Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MEMBERS OF the Gogebic County Search and Rescue Team accept a donation of $10,000 from a representative of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians during a March 27 meeting of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners. From left are Crystal Prust, SAR vice president; Ben Tucker, SAR training officer; Gogebic County Sheriff Ross Solberg; and County Commissioner George Peterson III, who was representing the tribe.
BESSEMER - Last week's Gogebic County Board of Commissioners began on a high note with a donation of $10,000 to the county's Search and Rescue Team from the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
Commissioner George Peterson III presented the check on behalf of the tribe.
"They are wonderful people," said Peterson of the tribe, led by James Williams Jr.
Peterson praised the tribe's ongoing generosity to a number of local causes.
The commissioner's sweatshirt also included a nod to the tribe by stating the words "Nimrod Basketball" and "Noodin Babaamiba idiyang," translated from the Ojibwe language as "We run like the wind."
Peterson is the superintendent and principal of the Watersmeet Township K-12 School. He also recently announced his retirement as the school's longstanding athletic director and basketball coach.
SAR Team Vice President Crystal Prust and Training Officer Ben Tucker accepted the check and expressed appreciation.
In other news, commissioners also voted to donate $3,000 to Ironwood's Polar Bear Hockey Club.
Bill Thomason, club president, made a request for $5,000 in a March 8 letter to the board.
"This donation would help pay for new protective hockey equipment that we lend to players as needed to help keep hockey accessible to area youth."
He added that any donation would be appreciated.
Peterson suggested $3,000 to keep the donation in line with the board's recent donations of $3,000 for summer sports to Ironwood K-12 School; Watersmeet K-12 School; and the combination of the Bessemer and Wakefield-Marenisco School Districts, which requested funds for the Gogebic Miners high school baseball team.
The votes were unanimous with all members present.
In the board's Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Committee meeting, which also occurred on March 27, Siirila noted the good fortune in Highland Copper Company Inc. having been approved for a $50 million grant from Michigan's Strategic Site Readiness Program.
"That's huge for this community," said Siirila.
The board's next regular meeting will be on April 10 at 5 p.m. at the Gogebic County Courthouse.
