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Calumet Heritage festival July 1, 2000
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Calumet's Fifth Street, was closed to cars July
1 to allow local residents and visitors to enjoy walking and biking during the first Heritage Celebration, organized by the
Friends of Agassiz Park co-planners Tim Lyons of Calumet, Lucy Nakkula of Boston Location and Geri Larsen of Calumet.
Lyons said the group was formed for this event -- to celebrate the multi-ethnic heritage of Calumet and re-create a
turn-of-the-century atmosphere
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The Calumet High School R.O.T.C. color guard
raised flags of several nations to commemorate Calumet's immigrant history at the celebration opening in Agassiz Park.
Pictured are, front row, from left--Chris Rowe, Tom Parks and Andrew Quackenbush; back row, l.-r., Mike LaMotte, Josh
Rowe, Brian Kleven and Adam Trebel. Not pictured is Maj. Mike Farley, of Calumet, senior R.O.T.C. instructor.
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Houghton County Commissioner Ed Jenich of
Laurium, a former student of the late accordionist Margaret Andrina, , plays a familiar Italian tune for Keweenaw
Industrial Council Executive Director Phil Musser of Hancock and Susan Burack, Upper Peninsula/Rural Arts Coordinator
for the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies, after the unveiling of the Community Arts Murals at the Union
Building during the celebration. In the background is one of the murals, "Summer Snow," by Jack Oyler of
Calumet.
"It's wonderful to see what started as an idea become a reality," Burack said.
The Houghton
County Arts Committee conceived of the project to display the acrylic-on-canvas murals on buildings in Houghton,
Hancock and Calumet during the summer. Houghton County Commissioner and State Representative candidate Gregg Nominelli,
chairman of the arts committee, said plans include displaying the murals in large buildings such as the Calumet Armory
during the fall and winter. Musser, Houghton County Commissioners and local businesses helped fund the murals project.
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Calumet artist Ed Andrzejewski's mural,
"The Italian Hall Disaster," was displayed on the Keweenaw Heritage Center, formerly St. Anne's Church, as part of
the murals project.
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Artist Joyce Koskenmaki of Hancock is pictured
here in front of the Union Building in Calumet with her Community Arts mural, "The Owl," unveiled during the
Heritage Celebration. "It's about clearcutting," Koskenmaki said. "The owl is looking at you,
confronting you, to get you to pay attention to what's happening to nature."
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Laurel Kruse of Lake Linden was one of many
local residents who dressed in vintage costumes and demonstrated traditional arts, such as spinning wool. Here Kruse is
spinning natural yarn that has not been washed or dyed. "It's called 'spinning on the grease,'" she said.
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Community effort makes festival a success
The first Heritage Celebration -- with
activities for the whole family -- could not have happened without the cooperation of many community groups, Lyons said.
Among these were the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Calumet, Calumet Township, local merchants
and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. Even Keweenaw County Sheriff Ron Lahti could be seen cooking hot dogs with other
Mohawk Lions Club members.
"Agassiz Park was designed for miners to have an open green space for social
events similar to this one -- to build community spirit," Lyons noted.
Frank Fiala, Keweenaw National Historical
Park superintendent, said he was delighted at the community participation in the Heritage Celebration.
"I
salute the planning team on their efforts to bring all this together," Fiala said. "I'm hopeful that this event
will grow and become a major heritage celebration in the future."
- Michele Anderson
July 5, 2000
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