Voters in the L’Anse Area School District are being asked for a second time to pass an 18-mill non-homestead tax levy renewal. The millage proposal will be on the Primary Election ballot on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010.
   According to L’Anse Superintendent Ray Pasquali, the millage generates approximately $1.2 million annually for the L’Anse schools, which could result in “. . .a catastrophic situation for the school district if not passed.”

   A full ballot faces voters in the Aug. 3, 2010 Primary Election. From the Congressional race to the state governor’s race to local offices, voters will pare down lists of candidates in preparation for the November ballot.
   The primary only includes Democrats and Republicans; no third party candidates will appear on the August ballot.
   Voters will select one party or the other and vote for candidates from one party only. “You can not split your ticket in the August primary,” County Clerk Wendy Goodreau noted.

   The 32nd Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Maawanji’iding (pow-wow) titled “Honoring Our Legacy” was celebrated this past weekend at the Ojibwa Campground in Baraga.
   “We had more people registered to dance in Friday’s Grand Entry, 237, than we’ve had in years,” said Pow-wow Committee Vice President Elvera Lantz. “We sold 2,800 passes at the gate!”
   The pow-wow officially began at daybreak on Thursday, July 22, 2010, when the Sacred Fire was lit at the Dance Arena. Traditional Teaching followed at the Back Pavilion, followed by the Blessing and Feast at noon and more teachings from 2-4 p.m.

HOME SAFE AGAIN!--Kristen Hill and Dennis McCabe are the heart of Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary in Aura. Ten acres welcomes farm animals from abusive situations. With the couple are Indigo (l) and Moon. Both were originally brought to the farm and adopted out only to return several years later after taken from abusive owners.

   The recent story of two abused horses removed from property in Houghton County has brought light to a newly formed animal sanctuary here in Baraga County.
   The Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary is run under the leadership of Kristen Hill and is located on Townline Road in Aura. Hill said she, Jean Hill, Joan Hill and Dennis McCabe, along with several other individuals, decided to set up the sanctuary this year.
   “We have others coming on board,” Hill said. “As we grow, we’ll get more into positions. We have an attorney helping us with our federal non-profit status (501 c 3). Hopefully that will be set up by this fall.”

   The Baraga Area Schools is experiencing a big turnover in administrative staff this year. The superintendent, high school secretary and elementary secretary are retiring.
   Norm McKindles is stepping down this Friday after a 32-year career in education and five years at the helm of the Baraga district. High School office secretary Joyce Budreau was running the Baraga office before she graduated from high school in 1979! She’s retiring this week after 31 and a half years on the job. Elementary office secretary Sandy Ruuspakka has retired after serving for 19 years.
   The district should be in good hands, however, as replacements for all three positions have been hired. A colleague of McKindles and veteran superintendent, Ken Groh, will serve as the interim superintendent this school year. He’s held a variety of administrative positions in the North Central district, and was the one who hired McKindles to the principalship there.
   Groh has served as superintendent at North Central and Manistique, retiring in 2004. He’s since done interim superintendencies for North Central (after McKindles came to Baraga) and at Gladstone.
   Baraga substitute office secretary and payroll clerk Lori Lindemann has assumed Ruuspakka’s position in the elementary office. Katy Besonen, most recently the L’Anse site coordinator for the Great Explorations program, is the new high school office secretary. She’s been getting a quick primer for the job from Budreau.

   One person is dead as the result of a one-vehicle car fire in Covington Township Monday evening, July 26, 2010.
   L’Anse State Police troopers investigated a call around 6:53 p.m after Covington Twp. Fire Dept. received a report of smoke coming from Baraga Plains.
   Troopers found a burning vehicle on Tibbet Falls Road. Police say it was eastbound before striking two trees.

   The unemployment rate in the Upper Peninsula edged down slightly in June to 11.9 percent, a monthly drop of two-tenths of a percentage point. The Michigan not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased in June, moving up by 0.3 percentage points over the month to 13.1 percent.
   Baraga County (24.7 percent) recorded the highest June jobless rate in the state. Other UP counties with high rates included Ontonagon County at 17.4 percent and Gogebic County with 14.5 percent. Mackinac County reported the lowest June unemployment rate in Michigan (6.2 percent).

   Two sessions of Baraga County Circuit Court were held in the past week. Judge Charles Goodman convened court on Thursday, July 22, and Monday, July 26, 2010.
   Thomas Lee Herrala, 27, of Baraga, stood mute on a count of Criminal Sexual Conduct, 2nd Degree. The charge alleges Herrala had sexual contact with a victim under the age of 13 between June and September, 2009.

   There will be no officer changes in the L’Anse Area Schools’ Board of Education for the upcoming school year. At the group’s July 19, 2010, annual reorganization meeting, trustees decided to reappoint each officer.
   The reorganization meeting took place before the regular session where a light agenda was addressed. Among action items was keeping music teacher Aaron VanDusen employed for the 2010-2011 school year.
   Jason Ayres will remain as president, René Lehto vice-president, Suzette Reilley secretary and Anne Koski treasurer. The board tried moving the board’s meeting time to 6 p.m. the third Monday of each month. That failed on a 3-3 vote and a decision to keep it at 5:30 p.m. passed. Reilley was absent from the meeting.