Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Articles written by Michelle Thomasini


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  • Ironwood sends off seniors in 124th commencement

    Michelle Thomasini|May 27, 2014

    IRONWOOD - The Luther L. Wright High School class of 2014 was urged to work hard to overcome life's obstacles and remember and be proud of their roots during the school's 124th commencement Sunday in Ironwood. "No matter how many times you get knocked down, a little voice inside should be saying, 'You're not done,'" social studies and U.S. history teacher Ted Sim said in his commencement address to the 53 graduates. "When life gives you sour milk, make a chocolate cake." Sim advised the seniors...

  • Ewen-TC celebrates 47th commencement

    Michelle Thomasini|May 24, 2014

    EWEN - A "family" of 20 graduates laughed, cried and celebrated as they took a "monumental step" Friday night during Ewen-Trout Creek High School's 47th commencement ceremony at the school in Ewen, according to student speakers. "When I think of my class, I think of us as one big, happy, dysfunctional family, and I wouldn't trade that for anything," graduate Alexis Brady said during her salutatorian address. Brady spoke warmly of happy memories the students created together, saying she was...

  • Spaghetti dinner helps fund Outfitters 4 Patriots

    Michelle Thomasini|May 19, 2014

    KIMBALL, Wis. - Hungry Gogebic Range residents helped fund an all-American cause Sunday at the Outfitters 4 Patriots spaghetti dinner at the Kimball Community Center. About halfway through the six-hour feed, around 200 tickets had been sold, whether in advance or at the door, and 50/50 raffle tickets were selling fast too. All proceeds benefitted Outfitters 4 Patriots, a nonprofit organization that offers all expenses-paid, guided hunting and fishing trips for wounded veterans and disabled child...

  • Annual 'Taste of the Gogebic Range' hosted by GCC

    Michelle Thomasini|Apr 29, 2014

    IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - About 185 local residents sampled some of the best food the area has to offer at the Gogebic Community College Foundation's fifth annual "Taste of the Gogebic Range" Monday at GCC. The event featured 13 area restaurants from Ironwood, Hurley, Watersmeet, Gile and Manitowish Waters, Wis. Attendees received tickets to try samples from each one. Tastes ranged from chicken Caesar wraps to applewood smoked pork ribs to flaming bananas foster and more. Participating businesses...

  • JW's BBQ and Brew offers 'unique, casual' dining experience

    Michelle Thomasini|Apr 25, 2014

    BERGLAND - For area diners looking for something different, John and Gale Wonsey, of Bergland, offer just that at their restaurant, JW's BBQ and Brew, in Bergland. The restaurant at the east end of town on M-28 serves slow-smoked meats like St. Louis-cut ribs, chicken, beef brisket, sausage and pulled pork, along with sandwiches, steaks and burgers. Aiming to have a "casual, comfortable atmosphere, we're offering something new and unique to the area in our barbecue product," Gale said. John...

  • 4-H holds events at Little Finland

    Michelle Thomasini|Apr 14, 2014

    KIMBALL, Wis. - Temperatures in the low 40s and overcast skies didn't stop area residents from getting in the holiday spirit Saturday at an Easter egg hunt offered by the Penokee Range 4-H Livestock Club at Little Finland in Kimball. The event ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a plan to offer an ongoing egg hunt. Children were given bags that would limit the amount of eggs they could gather to allow all attendees an equal chance for candy and trinkets hidden inside. All the eggs were collected by about noon. There were plenty of other activities...

  • Hurley Lions Club teams with Iron County youth

    Michelle Thomasini|Apr 14, 2014

    HURLEY - The Hurley Lions Club and Iron County youth joined forces to fundraise at the club's annual Pancake Day Sunday at the Liberty Bell Chalet in Hurley. Pancake Day, held on Palm Sunday for more than 35 years, serves as a fundraiser for both the Lions Club and the camp. Lions prepare the food and wash dishes while camp counselors and some campers act as hosts and servers, seating guests, bringing beverages and food and busing tables. Lions also purchase and donate the food supplies. "We work together on this," Lions President Jerry Pisani...

  • Snowshoe walkers enjoy sun

    Michelle Thomasini|Mar 10, 2014

    BESSEMER - Bright sunshine, mostly clear blue skies and temperatures in the low 20s welcomed participants of the annual snowshoe walk offered by Bessemer American Legion Post 27 Saturday afternoon. About 20 area residents came out to enjoy the warmer weather and help stave off cabin fever for Saturday's event, offered by the Legion to help the post and give the community something to do, Commander Russ Johnson said. Walkers made an hour-long trek through Bluff Valley Park, traveling between 1...

  • Dr. Seuss' birthday celebrated in Bessemer

    Michelle Thomasini|Mar 3, 2014

    BESSEMER – Young children gathered round from far and from near, and while the librarian read, they lent her their ears. The Bessemer Public Library hosted a Dr. Seuss birthday party on Saturday morning, complete with reading, a craft and, of course, cupcakes. The event helps mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of author Theodor Seuss Geisel, born March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Mass. "Every year all over the country, all over the world, libraries and schools do a lot of Dr. Seuss events,"...

  • Pancake breakfast to benefit youth ministry program

    Michelle Thomasini|Jan 27, 2014

    HURLEY - Members of the youth ministry program at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley got involved in their parish and learned about community service simply by serving breakfast with a smile Sunday morning. The group offered a pancake breakfast to parishioners and community members for a youth ministry service project, religious education coordinator Julie Pecotte, of Hurley, said. About 10 students in seventh through 10th grades helped cook and serve breakfast and clean up. Teamwork between...

  • Little Finland Game Day full of food, competition

    Michelle Thomasini|Jan 27, 2014

    KIMBALL, Wis. - Slippery roads and single-digit temperatures didn't stop 10 local residents from gathering for games, goodies and socialization at Game Day at Little Finland in Kimball. The event began with a viewing of video showing a 1985 midsummer celebration at Little Finland and an interview a past president had with Carl Pellonpaa of "Finland Calling." Attendees then snacked on potluck items and visited over coffee before challenging one another in card games of Uno and smear. Little...

  • A new look for a new year

    Michelle Thomasini|Dec 23, 2013

    IRONWOOD - The Historic Ironwood Theatre is heading into 2014 with a fully redesigned website and a performance schedule with a wide variety of events. The website redesign comes after the site was hacked in late November and appeared to present a security risk, HIT managing director Bruce Greenhill said. "Rest assured, that risk no longer exists," he said. "The old site is gone and the new site has a fresh look and feel, is easier to navigate and provides lots more information than before."...

  • Friends of the Porkies celebrates winter solstice

    Michelle Thomasini|Dec 23, 2013

    SILVER CITY - The arrival of winter was welcomed by a celebration with dancing, music and poetry Saturday at the Porcupine Mountains Folk School near Silver City. Revelers traveled from Ontonagon, Bergland, Ironwood and White Pine to join the winter solstice celebration, organized by the Folk School Committee of the Friends of the Porkies. The night began with a barn dance with folk, line and square dancing. "The dancing was fun," said Joy Ibsen, a committee member who helped organize the...

  • Quilt show draws enthusiasts

    Michelle Thomasini|Nov 18, 2013

    HURLEY - More than 100 area residents came to check out 76 quilted items made by local quilters during a show offered by the Northern Lights Quilt Guild at the Iron County Memorial Building in Hurley. Items included bed-size quilts, lap quilts, table runners, pillows and antique and baby quilts. "We have a lot of wonderful quilts and talented quilters," Guild member Sue Abelman said. Entrants included Guild members and non-members from across the Gogebic Range. A quilt with a theme about...

  • Generations enjoy gingerbread house decorating in Ironwood

    Michelle Thomasini|Nov 18, 2013

    IRONWOOD – Candy-coated cottages with delicious doors, sugary shutters and frosted foundations were built Saturday during a free gingerbread house workshop at Downtown Art Place in Ironwood. Many area families took advantage of the activity, part of the Jack Frost Festival. More than 80 families had already been to the workshop around its halfway point, according to Arlene Schneller, gingerbread chairperson. The workshop allows participants the Jack Frost Gingerbread House Contest a place to...

  • Volunteers celebrate church's anniversary with community service

    Michelle Thomasini|Sep 9, 2013

    IRONWOOD — Volunteers from Christ Lutheran Parish of Ironwood were out in full force Sunday morning working to improve their local community. More than 100 volunteers lent their hands at a dozen sites throughout the Ironwood area for service activities through the "God's Work, Our Hands" project, a nationwide effort celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. More than 4 million members of nearly 10,000 congregations across the country were expected to parti...

  • Fairgoers enjoy good weather, varied events

    Michelle Thomasini|Aug 5, 2013

    SAXON, Wis. – Droves of fairgoers were met with near-perfect weather as they came out to enjoy the many and varied activities at the Iron County Fair in Saxon over the weekend. The antique tractor pull kept attendees entertained at the grandstand on Saturday with “lots of vintage tractors,” fair board vice president Gene Luoma said. He said he didn’t think any of the tractors were newer than 1960. The kiddie tractor pull also offered excitement, with many entrants in several age groups...

  • Kids learn about fishing from Lake Gogebic Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow

    Michelle Thomasini|Aug 5, 2013

    BERGLAND — More than 70 future fishermen and women brushed up on the basics and had some fun Saturday at the third annual free kids’ fishing clinic offered in Bergland by the Lake Gogebic Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow. The event at Bergland Centennial Park featured seven stations with information, demonstrations and hands-on activities on the basics of fishing. Kids ages 5 to 15 learned Michigan Department of Natural Resources rules and regulations and how to set up a boat with proper...

  • Bruce Crossing celebrates American freedoms with parade, music, games

    Michelle Thomasini|Jul 8, 2013

    BRUCE CROSSING – Spirits were high Sunday as local Independence Day celebrations concluded with a full day of activities in Bruce Crossing. Events began at 8 a.m. with a communitywide church service lead by the Rev. Ted Trudgeon, of Ewen. Other morning events included a breakfast at VFW Post 9345 in Bruce Crossing, a pie contest, the start of a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a fun walk/run and tot run and a performance by Marty’s Goldenaires at Bruce Crossing Township Park. Spectators turned...

  • Ironwood Class of 2025 takes first step forward

    Michelle Thomasini|May 31, 2013

    IRONWOOD — A class of 20 future firefighters, cheerleaders and astronauts graduated kindergarten Thursday at Sleight Elementary School in Ironwood. Niki McRae’s kindergarten class held its ceremony. Michelle Trier’s Sleight kindergarten class will graduate Monday at 1:30 p.m., while Angela Berglund’s kindergarten class graduates Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., both at the school. The Thursday ceremony opened with the class reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Wright Way pledge, part of the...

  • Ironwood celebrates 123rd commencement ceremony

    Michelle Thomasini|May 28, 2013

    IRONWOOD — Seventy-two Luther L. Wright High School graduates were celebrated during the school’s 123rd commencement ceremony Sunday afternoon in Ironwood. “This has been an amazing journey,” superintendent Tim Kolesar said. “You have been tried and tested and you are still standing. … Be proud of all your accomplishments.” Those accomplishments include academic achievement, with 48 students earning scholarships and more than half the class graduating as honor students, athletic...

  • E-TC grads hailed for 'compassion'

    Michelle Thomasini|May 25, 2013

    EWEN — Twenty graduates turned their tassels from right to left after receiving diplomas at Ewen-Trout Creek High School’s 46th annual commencement ceremony Friday night in Ewen. The class was hailed by E-TC staff members as hard-working, determined and goal-oriented. “This class has been especially a pleasure to work with in terms of achieving the goals they’ve set for themselves,” class advisor April Syria said. “Whether it was a homecoming project or personal goals, they were...

  • Happy birthday, dear Claire d'Loon

    Michelle Thomasini|May 20, 2013

    MERCER, Wis. — A steady downpour didn’t dampen many spirits in Mercer Saturday morning as residents came out to celebrate Claire d’Loon’s a-May-zing Birthday Bash. Many residents braved pouring rain at the Mercer Chamber of Commerce Saturday morning to kick off the day’s events celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the town’s loon statue being built on May 22, 1981. “If you were a loon, this would be a perfect day for you,” said chamber president Vic Ouimette during a ceremony in...

  • City hosts 10th annual Spring Cleanup

    Michelle Thomasini|May 20, 2013

    IRONWOOD — Ironwood residents lined up for blocks in the rain Saturday morning to participate in the city of Ironwood’s tenth annual Spring Cleanup. A line of vehicles, many with trailers, stretched from the vacant lot on the 300 block of Ayer Street at times to Luther L. Wright School at 638 E. Ayer St. as residents waited to dispose of unwanted items. A steady rain didn’t seem to hold participants back, according to Mayor Kim Corcoran. “People plan for this, so they’re here rain or s...

  • GCC Foundation hosts 4th annual Taste of the Gogebic Range

    Michelle Thomasini|Apr 23, 2013

    IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — Nearly 200 area residents enjoyed tasty treats and an upbeat atmosphere Monday evening at the Gogebic Community College Foundation’s fourth annual “Taste of the Gogebic Range.” Thirteen restaurants in Ironwood and Hurley offered samples of steak, chicken and pasta entrees; soups, sandwiches, desserts and more. Participants were the Branding Iron Pub, Breakwater Restaurant, Don and GG’s Food and Spirits, the Elk and Hound, Golden Dragon Chinese and Japanese...

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