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Keweenaw Land Trust presents Heart and Hands award
HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Land Trust members and friends recently honored a
Houghton couple for years of promoting peace, justice and environmental stewardship.
Robert and Viola Brown received the second annual Heart and Hands award from last
year's award winner, KLT President Dana Richter, during the Third Annual KLT
Horsetail Scramble fundraiser and Fourth of July celebration at Churning Rapids in Hancock.
The Heart & Hands award -- sponsored by Sue Ellen Kingsley and Terry Kinzel, who
hosted the Churning Rapids celebration -- was created to honor those individuals who
have made a significant impact on the Keweenaw community by giving of themselves in a
caring, committed way in the areas of peace, justice, human needs or environmental stewardship.
"Bob and Vi Brown are long-term and highly respected people in the community,"
Richter said. "They both work hard giving of their time to foster communication and positive relationships among many groups."
Richter added Bob Brown was instrumental in forming the biology department at
Michigan Tech, where he taught from the early 60s to his retirement in 1983.
"He taught many students ecology and environmental stewardship," Richter noted.
"Those students speak highly of him to this day and credit him with their continued concern for the environment."
Bob was on the original committee to save the Estivant Pines near Copper Harbor,
Richter added. Both Bob and Vi have been involved with Copper Country Audubon
since its formation. They were early founders of the Copper Country Peace Alliance and
still support it. Bob also served on the governor's advisory commission on environmental policy in the early 1980s.
"The Browns have been vehement in their opposition to environmental degradation of the
Upper Peninsula for over 40 years," Richter said. "They actively opposed the nuclear
trigger ELF in the 1970s and 80s and spoke out against the policy to consider the U.P. for a nuclear waste dumpsite."
Vi Brown, who worked with her husband in holding forums and discussion groups on
many issues affecting the local community, is also active in promoting awareness of
Finnish heritage and history. She has devoted time to the Finnish-American Heritage
Society and museum through Finlandia University (formerly Suomi College).
The Browns have traveled widely and often welcome international visitors and students
to their home. They have spent time in Finland on scientific exchanges and lived in
Trinidad, Turkey and China, where Bob taught biology. Vi studied West Indian literature
in Trinidad and taught English in Turkey and China. The Browns have also tutored
Michigan Tech University Chinese students in English. Vi is active in International
Neighbors, which welcomes and initiates foreigners into the community.
The Browns were presented with a wood sculpture and $150 to be divided equally
between the two charities of their choice -- Habitat for Humanity and the Barbara Kettle
Gundlach Shelter Home. To obtain more information about the award or to nominate someone for next year, call 482-6827.
Bob was also among the Horsetail Scramble walkers who defied the Fourth of July heat
to follow Jim, a Belgian draft horse who led the way over the woodland trails of
Churning Rapids, an area near the Maasto Hiihto cross-country ski trails.
"We arrived a little late, so ... I decided to walk up the wrong way, and I met lots of people," Bob said.
The runners and walkers, who were encouraged to collect donations for the KLT
endowment, had the choice of a 10K trail run, a 5K fitness walk and a 5K junior trail
run for those 16 and under. Some athletes -- especially the kids -- celebrated the end of
the run or trek with a swim in the pond. The crowd enjoyed a wide selection of potluck
picnic dishes. Finn Street entertained with a variety of folk and popular tunes. Hostess
Sue Ellen Kingsley played in the band along with musicians Norm Kendall of Hancock
and Floyd Henderson of Calumet and lead vocalist Kris Kyro of Hancock.
Said Kingsley, "I am just so grateful for a gorgeous day and the help of so many volunteers and happy to see so many of my friends."
Kingsley and her husband, Terry Kinzel, are active members of the Keweenaw Land
Trust. Kinzel is presently the secretary of the private, non-profit conservation
organization. The KLT was founded by Copper Country residents to preserve the
character of natural, agricultural and forested land throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula
for the public good. The trust, active in Houghton, Baraga and Keweenaw counties,
acquires land holdings through donations and purchases and may hold conservation
easements for landowners. For more information about KLT write to them at P.O. Box 750, Houghton, MI 49931.
More photos of the Heart and Hands party
- Michele Anderson
July 6, 2000
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