Houghton County Veterans Service Office hosted the fourth annual Vet Fest this past week at the MTU Student Development Center in Houghton and it was a huge success, supporting our veterans from across the U.P. and northern Wisconsin. The event is a one-stop connection to local services and support for our Veterans and included the following services - VA Healthcare Enrollments with Toxic Exposure Screenings, Michigan Secretary of State Mobile Office, Representatives from the Detroit VA Regional Office, Lifetime National Park Pass sign-up, Veteran Service Officers from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga Counties and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, plus over 90 local vendors were there to honor and connect with those who have served our country. A free $20 gas card was given to the first 500 Veterans and free VetFest t-shirts were given to attendees. Everyone also received a free pasty lunch, along with free refreshments. There were numerous free raffle prizes given out to the Veterans, including two vacations. It was a great way to honor our local Vets.

We join Visit Keweenaw for a “Crossing Place” look at the Copper Country Strawberry Festival that takes place every year in Chassell... this year it will be held July 10-11. Make sure to mark your calendar for this event. You don’t want to miss it! The lead-in to their video says: “It seems unlikely that one of the Copper Country's most enduring traditions would begin with a strawberry. Yet the rich soils surrounding Chassell produced berries so sweet and sought-after that they were once packed onto railcars and shipped throughout the Midwest. What began as a thriving agricultural industry inspired a festival in 1949, celebrating the farmers, families, and communities that helped the region flourish. Today, thousands still gather each July for parades, music, and more than 5,000 strawberry shortcakes, carrying forward a tradition rooted in the simple magic of a bright red berry thriving at the edge of Lake Superior.”

How awesome that our community does this every
year. We forgot this year but will be sure to
remember next year.

This is too awesome! WTG Mary, for showcasing this
wonderful event....THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VETS!!!

And that Strawberry Fest is an EVENT as well! And
you will NEVER go wrong with Strawberry Shortcake~!
That is pure Yooper...you HAVE to have it at least
once in the Summer! AND with local berries that are
so sweet and juicy...they'll be selling them on the
roadside for awhile...they aren't that cardboard
tasting stuff from the grocery store~~~

How great that an annual VetFest is held there in
Houghton, looks like an all-inclusive event. And a
huge THANKS to all our veterans!
Was not aware that Strawberries were that big a
deal as a crop UP there! Very cool information.
And it’s so hard to beat fresh picked local
Strawberries, they are just perfect, YUM!!

Hi
A salute to our veterans, and let's try to remember
them in tangible ways (I need to do this).

A belated happy Father's Day. Also happy summer
solstice, though it was so rainy down here that it
didn't really seem like the longest day of the year.

I'm looking forward to being up north next week.
Speaking of strawberries, I plan to continue a 4th of
July tradition. There is a strawberry shortcake
social on the marina lawn in Mackinaw City on that
day. Strawberries, vanilla ice cream, biscuits and
everyone in their red, white & blue outfits.