'Tis the Season
While many of us make merry, some of us are preparing for the Upper Peninsula's harshest season -- in a difficult year
Volunteers pre-packing snacks on Saturday for easier packing of the bigger bags on Wednesdays.
Last week, seven volunteers gathered inside of Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Hancock for several hours to pre-pack food that would be given directly to local school kids later that week to make sure that they have enough to eat over the weekend, whether their guardians feed them or not.
That’s the weekly mission of 31 Backpacks, which started by helping just 31 kids and now helps more than 250. They aim to feed kids directly, with simple food that requires little or no preparation. This way, the kids can eat if there’s an adult involved to help or if they’re absent.
They pack extra food for long weekends like Thanksgiving break. For winter break each year, they do the “Big Pack”, which will have to cover 16 days this year.
“Each student receives about five kitchen-size bags full of food,” Melissa Maki said. “It’s more family-oriented. That might be boxes of pasta and that sort of thing.”
31 Backpacks Director Melissa Maki in the food storage rooms at Glad Tidings Assembly of God.
Maki said that since the beginning of the pandemic, they’ve started stockpiling some of the foods they get. As a registered 5019(c)3 nonprofit, they qualify to purchase from the food bank.
“When we see something at the food bank that we know we’re going to need, whether it’s this week or two months from now or four months from now, we’ll go ahead and buy it,” she said.
When the pandemic broke, 31 Backpacks had just prepared their spring break Big Pack and nearly emptied their shelves. Because of school closings and other circumstances, the number of students enrolled in their program jumped nearly tenfold.
“We had enough food for the then and now, but we didn’t have enough food for the future,” Maki said. “Now, if you take a look, we have two rooms here at the church and we keep them fairly well-stocked at this point in the event of some other emergency like that.”
The group constantly adjusts what they pack based on what they can get, as the supply chain issues continue to make availability uncertain.
“For example, we haven’t seen Pop-Tarts in months,” Maki said. “We still have some on hand because we had the forethought to get some, but we’re looking at alternatives for items like that.”
She said Lunchables and milk have also had some recent local supply issues.
Volunteer food packer Austin Jordan hauling boxes of food, soon to be broken down into bags for at-risk school kids.
“That’s been our biggest challenge as far as running the program this year,” Maki said.
Finding volunteers amid COVID-19 and other sicknesses is also an ongoing issue.
“It affects us every single week,” Maki said. “It’s kind of become routine, to not have a routine.”
31 Backpacks is always looking for more volunteers and donors. You can contact them by reaching out through their Facebook page.
The retaining wall that contains the 5th Street fire rubble is reflected in the windows of the Copper Country Angel Mission in Calumet.
Immediately across the street from the Calumet block that burned down earlier this year—destroying 15 apartments and leaving around 30 people homeless—the Copper Country Angel Mission conducted their annual coat giveaway and Angel Tree signup, despite some of their volunteers being out with illness.
“We thrive on helping the needy,” Lynn Lanyon said. “But you don’t have to be needy. Anyone can come in, grab a jacket, and just leave a little donation.”
Lanyon sat at the storefront of 117 5th Street on Wednesday afternoon, conducting people into the racks of coats and taking down their names, ages, and numbers of children for the Angel Tree.
Lanyon said that volunteers have been extra difficult to find lately, and illnesses have kept some of those who do volunteer at home sometimes. Copper Country Angel Mission requires masks inside their buildings, and Lanyon said some people have still been pushing back about wearing them to come in.
Donations continue to be steady according to Lanyon, and they’ve even started seeing some nicer items than they’re used to. However, some people are also dropping off garbage.
“We can’t afford to take your trash,” Lanyon said.
She tries to give people the benefit of the doubt, assuming it just got mixed in and forgotten in a truckload of donated items. However, paying to properly dispose of other people’s garbage is an expense the charity can hardly afford.
You can contact Copper Country Angel Mission to volunteer, donate, or register for the Angel Tree by calling Lanyon at (906)934-3602, or visiting their website or Facebook page. Lanyon said waterproof gloves and boots are in particularly high demand.
The Copper Country Angel Mission also operates a food pantry.
Salvation Army Site Director Pete Mackin takes a call in his Hancock office. A veteran is in danger of losing his housing and needs help finding a new place to live.
Pete Mackin, site director for the Hancock Salvation Army, has been working to tie local resources for the needy together for easier access. He said this year has been particularly bad for local homelessness.
Compounding widespread national issues, the fire in Calumet destroyed 15 apartments, student enrollment at the local universities is at 30-year highs, and some local landlords took the seller’s housing market as an opportunity to sell their properties—often with the result of pushing their tenants out into a difficult housing market.
“We’ve had a number of factors that have made it into a full-blown crisis,” Mackin said.
As Mackin and I talked, a family looking for a new apartment moved plastic bags full of their belongings into the Salvation Army building for temporary safe storage. Mackin said his work finding housing for people at-risk of going homeless has jumped from the occasional drug addict or refugee from domestic dispute to a regular activity he undertakes.
“And these are people who have lost housing for no reason of their own,” Mackin said. “Most of the time, they’re seniors on fixed income.”
With no shelter in the area, Mackin scrambles together a variety of resources. Sometimes he can bus people to shelters in other cities, but if people have family or a job in the area they want to stay near, leaving isn’t a good option.
“These are people that are, you know, working poor,” Mackin said. “They’re families. I’ve had little kids living in warehouses with their parents… in tents, in cars with heaters we’ve been providing…”
In addition, this year Mackin is anticipating record-high bills for propane and natural gas, alongside the always-high electricity rates.
“I’m a bit concerned about that for the area,” Mackin said.
He hopes the milder winter that’s been forecasted helps mitigate the issue but is also ready to help connect people with state assistance to meet their energy needs.
Pete Mackin picks up food donations from Econofoods in Houghton.
As the holidays draw near, Mackin is also preparing for the Salvation Army’s signature fundraiser, ringing the red kettle.
“Last year, it definitely took a miracle of God for us to get through the bell ringing season,” Mackin said. “I did not have students, I did not have seniors, I didn’t have community groups…”
Many of the places where bellringers usually volunteer were also closed, too. Mackin said despite the challenges, the community came out and supported the organization.
“It was amazing how people came to support us last year,” he said.
This year, Mackin is planning to have bellringers in Ontonagon and Baraga counties as well. That’s important because the money all stays local.
“What I raise in those kettles in that town is what’s for that community,” Mackin said.
He said what’s raised in Houghton is used in Houghton, and the same for Calumet, Lake Linden, or any of the other bellringing locations—with some narrow exceptions for nearby communities that don’t have a possible location for volunteers to ring.
“It’s all coming from your support,” Mackin said.
You can contact the Salvation Army by emailing Pete Mackin at Pete.Mackin@usc.salvationarmy.org, by calling (906)482-3420, or by visiting their Facebook page.
Ontonagon's budget, former-manager woes deepen; New management team seeks to make corrections
The Ontonagon Village Council held a budget workshop on March 4th. Budget matters were discussed at some length, but the most distressing items were discoveries that have been made in the wake of the termination of the village manager’s employment. These were, in part, as follows:
• The Deficit Elimination Plan did not have an approved budget for the Marina Fund. An approved budget must be in place by March 26, 2021, and if the Treasury Department doesn’t have this, the village could lose 25% of its State revenue sharing money (about $35,000).
• CRLGG Grant: This is the COVID-19 program money. There was a deadline of Jan. 18, 2021, to submit the closing certification for this grant and this was left undone. An email that was sent to and received by former village management detailing the issue and a new deadline of March 5, 2021, was summarily ignored. The village office staff has now completed this obligation and submitted it on March 1, 2021. If this had not been caught in time, the village would have had to pay back $8,000 of the CRLGG grant.
• MERS Payments: The village currently owes $125,749.54 in back payments. Village management had received notice of this on Jan. 25, 2021, explaining that a payment was due on Oct. 20, 2020. The council had also been sent this letter, but this information appears to have been withheld.
• ACT 51 Street Financial Report: Village management received an email communication from Laura Loomis which was received on Dec. 4, 2020, stating that a report was due on Dec. 31, 2020. This was ignored.
• Paddlecraft Landing Grant: This project has been rife with criticism from several persons in the community. The village spent about $110,000 on this development. This was a DNR grant, but the village was not reimbursed because the grant closing documents were not completed. Numerous emails were sent to village management from October of 2019 to April of 2020 requesting completion of the grant documentation. The village office staff has now been in contact with the MDNR and $46,000 is still available to finish this project and they have agreed to reopen the grant as it has been allowed to expire.
• Lakeshore Lighting Grant: The MDNR advised the village that there is still $4,500 available for the Lakeshore Drive lighting grant. This will be followed up by village office staff.
• Marine Dredging Grant: There was a shortfall in the marina fund because the paperwork for this grant has not been completed. The audit received by the village in December of 2020 made this information available but there had been no attempt to correct the matter. The grant expired on Dec. 31, 2020. Thanks to Acting Clerk Cori Weisinger, the deadline has been extended to Dec. 31, 2021, and the village is entitled to recoup $174,681.
• MDNR Grant for re-culvert and proposed footbridge over the slough (Rose Channel): This was a pass-thru grant from the DNR with no cost to the village at all. Village management had not responded to information requests from the DNR and this is due on March 12. The village would have lost this grant if George Madison of the MDNR had not contacted the village after learning that the village manager had been discharged. This project is again viable.
• Past Due Water Bill: A large commercial water customer is said to owe the village over $100,000. Tanya Weisinger had brought this matter to village management’s attention in 2017, but nothing was done to resolve this issue.
Clerk William DuPont added that in following up on other information that is becoming available, it appears that ignored emails and other notices, that that were received and opened, were not reported to the village council. It appeared that information may have been withheld or concealed.
Clerk/Treasurer DuPont commended Kori Weisinger and Tanya Weisinger for bringing these and other matters to the attention of the council. Council then took the necessary step to change the village management.
The village council met again on March 8 via telecom at 6 p.m. The first order of business was to swear in the new trustee which was accomplished and the new member of the council was officially “seated.” Mike Rebholz took the oath. Mike Mogan was not on the call.
Before addressing the agenda, the floor was opened for public comment.
Sue Lockhart, a non-resident, responded to the invitation to speak. She asked how missed payment to MERS could have been missed? She charged that President Smydra should have known about this as he signs all the checks. She asked if there are interest and penalties on unpaid bills, and she also asked about the lawsuit with Hilton Marine. She pressed the inquiry of how all of these items could have been missed. Lockhart suggested that it may be discovered that there is actual money missing. She felt that she has warned the council of many of these things that have come to light but that the Council rejected her warnings.
Smydra responded by stating that the Village President does not, in fact, sign any checks so that Lockhart’s charges and the previous statement were untrue.
Robert “Skip" Schulz interrupted and was declared out of order as he had not given his address. Schulz complied with this requirement and then Smydra asked Schulz if he was speaking as a village resident or as an employee of the Daily Mining Gazette. Schulz’s response was unintelligible. Schulz now charged that Smydra has misinformed the public about Jessica Huntzinger being sworn in. Huntzinger defeated Schulz in the November 2020 election. Schulz's outburst then became emotional, and, as his allotted time was over, he hung up. President Smydra addressed the charge that Huntzinger was not legally sworn in after her election. Documentation was provided to the effect that Huntzinger was indeed sworn in. It was also pointed out that for the months these allegations were being made on social media and other places, no one had ever actually approached the village to determine if Huntzinger had been sworn in or not. It would appear that this matter is now at rest.
Under “unfinished business” on the agenda; the continuing issue with the Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS) related to the pension obligation for former Ontonagon Memorial Hospital employees.
The village has past-due payments to MERS in the amount of $125,749.54 which was due on Nov. 20, 2020. Village Treasurer William DuPont stated that in his opinion, this information was withheld from the council. Clerk/Treasurer DuPont advised the council that he feels it is imperative to make the November payment as soon as possible and he also recommended that the council increase the budgeted amount of MERS payments from $400,000 to $440,000 for the fiscal year ending on March 22, 2022.
Treasurer DuPont felt that the MERS issue is of primary concern and feels that payments must be made promptly to demonstrate to the State and pension fund that the village is doing what it can to meet this obligation.
Staffing Changes
In view of the dismissal of the village manager, it was recommended that William DuPont be appointed interim village manager. This was moved by Rebholz and approved on a roll call vote.
Kori Weisinger, who was serving on a contract basis to assist in the transition to a new clerk/treasurer, is to be moved to the status of a temporary employee. Her rate of pay will decrease as a result of this change in status. This was moved by Marks and this was carried.
Tanya Weisinger, who has been serving as payroll clerk and water clerk will have a change in title and commensurate responsibilities to become the office manager. There is no increase in wages. This was moved by Marks and carried on a roll call.
President Smydra added that with a new administration in the village office, things such as overdue payments will not happen again.
Rich Ernest, President of the Downtown Development Authority reported that at a meeting of the DDA a number of projects were listed to be considered. The most visible projects will be concentrated on:
• The Lakeshore Park; grading and preparing the ground for setting up volleyball courts. $2,500 needed. Grass should be planted in early May.
• Railroad yard site improvement; A general clean-up and disc and grade work. $2,500 would cover this cost.
• Several downtown buildings need to be addressed. Siding is falling off the buildings creating a hazard for pedestrians. Specifically, the old Hawley House Hotel and an adjacent bar are of concern.
• Street signs that need replacement or updating. Several street name signs are entirely missing or unreadable.
• A community cleanup is being planned to clean the sidewalks, de-weed the curbs, unbridle the trees that are being restrained by the iron grates, etc.
• The floating docks on Rose Island have been out of the water for two years, for no good reason. They should be back in the water before Memorial Day. President Smydra said that the Department of Public Works crew will examine the docks in preparation for getting them back in the water, and putting out the benches and tables.
• Lights on the Elmer Weber Nature Trail boardwalk on Rose Island are broken and need to be repaired to light the walkway.
• The street extension that was to be done by 2019 leading to Lakeshore Park near the VFW post should be started. Smydra said that Street Funds can be used for this.
Ernest also mentioned the need for volunteers. Those wishing to help may contact Ernest at the DDA.
• 2020-21 Budget Approval: Treasurer DuPont (now Interim Manager) asked for the budget to be approved, subject to amendments. This was moved by Rebholz, supported by Hopper, and carried. This will be submitted to the State of Michigan.
• Announcements: A letter was received from McDonald and Wolff regarding the termination of Joe Erickson. This was referred to the Personnel Committee.
Michigan motorcyclists disenchanted with insurance reform
Photo by John Rothwell
Gerry Spomer, from Rapid River, has been riding motorcycles for around 60 years. Now, he said he hears riders are keeping their bikes in the garage. He said distracted car drivers have been increasingly scary for riders, but since the passage of insurance reform in 2019, motorcyclists have another reason to be apprehensive.
“A motorcyclist is better of if they’re hit by someone who is totally uninsured,” Spomer said.
That’s because, under the new law, a motorcyclist is first covered by the insurance held by a motor vehicle they get in an accident with, not their own insurance. And that personal injury insurance could now be capped as low as $50,000.
A motorcyclist would only get to use their own insurance coverage if they get in an accident with an uninsured motor vehicle, or one not involving another vehicle.
“Our medical benefits are capped by whatever the other driver has purchased for themselves,” Spomer said. “We’re buying benefits that we can’t use.”
Motorcycle riders are alone in this distinction. He said this has Michigan riders apprehensive and “kind of ticked off.”
“Motorcyclists up here, a lot of them are unaware of this,” Spomer said. “I’m sure the anger is going to build.”
Sen. Ed McBroom
The insurance reform was passed as Senate Bill 1 of 2019. Among its nine sponsors was Senator Ed McBroom. When it was introduced, the bill consisted of four pages. After emerging from the Senate Committee on Insurance and Banking about four months later, it grew to 80 pages. McBroom, who was not on the committee, said negotiations with other politicians, hospitals, and even the governor, meant the bill expanded rapidly.
“Many of us would have preferred a very simple, you know, take a hammer to the whole system and give people some choices,” McBroom said. “Maybe even take away the mandatory nature of the program.”
The bill was passed on the same day that it returned to the full Senate, with full Republican support, and most Democrats opposed it.
McBroom said the rush was likely in part due to the legislative session calendar (they were off the following week), and a desire to pass the bill while they had all the votes necessary.
“I wasn’t really privy to a lot of that,” McBroom said. “I was an early supporter, and I monitored the progress and didn’t see the bill progress to a point where I couldn’t support it anymore, and so I voted for it.”
In the House of Representatives, 12 amendments were proposed, and all but two failed. The amendments that failed would have limited the practice of red-lining or use of credit score as an insurance rating factor, expanded price reductions to more coverage than just personal injury, and more. You can read the proposed amendments in the official Senate and House Journals linked here, or the summaries written on MichiganVotes.org.
It was then passed, 94-15, with broad support from both parties.
Representative Kyra Bolden(D-Southfield) was one of the 15 dissenting votes and was also on the House committee that handled the bill.
Rep. Kyra Bolden offering a substitute to change some things in the auto insurance reform bill, including the prioritization of personal injury coverage for motorcycles, on May 9, 2019. (official photo)
Bolden is a licensed attorney, and before she was elected, she worked in the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County. No-fault insurance cases were 80% of the docket, she said.
“I got my hands quite dirty with all of the major issues that occurred within the law as it existed before SB1,” Bolden said.
She said the committee hearings focused on listening to attorneys and insurance companies, but not constituents. The committee was chaired by Rep. Jason Wentworth(R-District 97), who succeeded Rep. Lee Chatfield(R-District 107) as Speaker of the House.
“When it got to the floor, we didn’t get the language, both times, until a couple of hours before we were supposed to vote,” Bolden said. “I think it just deserved a little bit more --in my opinion-- attention to detail.”
She said the abbreviated timeline alone might have been enough for her to vote against the bill. The Speaker of the House, at the time former Rep. Chatfield, controls when votes happen, and on what bills.
When SB1 returned to the Senate for the House amendments to be confirmed, only four Senate Democrats opposed the bill. They were Senators Winnie Brinks(D-District 29), Jeff Irwin(D-District 18), Mallory McMorrow(D-District 13), and Jeremy Moss(D-District 11).
During the passage of the bill, many legislators made statements acknowledging that the bill was imperfect and that insurance reform would need more work. They urged votes in favor of the bill none-the-less because it would deliver much-desired rate relief.
Shortly after SB1 was passed, a multitude of other legislation to amend it was proposed, including bills in both the House and Senate to reverse the order of priority for motorcyclists’ personal injury coverage, so that their own choice of insurance would come into play first. Spomer said they were told the bills would come to a vote during the lame-duck session. It didn’t happen. None of the bills came to a vote.
“I feel betrayed by Senator McBroom, to be honest with you,” Spomer said.
Spomer campaigned for McBroom and other Republicans in 2018 and was trying to work with them on insurance reform concerns, too.
“Leadership kept telling us that they were going to work with us, and ABATE was going to be very instrumental,” Spomer said. “We found out that wasn’t the case.”
Vince Consiglio, President of ABATE (American Bikers Aiming Toward Education) of Michigan, thinks the bill was rushed and the politicians that voted for it didn’t really know the contents and the consequences.
Not only are a motorcyclist’s personal injury caps partially out of their control, but those same caps may also make them ineligible for the Michigan Catastrophic Coverage Fund, even though they’re required to pay into it. ABATE hasn’t been able to get a clear answer from anyone about when they’re eligible.
“There’s no logic to how it’s set up, and SB1 didn’t deal with any of that,” Consiglio said.
He doesn’t think there’s the political impetus to get the law changed again now. He said the lack of choice for motorcyclists was an intentional move to benefit insurance companies.
“Without a doubt, they basically wrote SB1,” Consiglio said.
Sen. Greg Markkanen on the House floor, May 9, 2019. (official photo)
Rep. Greg Markkanen doesn’t think the oversight was intentional.
“I just think, you know, there was just so much going on that things, I don’t want to say fall through the cracks, but it for some reason, just didn’t get covered,” Markkanen said.
ABATE has been looking for a new senator to sponsor the bill that would have fixed the prioritization issue for motorcyclists ever since the last bill expired. The previous sponsor, Sen. Peter Lucido, has left the Senate.
“There’s no movement by any senator to make a change,” Consiglio said. “Nobody likes to admit they’re wrong, and certainly politicians never do.”
McBroom said he thought safeguards around long-term rehabilitative care in the bill could have been improved, and that fee schedule adoption by hospitals could have been accelerated, too. He also would have liked people to have the choice to opt-out of insurance.
“But, you know, in the end, the critical aspects, I felt were doing whatever we could to reduce the cost to drivers,” McBroom said.
He said getting the savings promised hasn’t been simple, although they have been “very real”.
“It has been frustrating,” McBroom said. “I have been laboring, even, the last two months to get it straightened out with my carrier.”
He also said that Michigan still has the best coverage, by far, and that more savings are possible for Michigan ratepayers.
Bolden said her constituents still call her and say nothing has changed in the affordability of their auto insurance.
“I obviously can’t speak for, you know, other communities, overall rate reduction for the entire state of Michigan, but it has not been substantial in my community,” Bolden said.
She said she’s been having conversations with people, including the insurance companies, to get support for a new bill to fix some problems with SB1 of 2019.
“But the preference right now is to have the law go into full effect and see if and when there are problems,” Bolden said. “I think we need to fix things before they become issues because we can see that it’s going to be an issue.”
She said she hoped to introduce another bill to fix SB1 of 2019 before the end of spring. McBroom said he’s open to conversations on the bill, but might not be the best sponsor since he’s not on the committee. Markkanen said he would support a bill “if it came across my desk”.
Consiglio isn’t very optimistic, though.
“[The] insurance lobby has way more money than we do,” he said. “Everything’s in their favor.”
Legislative Update, March 2021
Sen. Ed McBroom
Senator Ed McBroom
Sen. McBroom has introduced 23 pieces of legislation in March, although many have not received a vote.
On March 4, he introduced a bill to mandate certain nurse-patient ratios. This has been referred to committee.
On March 9, he introduced a series of bills. Two were to exempt a person from needing to wear a helmet when riding an ORV or snowmobile if they have a note from their doctor that they can’t wear a helmet. Both passed out of the Senate to the house on March 17. Paired with that legislation was also a bill to hold a physician exempt from liability for civil damages that result from not writing such a note. It also passed.
McBroom also introduced a pair of resolutions on March 9. One to urge the creation of wolf hunting and trapping programs, and the other to end a study on the effectiveness of antler point restrictions in Chronic Wasting Disease management. Both resolutions were immediately passed on a voice vote and sent to the House, where they have been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation.
On March 11, McBroom introduced bills to make county commissioner terms four years instead of two, to expand open records laws to the legislature and governor’s office, and to waive liquor license fees during the epidemic. None of these has received a vote. He also introduced a resolution to require that meetings of university boards be open to the public, which also has not emerged from committee.
On March 17, he introduced a revision to commercial fishing law. This would redefine the rulemaking authority of the Department of Natural Resources, and require a trawling license to be provided to any commercial fisher who was granted one before 1970. This bill has been referred to the committee on natural resources, which Sen. McBroom chairs.
On March 23, McBroom introduced a bill to provide discounts on hunting and fishing licenses for certain 'qualified nonresidents’.
On March 24, McBroom introduced a series of bills about elections and canvassing. I recommend reading the Associated Press’s story, by David Eggert. From Eggert:
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Republicans on Wednesday proposed a slew of election bills that would require voters to submit a photo ID, prohibit the unsolicited mass mailing of absentee ballot applications, and restrict the hours in which people could drop their ballot in curbside boxes.
Chair of the state Republican Party Ron Weiser has said the party will spearhead a ballot initiative to avoid a veto from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. You can read the series of four bills for yourself here; SB 0298, SB 0297, SB 0296, and SB 0286. They have all been referred to committee.
On March 25, Sen. McBroom introduced a bill to require state agencies to publish all records related to COVID-19 to a website. This bill is now in committee. He also introduced a bill that would require the Department of Corrections to produce a report balancing the savings of the state against the impact to the local economy before closing a correctional facility. This has been referred to the committee on local government.
Sen. Ed McBroom:
Email: SenEMcBroom@senate.michigan.gov
Phone: 866-305-2038
Rep. Greg Markkanen has introduced no bills in March.
Email: GregMarkkanen@house.mi.gov
Phone: 517-373-0850
Rep. Greg Markkanen
Key Votes
Many of the votes in March had to do with limiting Gov. Whitmer’s powers, or appropriating federal coronavirus aid money.
On March 23, Sen. McBroom voted in favor of prohibiting epidemic emergency orders from limiting members of a family or household gathering together in public, specifically at restaurants and sporting events. He also supported prescribed thresholds for lockdown restrictions.
On March 3, Rep. Markkanen voted in favor of limiting the use of the “Integrated Public Alert Warning System” strictly to emergencies involving imminent loss of life or property.
Markkanen and McBroom both supported the exemption of some developer’s broadband equipment from personal property tax on March 25.
Markkanen also supported a telehealth bill that narrowly passed the House on March 24. The bill establishes that medical service professionals in another state do not need to be licensed in Michigan to provide Michigan patients with service.
Markkanen has voted in favor of two House bills that would expand open records laws to the governor’s office and legislators. The votes took place on March 18, during Sunshine Week.
Sen. McBroom supported Senate Resolution 31, denouncing the Attorney General’s refusal to investigate nursing home deaths. Attorney General Dana Nessel has said she has found no cause for an investigation.
This is not an exhaustive list of bills currently in the legislature, or votes by our local representatives. For more information, you can search bills on the Michigan Legislature website by category, sponsor, committee, year, keyword and more.
Ontonagon Village Council increases millage rate to 15
The Ontonagon Village Council met, via telecom, on March 22. Under unfinished business on the agenda was the matter of the Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS) obligation. It was reported that the village made a payment of $21,441.31 on March 16 which covered the payment that was due on Oct. 20, 2020. The total amount past due is $104,308.23, and the intention is to continue “chipping away” at this past due amount. The past due amounts break down as follows: Nov. 2020, $32,350.08; Dec. 2020, $36,541.12; and Jan. 2021, $35,417.03.
The village was advised that this matter is now being referred to the MERS Legal Department for legal action, and late fees will be applied. Interim Manager William DuPont had a meeting on March 10 with the MERS representative to discuss options to reduce the payments. These could include freezing the current plan and negotiating different retirement options as well as possible buy-outs.
The council, among other business items, moved to the next needed step:
• Resolution 2021-09: Authorization of the 2021-22 Tax Levy: This item was considered absolutely necessary and is a first step in addressing the MERS obligation. After all available alternatives had been considered, the village council adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 14(1) of Act 621 of the Public Acts of 1978, the Interim Village Manager, as the Chief Administrative Officer, has prepared and presented to the Village Council with a balanced budget; and
WHEREAS, on March 22, 2021, the Ontonagon Village Council approved a general appropriations act for Fiscal Year 2021-22 authorizing the expenditures of the Village funds; and
WHEREAS, the millage rate necessary to raise revenues for Village operating and debt retirement purposes:
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Village Treasurer is hereby authorized to levy and collect the following millage rates for the 2021-22 Fiscal Year:
GENERAL FUND OPERATION & DEBT: 15.00 Mills
TOTAL: 15.00 Mills
This is a tax increase from the current 11 Mills to the maximum millage allowed without a referendum vote. This resolution (tax increase) had to be passed by a two-thirds majority of the village council present and voting, which in this instance would require four out of the six council members present to vote for approval of the resolution.
It was moved by Trustee Sarah Hopper, supported by Trustee Mike Rebholz to adopt the resolution. The actual vote was unanimous in favor.
• Resolution 2021-10, Deficit Elimination Plan: This resolution was to address a deficit fund balance in the Marina Fund of $119,023. This deficit was reported in the recent auditors findings. The Michigan Department of the Treasury requires a deficit elimination plan to be in place and filed with the department.
The deficit was the result of a MDNR grant that was obtained to pay for the Marina Dredging project. Due to an oversight, the final grant report was not submitted on time, however, the MDNR agreed to extend the deadline and the grant funds recouped present a balance of $35,453 as of March 31, 2022. Simply put, completion of the grant “paperwork” resolves the cause of the deficit. The Deficit Elimination Plan will be submitted to the Michigan Department of the Treasury.
It was moved by Trustee Elmer Marks Jr, supported by Trustee Don Chastan to adopt the resolution and carried on a roll call vote.
• Resolution 2021-11, Authorization of General Appropriations for April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022: This is the budget authorization, based on a millage rate of 15 mills. Without listing each fund, the bottom line is a total of $3,422,321 in General Fund revenue with $3,248,650 in total expenditures.
It was moved by Hamm, supported by Chastan to approve the General Appropriations Resolution, and was carried....this constitutes the budget adoption for the forthcoming fiscal year.
The Council adopted a final resolution, designating March 31 as Jan Tucker Day in the village.
VILLAGE OF ONTONAGON
RESOLUTION NO. 2021 – 12
A RESOLUTION TO DESIGNATE MARCH 31, 2021 AS ‘JAN TUCKER DAY’ IN THE VILLAGE OF ONTONAGON.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has been a long-time resident of the Village of Ontonagon and has established herself to be a beloved local personality, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has served for 60 years as a local newspaper reporter, relating local news stories to the residents of the western end of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has worked diligently as part of the Labor Day Committee for over 57 years to ensure the success of the Labor Day celebration in Ontonagon, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has been an active member for over 50 years of the Ontonagon County Cancer Association that provides funding and support for local and Ontonagon County individuals and families living in Ontonagon County who have been afflicted with cancer, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has demonstrated her love and commitment to her community with her membership, in company with her friends, neighbors, leaders, and problem- solvers in the community who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has demonstrated her personal values by serving her faith community as a CCD instructor and as an Eucharistic Minister for Holy Family Catholic Church, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has enthusiastically been a part of the Ontonagon Area High School Scholarship Committee that provides support and educational opportunities to our community’s younger citizens, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker participated in many other community activities and organizations that included the Ontonagon Golf Club and the Women’s Club, and
WHEREAS, Jan Tucker has spent 57 years as a local radio personality providing recipes, commentary on local and national events, and personal insight on virtually every topic known to mankind, and is retiring from this unique service on March 31, 2021.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Village of Ontonagon Council of Trustees declares that March 31, 2021 shall be designated as ‘Jan Tucker Day’ in the Village of Ontonagon.
• At 6:43 pm Council went into a closed session to discuss client/attorney matters regarding former Village Manager Joseph Erickson. Council returned to the open session at 7:11 p.m..
President Tony Smydra called for a motion to rescind the council’s termination of Joseph Erickson and this was forthcoming and carried.
At this point, President Smydra, acting on his authority as Village President, suspended Joseph Erickson, with cause, with pay, and declared the intent of taking up the matter of providing Erickson with a hearing and to afford the council the opportunity to consider his employment status. The meeting was adjourned at this point. It was 7:13 p.m.
Ontonagon Village Council terminates manager’s employment, again
At a special meeting convened at the Ontonagon Fire Hall on April 7, the Ontonagon Village Council, after a contentious vote, ended the employment of Joseph Erickson, village manager. This firing had begun in February when the council voted to end Erickson’s tenure as village manager, however this action was deemed as illegal because Erickson had not been afforded the opportunity to state a defense at a formal hearing. Erickson had subsequently been reinstated and then put on suspension pending said hearing.
Erickson was represented at Wednesday’s hearing by his attorney, Adrian Wolfe of Marquette.
Three individuals spoke during the period of public comment; Ted Baird, a local attorney praised Erickson by saying he was “extremely meticulous and hard-working.” Local contractor, Norman Pestka related that as a result of the manager’s “sitting on his hands,” his personal integrity had been called into question when he and the manager had worked together on a village project. Pestka had been accused of the theft of village property and it was only after Erickson had informed the council of the confidential arrangement, that had been undertaken without the village council’s knowledge, that Pestka was cleared. Pestka charged that Erickson had “thrown me under the bus.” Another damaging comment came from Don Kulis, who charged that inaction by Erickson had caused a 5-month delay in clearing the way for his home construction and he also charged that subsequent sewer connections to his home site were defective and he held the village and the manager responsible.
Erickson, who had the option of having the hearing conducted in a closed session or open to the public, had chosen the latter. Erickson, in his own defense, stated that his termination was a breach of contract and, after refuting several charges, added that he had no expectation that this hearing would result in his reinstatement. Erickson’s attorney now pointed out that the initial firing on Feb. 25 was illegal as a village ordinance requires that the manager can only be dismissed on at least 4 votes of the trustees. The Feb. 25 vote had been 3 to 2. Wolfe also stated that the reasons for Erickson’s termination did not, under Michigan law, constitute “just cause.”
Trustee Sarah Hopper stated that Erickson had done things without going through “proper channels.” At no time was Erickson charged with any wrongdoing to benefit himself.
Following this, Village President Tony Smydra made clear that at this point that Erickson was still a village employee and he called for a motion to either reinstate or end Erickson’s employment.
At this point, Erickson’s attorney interjected by stating that the council could choose to terminate Erickson “without cause.” Being dismissed without cause entitles the former manager to expanded severance benefits.
Hopper then made the motion to terminate Erickson’s employment, with cause, effective immediately. The vote was 4 to 3 with President Smydra voting in favor of termination.
Erickson’s attorney immediately challenged the vote stating that dismissal of the manager requires 4 votes by the trustees, and as President Smydra, by definition, is not a trustee, his vote didn’t count. Smydra then announced that the motion to fire Erickson had failed.
Immediately, Trustee Don Chastan offered a motion to terminate Erickson, but without cause. This motion carried with four trustees voting in favor and two voting against the motion.
The meeting, which had lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes was adjourned without further issues.
To make a (very) long story short
The story of Joe Enrietti, B-17 Liberator tail gunner
I met Joseph Enrietti while working on a different story, about an airplane made of rock. That story is also interesting but unrelated. In the course of our discussion of it, he let slip that he was a tail gunner during World War II. I say let slip, but he is proud of his service and I didn’t have to twist his arm much to get him to tell me more.
I wouldn’t call myself an aviation nerd, but I’ve always had an interest in WWII aviation, so I asked if he’d be willing to do an interview for an article.
When we sat down in November, despite the movies and documentaries I’ve watched, I found myself surprised at the experience Joe had, just between the ages of 18 and 20. He’s told me that looking back he can hardly believe it himself.
Our interviews totaled about 2.5 hours, and still hardly scratched the surface of his experience. What I’ve assembled below is an abridged version of those interviews, laid out in a way that I hope is both engaging and demonstrates the distance he traveled, mostly by train and bus, despite the straight lines on the map.
You can move through the different stops on his wartime travels by moving through the slides using the arrows on either side. Don’t forget to press play on the videos that are included on many of the slides.
The recordings of Joseph Enrietti’s story are being submitted to the Library of Congress’s Veteran’s History Project for preservation.
If you’d like to hear the unabridged interviews or read the transcriptions, they are available on Otter.ai at these links:
A playlist of the YouTube videos for one-click listening is available by clicking here.
Handling school outbreaks in Houghton County
Outbreak data from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, school enrollment data from individual school websites.
Above is the raw “school outbreak” data from Houghton County schools and universities, as reported to the state by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, through mid-April. But the raw data leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
What is a ‘school outbreak’?
While each positive case of COVID-19 discovered is followed up on by the health department, not every positive case in a school is considered part of a school-based outbreak. WUPHD has been using guidelines from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.
CSTE definition of a school outbreak
So a ‘school outbreak’ is when the available information points to transmission happening at the school. This definition was developed to try to exclude outbreaks in the greater community that might affect the school, but CSTE acknowledges that establishing that separation is still difficult.
George Stockero, Superintendent of the Copper Country Intermediate School district, is doubtful of transmission in area K-12 schools at all.
“We have struggled to have anyone… show us that there are outbreaks within the school,” he said.
He thinks more often it’s student activities outside of school that then impact the schools.
How are they detected?
Michigan Technological University’s onsite testing lab is a big part of the detection apparatus there, according to Ian Repp, the associate vice president for university marketing and communications. After the school-wide testing at the start of the fall semester, MTU instituted both randomized testing among the student body and targeting testing for those who have displayed symptoms or had close contact with known positive cases.
MTU also monitors the wastewater stream coming from their residence halls. This was shown to accurately predict outbreaks before students started showing symptoms, and was a way to anticipate needed testing and other supplies and safety measures.
“We were proud to be one of the first to sort of get it up and running,” Repp said. “It’s certainly a method that works.”
The wastewater testing doesn’t detect individual cases, so individual testing would have to be used to determine inclusion in a state-reported outbreak.
MTU also had its own contact tracing team, led by Kelly Kamm and staffed by students. They could do it much more efficiently than the health department on campus.
There was no testing of K-12 students beyond what was recommended for the entire community until weekly rapid-testing of school athletes was required by the state.
Who is told about outbreaks?
Positive test results from testing labs, including MTU’s, are reported directly to the health department, who then handles reporting to the state and coordinating or executing contact tracing. Students are contacted directly by contact tracers and the communication doesn’t go through the school administration.
At MTU, Repp says housing and residence hall staff are informed only as much as needed to help with creating adequate isolation spaces.
Communication between K-12 schools and WUPHD was also daily and back and forth. Positive cases discovered through the school are reported to WUPHD, and vice-versa. Decisions on quarantines and isolations are sent from the health department to the school after compiling the information.
“Ultimately, it’s the health department who tells us who is and who isn’t quarantined, and for how long,” Stockero said.
How are outbreaks handled?
Cases aren’t handled any differently if they’re part of an outbreak. Those who are positive for COVID-19 isolate, and those who have been exposed but may not be carrying it quarantine to decrease the potential for further spread.
At MTU, students who were exposed but not necessarily positive would quarantine in their own room, according to Repp. Areas of residence halls were designated isolation spaces, and the definitively positive would move there until they were asymptomatic. Students were checked on daily by contact tracers, as well as Dean of Students Joe Cooper.
Repp said little enforcement action was necessary.
“On campus, we honestly didn’t really have to enforce it,” he said. “We were proud of our effort.”
Any misconduct could be handled through the student code of conduct policy, but Repp said they “never really got there.”
In K-12 schools, there have been some entire classrooms closed down for quarantine, but Stockero said often that was only for potential exposures, and no positive cases would be found. Educators being prioritized for vaccination kept staff from being quarantined.
“That definitely helped,” Stockero said.
When is an outbreak over?
For a positive case to be included in an outbreak, it has to be connected through a vector of transmission within a 14-day period. So if a new case emerges the following week, but no common contact is found with the previous week’s outbreak, it isn’t considered part of that outbreak.
An outbreak is over when no new cases are linked to it for 28 days.
What does the future look like?
At MTU, summer classes are moving forward. MTU’s task force is still working on what the pandemic safety expectations will be.
“I’m optimistic that we’ll have a more relaxed environment in the summer and fall,” Repp said.
Nonetheless, they have the programs in place to tighten restrictions and ramp up testing and other measures if it becomes necessary.
Repp also said that many professors have found advantages to some of the changes during the pandemic, particularly “asynchronous” class structures that allow for more flexible schedules. These could be more widely utilized going forward even as pandemic restrictions ease.
Stockero said there are cautiously optimistic plans to have a mostly normal graduation this spring. He expects summer schools to be busy helping students catch up. Data has shown at-home learners have had lower grades and more failures, and Stockero believes it’s because of the lack of in-person connection.
“We want kids in school,” he said.
Stockero sees technology being used more in the future, though. The pandemic forced teachers, students, and parents to learn how to use online educational technologies. It also highlighted the need for better rural internet infrastructure, which is attracting government spending.
“A lot of money, and a lot of ideas,” Stockero said.
If you’re a teacher, parent or student who would like to share your story about how a school outbreak was handled, reach out to me@joshuavissers.com.
Vaccines are the way, but some unknowns persist
Ebenezer Tumban, PhD
Thirteen months ago, Ebenezer Tumban was an associate professor of molecular virology and vaccinology at Michigan Technological University and told us about how COVID-19’s cellular envelope was special and made it more dangerous.
At the time, the COVID-19 vaccines were still in early development.
Now we have three vaccines being distributed in the United States, and Tumban has moved to Texas to take a job in Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. He still agreed to a follow-up interview about the vaccines, their effectiveness, and their side effects.
Vaccines are the way out of the pandemic
“This virus mutates every day, as we speak,” Tumban said.
Not all viruses mutate very quickly, but because COVID-19 does, the pandemic is something of a race between how quickly humans get vaccinated, and how quickly COVID-19 can mutate.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash
Several mutated varieties of COVID-19 have already been discovered, and more are likely. Each new variant is potentially more dangerous.
Tumban explains that the spike protein on the outside of coronavirus cells is like a key, and each mutation on the spike protein is modifying the key to fit a new door, unlocking new ways to infect more cells faster. With each new door it opens, the virus has more options for hosts, and more “space” to continue its development.
Vaccines add an additional defense to your immune system, kind of boarding up the door, and have so far proven effective against some of the mutated strains, too. However, more time among unvaccinated populations gives the virus opportunities to overcome these, too.
Tumban stresses that if everyone is vaccinated and immunized within the same timeframe, then the immune system can destroy the virus and eliminate the potential for dangerous variants in the future. Unvaccinated populations provide opportunity for COVID-19 to persist and continue mutating. As time goes on and the virus persists, new variants are likely to get more and more dangerous.
“We can win the race, if there’s cooperation from people,” Tumban said.
Protection from the virus is not 100% with the vaccine. This is why ‘herd immunity’ is so important. The people who surround a person who has an immune system that cannot mount a good protective response to the vaccine can protect them by being vaccinated themselves. As each person in a community becomes more difficult for COVID-19 to infect, the chance of widespread infection decreases.
Studies continue to fill in the unknowns
The U.S. FDA has approved three vaccines for emergency use, but they are not fully licensed, largely because the studies of them are still comparatively short. One major unknown is how long the protection from these vaccines will last.
“They see that the antibody levels are still good after six months,” Tumban said. “The studies are still ongoing.”
Tumban said one possibility is that another booster shot might be necessary, but it’s also possible the vaccine’s protection is long-lasting.
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash
“You need a lot of studies and more people,” he said.
Some recipients of the Pfizer vaccine have had severe allergic reactions, and a few recipients of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine have experienced dangerous blood clots. The FDA has issued new advisories to cover these rare situations, and the studies into them are ongoing, too. Tumban said there are a lot of potential reasons for these rare reactions because people are different from each other.
Tumban said that because of the basic differences between every person, each person may react differently to the vaccine.
Previous virus exposures, general health levels, age, stress, and more can play a part in the immune system’s response to a vaccine. The symptoms many people are showing after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines—fatigue, fever, discomfort, etc—are signs that the immune system has detected something foreign and is trying to fight it, creating the antibodies needed to fight COVID-19.
Some people, disturbed by these symptoms, have elected not to get the 2nd dose. But Tumban thinks that’s a big problem.
“We’re not even sure how long the immune response with two doses is going to last, let alone one dose,” he said.
Studies have shown that a single dose gives a person some of the protection of two doses, but may not be effective against variants. Tumban said the first shot is like a primer, getting the immune system ready to build antibodies, but with many people, not many antibodies are actually made until the second dose. As studies continue, Tumban said it’s possible that a third dose might even be required.
Tumban is fully vaccinated and had a fever and other symptoms with his 2nd dose. Thinking about it, he decided it was better to be temporarily uncomfortable than to risk going to the emergency room and potentially suffocating from lack of oxygen like people are experiencing in India.
Tumban thinks testing needs to happen on a more global scale, too.
“I know you’re going to have people from different countries that have different genetic backgrounds,” he said. “They may react differently.”
He hopes Americans take heed of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think this is like a wake-up call for people to reflect on what’s happening and that things like this can happen in any country,” Tumban said.
Editor’s note: This story’s wording has been adjusted in five areas to be more precise. No major points of fact were changed.
Village struggles to meet Ontonagon Memorial Hospital retirement obligations
The Ontonagon Village Council has continued to prioritize the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) obligation by revisiting the situation and getting regular updates from Interim Village Manager Will DuPont.
The village is currently $72,226.44 past due. So far this year, the village has paid $69,000 as of April 12.
The Interim-Manager reported that the current estimates in revenue for the General Fund for the fiscal year is just short of $660,000. The bad news is that within the next few years (possibly as few as two), the payments to MERS will be over $660,000 per year. In other words, the MERS obligations will wipe out the village’s general fund and more.
There are some options. The Segal Report dated March 31, 2020 gave the village a solid guide to help the situation. These are as follows:
1. Corrective Action Plan: This has already been partially implemented. Two of the three village office staff are not part of the MERS pension plan, one is. The rest of the options would have to be negotiated with the union that represents the other village employees, but the current union contract runs through December 31, 2022.
2. Liability Reduction Measures (buy-outs): MERS has confirmed that if buy-outs were agreed to by all 28 former Ontonagon Memorial Hospital employees, this could reduce the village’s cost each month by $50,000-$60,000 with up front cost to the village. This is not a long-term solution, but would provide some relief to the village.
3. Expand Revenue Sources: This could be the most difficult measure to approach. The council has already increased taxes on property owners in the village by 4 mills to the allowable maximum of 15. To raise taxes further would require a referendum vote. Approaching the county for some assistance is being discussed. It has been pointed out that a good number of OMH patients through the years were not village residents, but were county residents. There is no question that having a local hospital has been of great benefit to the entire county.
DuPont was quite direct in telling the council that outside assistance is going to have to come from the county, or the State of Michigan. Some of the short-term measures are being put in place and DuPont told the council that the next step is to offer the retirees buy-outs.
“We have 18 months to do what we can before we get to the next level,” DuPont said.
Trustee John Hamm, himself a former village employee and union member, spoke strongly in favor of the buy-outs concept.
Trustee Michael Mogan listed his priorities to address the matter; Look at the village millage (Council has already raised the millage rate to the limit of the statutory level. To go further would require a vote of the taxpayers); go to the county and ask for help; contact the state representatives (Rep. Greg Markkunen and Sen Ed. McBroom both GOP) and then contact the federal representatives for our area (that is Congressman Jack Bergman, GOP and US Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, both Democrats).
It was also suggested that the village offer 401K contributions to former OMH employees who are currently employed by Aspirus.
The first step in offering buy-outs is for the council to adopt a resolution to that effect. This will be prepared and on the agenda for the next council meeting.