaty all over. She corrected me: “Horses sweat; men perspire. And women glow.” A true daughter of Eve she was.

Word for the month
Haggard (HAG-urd) is an old word that has been both noun and adjective and has two distinct meanings. The well-known modern sense is as an adjective, meaning worn or gaunt. This sense ultimately derived from the Elizabethan noun referring to a captured wild hawk.
But in Ireland still, haggard refers to a place where a farmer stores grain—a “stack-yard” or granary or threshing place. Adam may have invented the word to name his grain storage.
While it has not been absolutely proven that Adam came from Ireland, he certainly would have wished he had, like all of us on the seventeenth of this month, St. Patrick’s Day.
—Gerald Waite

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

M

Marquette Monthly(TM), Copyright 1999-2008 * Site Comments? Web Design