Registration open for Parade of Nations scavenger hunt
Sign up to be on a hide team, a hunt team, or both
Sign up to be on a hide team, a hunt team, or both
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the canceling of most of the traditional Parade of Nations activities, but the organizing committee was still looking for ways to keep the spirit of the event alive.
One of the volunteers, Will Schuette, had the idea for an informative scavenger hunt that would allow people to participate in small, socially responsible groups.
“I really liked that idea, and we went with it,” said Donna Cole, who is organizing the hunt this year.
Nine teams composed a series of three clues for hunt teams and members of the public to chase throughout the communities of Houghton and Hancock. One series of clues, from the Bangladeshi Student Association, helped tell the story of International Mother Language Day by requiring hunt teams to learn about the details leading up to its declaration by the United Nations and use those details to solve a puzzle. Cole said the organizers who hid the clues had to double-check with the student organization to make sure they hid them in the right spots.
“So that was the most elaborate of them,” she said. “And some of them were pretty easy to decipher.”
The City of Hancock created a hunt sequence that interwove with their Detroit Institute of the Arts “Inside/Out” displays.
Another, from the League of Women Voters, highlighted Vera Mize’s contributions to the community by leading people to the small park dedicated to her (which is now moved).
The Chinese Student Association had a clue that led to a big tree by Michigan Tech’s parking lot with a hole high in the trunk.
“So you had to be on a ladder or something so you could lean in and take a picture of the QR code,” Cole said.
Barbara Wheeler, on one of the hunt teams, had pictures of her children in the hole from when they were young.
“She knew right away about that hole,” Cole said.
This year the Parade of Nations itself is on, but the festival is still canceled. The parade route is slightly changed. The hunt is being maintained as another way for people to teach and learn about the culture, heritage, and traditions of the diverse people who live here.
People can participate on both a hunt and a hide team.
“The registration for both teams is the same,” Cole said. “If you want to do both, you just go back and do it a second time.”
Prize money is awarded for the first teams to complete all the hunts. Emails go out to registered hunt teams with the clues shortly before the clues are posted to the website for general public participation.
“So it gives the registered teams a little headstart,” Cole said. “If they’re watching their email.”
Clues are submitted to the organizers, who review them, create the laminated QR codes that link to the follow-up clues, and hide them in advance of the hunt, which launches on Sept. 7.
The deadline to submit clues and hiding places is Aug. 23.
The registration form, guidelines for participation, and other information can be found at the link below. Questions can be emailed to paradeofnations@mtu.edu.
Photos provided by Donna Cole.
EPA conducts hazards cleanup at former Julio Scrapyard
Minor improvements to the trail to follow scrap and dirt removal
Minor improvements to the trail to follow scrap and dirt removal
Recreation millage, UPSET funding, and Housing Commission changes
Hancock City Council, July 21, 2021
Hancock City Council, July 21, 2021
Meeting Highlights
The meeting started with a moment of silence and some comments of respect for the late Sheriff Brian McLean.
Councilman Rick Freeman Jr. thanked the city on behalf of the National Guard for the use of the Hancock Beach for some training exercises.
During City Manager Mary Babcock’s report, she updated the board on progress toward the crowdfunding toward a grant for the new dog park, the search for a CEDAM fellow for economic development, rental building inspections and registrations, the progress of the new draft zoning ordinance, the importance of renewing the recreation millage on Aug. 3, and the tentative planning of an end of summer event with Houghton and other summer events.
At the end of the meeting, Councilor John Haeussler —a member of the recreation commission— also spoke in support of the recreation millage. It supports projects in the city like the dog park, trail work, and park improvements.
After paying the bills, the council accepted the resignation of one of the Hancock Housing Commission’s members, Ron Antila, and appointed a new member, Joe Bianucci, that was requested by the commission’s director, Sherry Hughes.
The board also briefly considered a lease agreement for the use of the property for the city’s dog park with Thornton Construction, but the city manager said there were some small details she wanted to correct before the board made the agreement official. The board moved to table the agreement until the first meeting in August.
The council spent some time on a discussion about the possibility of giving UPSET West $25,000 over the next five years and other pledge options. While some members were generally supportive of the donation, some also expressed concern over the length of the pledge and the impact, origin, and oversight of UPSET’s budget. Others were concerned about the cyclical results of waging a “war on drugs”. They ultimately tabled the discussion (with one councilor dissenting), until they could get some questions answered. (I highly recommend listening to this fairly nuanced discussion about funding, oversight and drug enforcement. I’m interested to see where it goes once their concerns are addressed.)
Miner's Revenge trails faster than ever
Dry conditions unusual for the literally underground mountain bike race
Dry conditions unusual for the literally underground mountain bike race
PHF launches local Bridges Out of Poverty initiative
Community leaders met this week to learn about what, beyond money, those living in generational poverty need to succeed
Community leaders met this week to learn about what, beyond money, those living in generational poverty need to succeed
This week, community leaders from a wide swath of sectors met to learn more about living in generational poverty from an expert, Treasure McKenzie. McKenzie knows about poverty not only because she’s the director of Bridges Out of Poverty, a program by aha! Process, Inc. that works to reduce the social costs of poverty by creating a common language between different sectors of the community, she also grew up in generational poverty herself.
To learn more about generational poverty, how it’s defined, how it’s different from situational poverty, and its prevalence in Michigan, read the Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity 2015 Generational Poverty Report.
McKenzie explained to the group of CEOs, superintendents, HR directors, bankers, detectives, and business leaders —who all voluntarily participated— that those who live in generational poverty tend to value their relationships with others first, before achievements like degrees or promotions.
Treasure McKenzie, Bridges Out of Poverty director
“That’s how you end up with names like Treasure,” she said.
McKenzie traveled to Houghton from Muskogee, Oklahoma, where the Bridges Out of Poverty program is well-established, with a series of classes and help for people with dental, legal and auto issues. She came at the request and with the financial support of the Portage Health Foundation.
“Poverty intertwines with almost everything we’re trying to do,” PHF Director Kevin Store told the group before the program began.
He said that BOP aligns with PHF’s mission to address the social determinants of health, and that’s why launching a local effort was important. The goal is for groups to start “silo-busting” and work together to address more of the root causes of poverty.
McKenzie said BOP is often associated with budgeting classes.
“That’s not what I do,” she said. “It’s not about budgeting.”
They do offer some “Getting Ahead” classes to those living in poverty that focus on learning how to make connections, navigate some of society’s hidden rules, and make planning choices, but about half of the education they do is actually for business owners and the middle class, working to dispel common misconceptions about poverty and the people living in it.
When those living in poverty, or the ‘under resourced’, as the program often calls them, join in BOP classes, they are called investigators, because they inform the organization’s work with their own life experiences.
McKenzie said that generational poverty in particular can be kind of like an addiction, and the person dealing with it may not be able to see the way out for themselves. Admonishments to “just do better” in some way are not going to help them.
“I call it being ‘should’ on,” McKenzie said.
Suggesting they should get a job, move away from a bad relationship, or work harder isn’t effective, but more money, in general, won’t necessarily be either. Generational poverty is about more than just money. It’s about resources which can include the financial, but also emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, relational, and perhaps most importantly, it can be about the hidden rules in a middle-class-focused society that someone didn’t learn growing up.
“You only know what you know,” McKenzie said.
Banks, schools, government buildings and more work on a set of middle-class norms that can be unfamiliar and unwelcoming to those from generational poverty, making access to a variety of opportunities and services uncomfortable at best.
It’s also not that those in poverty aren’t willing to work hard.
As an example, McKenzie shared a video about a woman named Tammy, who walks ten miles to her job at Burger King, and her sons.
“I don’t know what else to do,” Tammy says.
McKenzie pointed out there were things in the video that money wouldn’t fix, particularly the family issues; lack of a father figure for the sons, and the social strain between Matt and his mother and brother caused by Matt’s shame of his living situation, the lack of recognition from passersby at her job, and more.
The documentary checks in with Tammy again 14 years later.
The group also explored the ‘mental models’ of those living with poverty, in the middle class, or in wealth. Mental models are internal pictures of what things look like to us and determine how we act, often without our examination. There’s also a limited amount of space inside a mental model.
BOP’s mental model of poverty centers on relationships and includes things like food, childcare, time spent at agencies, jobs, legal issues, safety, mental health and chemical dependency, and housing. Accessible businesses in the neighborhood probably include pawn shops, fast food, check cashing services, dollar stores, and laundromats.
In the middle class, the mental model focuses on achievement and includes things like social media, childcare, careers, mortgage payments, long working hours, clubs and groups, mental health and chemical dependency, health and prevention, and vacations. The neighborhood probably has banks, bookstores, coffee shops, and office buildings.
There is some overlap, but those in poverty are focused on much more immediate needs and have less time and mental “bandwidth” to focus on planning for the future.
McKenzie explained that being able to construct a “future story” is a luxury of the middle class and wealthy because their immediate needs are usually taken care of. Those living in poverty have to deal with the “tyranny of the moment”, which is shorthand for the immediately necessary survival needs like food, shelter and safety. Even simple things like staying clean by doing laundry can take half of a day when a parent has to use a laundromat, doesn’t have access to childcare, and lacks transportation. This can lead to decisions that may seem wrong or bad to those living outside poverty.
One example McKenzie offered was the purchasing of an expensive TV. To someone in the middle class looking at someone impoverished, they may wonder why they wouldn’t use that money to fix something on their car or house, or to pay off debt. However, to someone in generational poverty, those problems are endless, and watching TV is the only vacation they ever get.
McKenzie said buying a television they may not “need” isn’t a moral or financial decision for those in generational poverty.
“It’s a mental health decision,” she said.
McKenzie led the group through several exercises designed to help them understand the behavior and decisions made by people living in generational poverty. She said it’s important that those in poverty, the middle class, and the wealthy learn to communicate better because it takes all three to make meaningful policy changes that will lift the community as a whole up.
Those making the policies are mostly the wealthy, and those making hiring and business decisions are most often middle-class, but if those policies and decisions aren’t informed by the realities of those living in and near poverty, then they can work against themselves.
McKenzie related the story of one business owner who, after attending one of her classes, made note of how many good employees he’d let go for being late to work because of strict company policy when often the conditions of their tardiness were outside of their control because of public transportation or family issues. A change in policy, or a little flexibility, could have saved him from the costly process of finding and training new employees.
Government policies that prevent agencies from sharing information with each other force people looking for needs-based help to spend time filling out paperwork, again and again, to prove they are poor to different agencies, a process that is both time-consuming and sometimes humiliating. A shift in policy to allow some information sharing could afford someone more time to look for work or cook healthy food.
“Think about having someone from all three circles when you start making decisions,” McKenzie said.
At the end of the meeting, small discussions were seeded about what policy changes and partnerships might be meaningful as the program moves forward.
Store said, at the end of the meeting, that bringing about measurable results would likely take at least 5 years, but that bringing about systems change for those in generational poverty was important to the health of the community, too.
“They’re very much hand-in-glove issues,” he said.
BOP has found that meaningful, long-lasting change only seems to be truly affected on a family-by-family basis, and so it takes time to take hold in a community, but they’ve calculated that in Muskogee alone they’ve saved the cost of social services more than $1 million, among other benefits like a larger, more stable workforce.
“We need to take a longer length look,” Store said.
Rezoning on Canal Road, construction and triathlon updates, and the saving of a tortoise
Houghton City Council, July 14, 2021
Houghton City Council, July 14, 2021
Meeting Highlights
During City Manager Eric Waara’s report, he highlighted ditching, beach cleanup, and other work done by the Department of Public Works. The work on the water plant’s roof has begun, as has trimming of some low-hanging tree branches. A grant proposal through MEDC is moving forward. Work on the lift bridge is going to resume next week. The box culvert for Huron Creek, under Sharon Avenue, has been placed, now the work to rebuild the grade and road on top of it can start. Waara said the material that has been falling off of the downtown parking deck is almost entirely from patches done 5-6 years ago, and that an inspection of what remains would be done, for safety. The dog park planning is continuing, looking at a phased development. There is also some planning for an end-of-summer event hosted cooperatively between Hancock and Houghton, likely to include fireworks.
(The sounds of incredible flatulence in the video are from the council’s leather chairs. Not much I can do about it, but the timing is sometimes hilarious.)
During Police Chief John Donnelly’s report, he covered arrests and accidents, and the story of a stray tortoise, saved by a passerby on U.S. 41 and whose owners Lt. Nick Roberts found (you should really hear it for yourself). He said calls to the department are back to about what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proposed Rezoning Ordinance 2021-321
By U.P. Engineers and Architects
The zoning ordinance came up twice during the meeting, first during the public hearing, and again when the council took it up to vote.
During the public hearing, two people spoke in favor of the rezoning, and none were against it. One of those who spoke was the attorney for Derek Bradway, the developer applying for the rezoning. She highlighted the work the developer had done with the neighbors and his plan’s compatibility with the city’s master plan.
During the council’s discussion, Waara reminded the council of the 17 factors the council is supposed to consider in the case of a rezoning ordinance. Councilor Brian Irizarry recognized the potential for increased traffic because of the development but expressed his belief the city could adapt in the future if that occurs. The council voted unanimously in favor of the rezoning.
During public comment, the board got a brief update on the organization of the triathlon to honor Verna Mize. Businesses are signing up as sponsors, and information is being distributed to racers at the Canal Run.
SNAP for veterans, DNR trail repair progress, August millage renewals, and more
Houghton County Board, July 13, 2021
Houghton County Board, July 13, 2021
Meeting Highlights
MSU Extension District 1 Director Paul Putnam updated the board, specifically about veterans being eligible for SNAP benefits.
During Vice Chairperson Tom Tikkanen’s committee reports, he updated the board on the state of DNR trail repairs. The trail between Lake Linden and Dollar Bay still won’t be open this coming winter, but funds are lined up for the repairs and engineering is underway. The Pilgrim River Bridge repairs are underway and are expected to be completed for this season.
Commissioner Glenn Anderson encouraged people to vote in favor of the Canal View (Houghton County Medical Care Facility) millage and Hancock’s recreation millage coming to vote on Aug. 3. Ballot language and other information are available by clicking here.
Airport Manager Dennis Hext had generally positive news for the board, including the application for a third $1 million grant from the FAA for operating costs, available as pandemic relief.
The board’s only significant new business was a resolution to support the UP Area Agency on Aging’s 2022 Annual Implementation Plan. They also approved an MOA appropriation for the MSU Extension for $9,341.25.
During the open public comment section, 4 people spoke up with concerns or opposition to the wind turbine development in Houghton County. One person announced a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on July 22, at South Range Elementary School where a lawyer will outline what legal options the group has to oppose the turbine project. Another person asked the board members what their personal opinions on the towers are. Koskela, Janssen, and Anderson said they weren’t in favor of the development. Tikkanen said people should “not roll over” and fight it with all legal methods. Britz said he’s concerned about the long-term impacts of the turbines, but also the energy future of the country, and that he is “still being educated.”
Another person spoke about supposed “election shutdowns” they learned about from Facebook, and distributed an email to the board members, and made some nonspecific allegations against Senator Ed McBroom. They also presented negative information about maintenance by Election Source, which supposedly destroys election records. Later in the public comment period, Steve Delongchamp from Election Source explained the maintenance did not impact any election records and has been routine for elections every two years for the last twenty years, and refuted other allegations as well.
Music program marches on
Houghton-Portage Township Schools keeps music program running through pandemic
Houghton-Portage Township Schools keeps music program running through pandemic
Over the past 16 months, life in the Copper Country, as it has throughout the world, has been greatly impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually all aspects of life have been affected, perhaps none more so than education. Colleges and universities relied heavily on online instruction as did most middle and high schools. In public schools, extracurricular activities were curtailed, altered or suspended altogether. The impact of the pandemic on high school sports, where local teams’ quests for state championships abruptly ended, received the most attention and media coverage. Parents and supporters were vocal in their insistence that the benefits of participation in sports must continue despite the concerns of COVID-19.
There is no argument that athletics is an important part of school life, but not every student is a student-athlete. Area schools offer a plethora of outside-the-classroom activities that don’t require skates, cleats, sneakers, pucks or balls. The pandemic took its toll on programs ranging from robotics and Lego League to marching band.
At Houghton-Portage Township Schools, a thriving music program continues to thrive, albeit a bit differently. Music Teacher Kelly Fontaine said the research she conducted before the start of school last fall made all the difference.
“I found help with a University of Colorado study that showed ways we could continue our music program while using precautions and staying safe.”
Fontaine said the school allowed the band to hold daily rehearsals in the school auditorium where musicians kept at least six feet apart. Students were given special masks with a Velcro slit in the middle and bell covers for instruments. Additionally, special singing masks for the choir were used.
The music program’s efforts were appreciated by the student musicians and their families.
“In general the students were very receptive and the parents were very understanding,” Fontaine said. “They were very appreciative that we could continue learning through band and choir safely.”
As you might expect, there were some unique challenges.
“Getting a mouthpiece through the slit of the mask takes a little bit of time, and I don’t have a lot of patience. Toward the end of the school year, the students were very excited to practice marching outside without a mask if they chose to do so.”
Fontaine said they found some very creative ways to make music in the time of COVID-19. Daily Google meets were held for students who chose to do band or choir virtually.
“When the school shut down for a few weeks, rehearsing became tough via computer, so we learned about fundamental music theory, rhythm and score study.”
Fontaine anticipated the school shut down in December acted accordingly. She made recordings of all of the groups from grades 6 to 12 in both band and choir. Michigan Tech’s audio department recorded some of the groups as well. With these recordings, they were able to stream a virtual concert.
“This was not an easy process. Our choir director, Hillary Arundel, spent many hours splicing videos to make it perfect for our students and their families,” Fontaine said.
To be expected, there were some sacrifices. Some performances were canceled such as the UP Honors Band. However, they were able to hold a Virtual Solo and Ensemble Festival where many of the local students received high awards.
“The highlight of the year was an in-person spring concert. We were able to perform in our high school gymnasium where parents and students were spaced six feet apart and wore masks.”
Fontaine said that despite everything they’ve gone through, the music program at Houghton – Portage Township Schools thrived because of cooperation from all involved.
“Although this was the craziest year to date in my career, I am very proud of the way everyone at Houghton handled the pandemic. From students to administrators and everyone in between, we were in it together.”
Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash
Gas spill updates, dog park grant planning and approval, and fee adjustments for city services
Meeting Highlights
During the first public comment period, Rick from the Tire Shop offered a statement on the recent tanker turnover in front of his store, at Santori’s corner. He was very complimentary of the emergency response.
At the beginning of City Manager Mary Babcock’s report, Hancock Police Chief Wayne Butler also gave an update on the Santori’s corner spill. His report included information on the condition of the tanker truck, the crash investigation, and other details. Butler said they were pursuing some greater signage on the corner to help prevent future spills.
He also updated the council on some events happening in the next couple of weeks that the department will be involved in, and the recent struggle to find new officers.
During the remainder of the manager’s report, Babcock gave updates on local construction projects, the preparations for the upcoming Canal Run, grant proposals, and more.
The council discussed and approved a rate increase for several permits and city services, including fence permit inspections, copies of things like the zoning ordinance and master plan, and dump truck rental.
The council had a discussion about a request from Oak House for a break on their water bill, in light of their nonprofit status and financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic. They eventually agreed on a limited-scope rebate rather than an ongoing rate reduction.
Also, the council approved an application for a matching grant for the dog park in development. The grant requires a $20,000 fundraised match, and there will be a fundraising campaign launched for that purpose soon.
Ontonagon Village Council adopts Conflict of Interest Policy on a split vote
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that no officer of the village will gain personal advantage from their work with the village.
The Ontonagon Village Council met in a regular session on June 28. The full Council was present, along with the Acting Clerk and Interim Manager, William Dupont.
Carried over from the June 14 meeting was:
• Conflict of Interest Policy: The purpose of this policy is to ensure that no officer of the village will gain personal advantage from their work with the village.
Trustee John Hamm felt that the wording of the proposed policy is too cumbersome and hard to understand. He felt that in light of the relationships, both family and organizational, within the village, the proposed policy could make it impossible for council members to vote on anything.
The Treasury Department has mandated that a policy on conflict of interest be on record, and Village President Tony Smydra wanted to know what was the deadline for adoption. Manager DuPont informed him that Treasury wants this in place soon. Smydra suggested adopting the policy, as presented, but to set up a committee to revise it.
It was moved by Trustee Sarah Hopper to adopt Policy #2021-008, but to establish an ad hoc committee to explore changes and recommendations. The motion carried by a 4-3 vote. Mike Rebholz, who voted in favor; John Hamm, who was opposed, and Elmer Marks, who had refused to vote, were immediately appointed to the ad hoc committee to study possible changes in the policy.
• Blight Committee: Bob Hartel, Chairman of the Blight Committee, was present to discuss the assigned role of his committee. The former manager had assumed the key role as the contact person, and the Blight Committee was simply to handle referrals from him. Hartel pointed out that the Blight Committee never received any referrals from the Manager. It was suggested that the former manager did not want to become involved with enforcement of the Blight Ordinance and was only concerned about the grass being cut and ignored other issues. President Smydra promised to follow up on this situation and to clarify the role of the Blight Committee.
• OMH Hospital Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) status: Interim Manager DuPont informed Council that the village currently owes MERS $202,836.12. The March payment of $36,809.41 was made, as promised, on June 24.
DuPont projected that, based on estimated revenue sharing, the village should be able to completely catch up with the past due MERS payments by the end of September. The interim manager cautioned the council that two factors could impact this projection. First, the Treasury Department owes the village some $46,373.81 in prior year revenue sharing payments, and it is not determined when these funds may be received. Secondly, the estimated taxes of $407,808.86 may not be received in a timely manner. 80% of this figure must be collected to make the catch-up date in September.
Finally, DuPont warned the council that the MERS liability is consuming the general fund and the MERS payments may soon comprise roughly 95% of general fund revenue this year.
• County Road Commission Offer: Five years ago, the Ontonagon County Road Commission offered to purchase the SPEC building for $75,000 This was to be paid for with $50,000 in cash and $25,000 in services to construct an extension of Giesau Drive from the village water tower through to U.S. 45.
The road commission has offered to simply pay the village $25,000 to conclude the transaction. Originally, the sales contract specified that the road would be completed within five years, and that timeline has expired.
The council voted to accept the $25,000 in final payment for the SPEC building. The SPEC (speculation) building was constructed some years ago by the Downtown Development Authority at a cost of over $225,000 in hopes of being able to offer the large structure to a prospective employer. After standing vacant for several years, the Road Commission expressed interest in purchasing it to use as a shop and vehicle repair facility. The June 28 transaction transfers final ownership to the Ontonagon County road commission.
Under NEW BUSINESS:
• Policy 2021-009 Financial Activities Policy: Strongly recommended by the auditors, this new policy was approved.
• Dog Park: It was suggested that finishing the fence around the old softball diamond would make this area suitable to use as a dog walking/park area for the time being. The street foreman also agreed to provide an old fire hydrant for the use of the dogs.
The Recreation Commission will set up rules and administrative policies for the dog park.
• Village real property: The village owns roughly 6% of the real property in the Village. The usual municipal property ownership is 2%. President Smydra asked that the matter be studied with the possibility of selling off excess properties, which would return said parcels to the tax rolls. It was moved by Trustee Marks to inventory village real property and consider action at a later time, and this was approved.