Ribbon cutting scheduled

Michigan Department of Natural Resources
has opened a new ORV route between
Ishpeming and Republic in Marquette County.

The DNR, in conjunction with the Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, at the intersection of Stoneville Road and the Ishpeming to Republic ORV Route in Tilden Township.

The DNR and Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority invite all trail lovers to attend the ceremony and discover this new Upper Peninsula recreation opportunity.

The Iron Ore Heritage Trail and the DNR have successfully worked together on the development of many miles of hiking and biking trails in Marquette County. This new ORV route continues that tradition of collaboration, with the eventual goal of linking Negaunee and Gwinn into this route.

“There are many partners in making these trails become reality," said Carol Fulsher, administrator of the Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority. "We would like to thank the Moose Country Snowmobile Club for spending the time and money in fixing the bridges along this route and allowing it to be open year-round."

This new ORV route is 19 miles long and connects the communities of Ishpeming, Clarksburg, Humboldt and Republic. It is restricted to vehicles 65 inches in width or smaller. The ORV route also is open to hiking, biking and equestrian and snowmobile use.

"We recognize the importance of connecting communities with ORV routes,” said Michigan DNR recreation specialist Ron Yesney. “This is a good first step, and we’re pleased to partner with agencies like the Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority to improve recreation opportunities throughout the state.”

For more information about the new Ishpeming to Republic ORV Route or the ribbon-cutting ceremony, please contact Yesney at 906-228-6561 or yesneyr@michigan.gov.

Planning a summer road trip? Check this out

Museum staff announces 2015 summer events

Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee has posted its summer calendar of events, which includes music, historic bike tours, afternoon programs and classic cars.

Through exhibits, outdoor interpretive trails and scenic overlooks the Michigan Iron Industry Museum tells the story of Michigan’s three iron ranges and the people who helped build modern America.

The 22-minute film “Iron Spirits – Life on the Michigan Iron Range,” shown seven times daily, presents the colorful story of immigrant and community life in the Upper Peninsula.

Located eight miles west of Marquette, the museum overlooks the Carp River and the site of the region’s first iron forge. Between 1848 and 1855, the Jackson Iron Company and its successors wrought iron from Negaunee’s Jackson mine. From that seed grew an industry that flourished for more than 125 years. It continues today at the Empire and Tilden open pit mines.

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Scheduled programs and events include:

• May 17 – Museum Open House featuring White Water in concert at 1 and 2:30 p.m., new exhibits about the forge, and the rededication of the William G. Mather Auditorium and the Cliffs Gallery. Light refreshments will be served.  The open house is from noon to 4 p.m.
• June 21 – “Iron, Steel and the Automobile: 26th Annual Antique Auto Exhibit” featuring more than 50 vintage vehicles and light trucks from the 1910s to 1969; live jazz and swing performances by the Keweenaw Bluffs Orchestra; music from the 1950s; and food concession.
• July 10, 17 and 24 – Iron Ore Heritage Bike Tours begin at 10 a.m.; preregistration and fee required.
• July 7 – “The Kawbawgam Cases: Native Claims and the Discovery of Iron Ore in the Upper Peninsula” with Rebecca Mead, Ph.D., Northern Michigan University.
• July 14 – “The Ongoing Quest for the Wreck of the Griffon” with Dean Anderson, Ph.D., state archaeologist, Lansing.
• July 21 – “Making Waves: Michigan’s Boat-Building Industry, 1865-2000” with Scott Peters, Michigan Historical Center, Lansing. Book signing to follow program.
• July 28 – “Decolonizing Diet Project: A Transformative Relationship with Food One Bite at a Time” with April Lindala, director, Center for Native American Studies, Northern Michigan University.
• Aug. 4 – “Marble Arms: A History of the Company and its Innovative Outdoor Products” with Craig Lauerman, president, Marble Arms, Gladstone.
• Aug. 11 – “Michigan’s Raptors: Birds of Prey” with Jerome Maynard, Chocolay Raptor Center, Marquette.
• Aug. 18 – “Beer in the Upper Peninsula: A History of Brewing Above the Bridge” with Russell Magnaghi, Ph.D., Northern Michigan University. Book signing to follow program.
• Oct. 3 – “Iron Ore and the Civil War” featuring Civil War artillery encampment, cannon and small arms demonstrations, costumed interpreters, and children’s games and activities.

The museum entrance is located on U.S. 41 E, 1 mile west of Junction M-35, in Negaunee Township.

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources.  For more information about events or programs call 906-475-7857 or visit www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.

Traveling to Marquette the week of April 20?

Read this...

 

COUNTY:

Marquette

 

HIGHWAY:

US-41/M-28

 

CLOSEST TOWN:

Marquette

                                   

ESTIMATED STARTING DATE:

Monday, April 20, 2015

                       

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE:

Friday, Aug. 28, 2015

 

PROJECT:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be resurfacing and installing paved shoulders on 1.1 miles of US-41/M-28 from the Carp River to Furnace Street in the city of Marquette.

 

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS:

This project will require lane closures.   

BOW opportunity scheduled

DNR Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program set for June 5-7 in the Upper Peninsula

Women seeking to improve their outdoor skills can now register for the 18th annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) summer program, offered the weekend of June 5-7 at Bay Cliff Health Camp, in Big Bay, located approximately 30 miles north of Marquette, Michigan.

Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, this BOW program offers instruction in more than two dozen types of outdoor activities, including kayaking, wilderness first aid and survival, lake and fly-fishing, fly-tying, geocaching, shooting sports, boating and mountain biking – to name just a few.

“Volunteer instructors provide basic and advanced instruction that is uniquely tailored to each participant's individual ability, helping all Becoming an Outdoors-Woman participants learn the basics in a short amount of time,” said BOW coordinator Sharon Pitz.

Participants will be housed in a universally accessible, dorm-style facility with numerous amenities, including a pool, sauna, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails and easy access to Lake Superior, Pitz said. The BOW summer program also includes special evening programs, such as hikes, group bonfires and more.

The $185 registration fee includes all food and lodging, as well as most equipment and supplies.

Class information and registration materials are available online at www.michigan.gov/bow, and registration can be paid online at www.michigan.gov/estore. The summer program typically fills quickly – in fact, as of today half of the spots already are filled – so early registration is encouraged. The deadline for registration is May 15. A limited number of BOW scholarships are available to help low-income participants with the cost of registration; the scholarship deadline is May 1.

Pitz said that Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is a noncompetitive program that encourages each individual to learn at her own pace.

“The emphasis is on the enjoyment, fun and camaraderie of outdoor activities,” she said. “Everyone shares in each other’s successes and supports each other in efforts to master skills. Having these life-changing and empowering experiences in Michigan’s beautiful woods and water is just icing on the cake.”

For more information about this or other BOW programs offered in Michigan, go online to www.michigan.gov/bow or contact Sharon Pitz at 906-228-6561 or e-mail pitzs@michigan.gov.