Up North utilities are giving more of their attention to renewable energy

In downtown L'Anse in the Upper Peninsula, a dormant 50-year-old coal plant smokestack is operating again. Instead of coal, the L'Anse Warden Electric Co. plant creates electricity and steam by burning biomass, such as old railroad ties, recycled tires and sawmill waste.

The biomass plant is the first such plant to open in Michigan since the state passed a requirement for renewable energy last fall. Next month, its owners will start paying farmers to plant hybrid trees that eventually will become fuel.

The Warden plant, which opened in November but will become fully operational this week, produces enough energy to power 20,000 homes and provides steam to a nearby factory that makes ceiling tiles.

Its owners hope to convert three more coal plants in the region to biomass -- in White Pine, Marquette and Escanaba.
It's part of a move by small companies and utilities to burn wood instead of coal, and it's becoming a booming business in northern Michigan.
• Traverse City Light & Power wants to build as many as five biomass plants.
• Wolverine Power Cooperative in Cadillac is considering using farmed hybrid trees, along with coal, as fuel for its planned Rogers City electric plant.
• Boston-based Mascoma Corp. plans a commercial plant in Kinross to turn agricultural and wood waste into ethanol.

• Renewafuel LLC, a subsidiary of the Cleveland Cliffs mining company, announced plans last year to build a plant in Marquette to turn wood waste into biomass cubes that can be burned.
State legislators adopted a requirement last year that utilities get 10% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2015. Traverse City Light & Power plans to switch from 99% of its electricity from coal to 30% from renewables by 2020, said manager Ed Rice.
Traxys North America, a New York City mining and energy company, bought the old J.H. Warden Generating Station in L'Anse three years ago to convert it to biomass.
"We wanted to diversify and we wanted to do renewable energy," said General Manager Mike Reid.

Everything that's burned in the biomass boiler comes from a 100-mile radius and otherwise would have ended up in landfills. The plant emits about half the pollutants it did during its coal-burning days. It's also providing jobs for loggers and others who find and deliver wood, Reid said.
Traxys is leasing acreage from local farmers to plant fast-growing trees. In June, they'll be planting hybrid shrub willows developed by scientists at New York University.
Scientists from Michigan State and Michigan Tech Universities have been working on other hybrids that could be raised as biomass, including poplars.
Traxys will plant 500 acres this year and increase that to 10,000 acres, Reid said.

News Link
Contact TINA LAM: 313-222-6421 or tlam@freepress.com

THE UPSIDE DOWN SIDE TO HIGH GAS PRICES

The downside to higher gas prices is that it just plain hurts,
especially when we drive up to the gas pumps. Living in a
small town and within the city limits, there may not be a
noticeable difference in your budget if you are a homebody.
However, if you have a couple of kids involved in a number of
after school activities and your own schedule takes you away
from home frequently, higher gas prices can hurt an already
stretched budget. The alternatives are to carpool, consolidate
work and shopping trips and walk or ride a bike when possible.

The upside is more fresh air and exercise by walking or biking
and getting to know your neighbors and other parents better
through carpooling. You'll save wear and tear on your vehicle
and pay for fewer oil changes due to fewer miles driven.
Reduced traffic keeps roads in better shape which should reduce
taxes, right? So okay, I'm dreaming.

Every upside seems to have a downside so taxes to keep our roads
in shape should go further, but at the same time, there would be
fewer jobs in road maintenance. Use less gas and gas stations
will begin to close along with some of those drive-thru oil change
places. Don't despair because there is an upside to the downside
of the upside of high gas prices.

According to the REPOWER AMERICA campaign, investing in clean
energy and green infrastructure can create nearly 61,000 jobs
in Michigan,(Center for American Progress). Reducing gas
consumption due to high prices can make the U.S. less dependent
on foreign oil. Those extra tax dollars saved from reduced road
traffic and fewer road repairs could subsidize education and create
more jobs in the field of renewable energy. Empty automotive
factories can be revived with unemployed autoworkers who find new
career openings in the fast growing industry of green technology.

The most important upside to paying more at the gas pump and
driving less is the decrease in carbon emissions which contribute
to globalwarming. The benefits from a decrease in global warming
are endless and too numerous to name. A reduction in the use of
fossil fuels results in fewer air pollution related health problems
like asthma and other diseases of the lungs. In a nutshell,
reducing air pollution and global warming saves people and wildlife.

Here's a little food for thought.....what happens to the empty space
in our Earth created by coal mining and oil drilling which is then
burned to escape into the atmosphere?

The Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians asks that you
protect Mother Earth, people and wildlife by reducing your carbon
footprint. Start by using less fuel, complaining to manufacturers
about the amount of packaging they use, and by recycling and reusing.

Remember this...
People and wildlife are more vulnerable to extinction then Mother
Earth is so don't just think about who or what you are hurting but
who you can save.

Lynne Weaver

REPOWER AMERICA CAMPAIGN

Meeting reminder
We're building our campaign here in Michigan because it's a crucial
time to show Representative Bart Stupak our support for clean energy.

You are invited to join fellow Repower Michigan members and staff
for a kickoff Repower Michigan Community Forum in Petoskey. We will
discuss how clean energy legislation will help Michigan, and how you
can get involved to support clean energy in the weeks ahead.

Here are the details:

Repower Michigan Community Forum
North Central Michigan College Library Conference Room
1515 Howard St.
Petoskey, MI 49770

Thursday, May 28th
7:00 PM

Albert Einstein

"It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities
to give validity to his convictions in political affairs."
Albert Einstein

Indian Country Today

FORMER PASSAMAQUODDY GOVERNOR INDICTED FOR FEDERAL FUNDS FRAUD

INDIAN TOWNSHIP, Maine - After a three-year federal investigation initiated by complaints from tribal members, a grand jury has indicted a former Passamaquoddy governor and former finance director on fraud charges involving $1.7 million in federal funds.

To read more here

More on ELECTION INSANITY

Comment Submitted by Aaron Payment:
With no criminalization of election violations, the Election Committee is free to corrupt the process for their own personal gain. When I became Chair, I checked to see if there were any pecuniary benefit for suspected election fraud. Sure enough, Cathy's (McCoy-Abramson) relatives and former employees all received raises at twice the rate of others. Half the committee received regular raises, while some got twice the increase. The worst case scenerio? Vicki Pudokious got a 30% raise the day the ballots were mailed out.
How do they corrupt the process?
1. The candidate hires an outside polling firm to conduct polls to see how far off the mark they are? In otherwords, how many votes are needed for their candidate to get the most votes?
2. The Election Committee Chair simply goes to the Post Office to get a quantity of bad address ballots that are returned to fill out for the candidate they wish to win.

Some will say, then how did Aaron Payment win in 2004 if Bouschor stacked the ballots? The answer is that they wanted it to look close so the number of ballots stuffed was estimated at the number to win and their number's guys just got it wrong. This is how McCoy made up the difference in the 2008 election. I received 49.6% of the vote in a primary. Theoretically, I only needed the other .04% to win. Anonymous election polls were conducted again during this cycle. Thus, McCoy knew how many ballots to stuff.

Guess what the Election Committee Chair's mother's maiden name was? McCoy! How to you think Cathy continously gets elected when she represents to substance? Her nephews (two of them) are on the Election Committee and the Chair of the Election Committe has unlimited access to the ballots. Remember, there is no sanction or criminal violation for stuffing ballots.
Aaron Payment
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Now from me...
During the election I received numerous phone calls, emails and third hand reports from several members who did not receive a ballot in either the primary or general election. After bringing it up again in an email and posting it on this site, I have again received several confirmations from members who did not get to vote in the election because they did not receive ballots. Some received theirs only 2-3 days before the election.
Some of the responses received when their calls were directed to the Election Chair or other members of the committee were:
1. "You must have moved and didn't update your address."
2. "It must have gotten lost in the mail"
3. "I don't know why but its too late now anyway."
4. "Did you send a copy of a bill and your proof of identification when you changed your address?" (This person did receive the campaign flyers.)
Many others had to leave a message and never got a call back.

If these people are contacting me, who do you suppose they didn't intend to vote for?
By no means will I assume that everyone who didn't receive a ballot made me aware of it. Remember that there were more than 3000 'bad addresses' named in the Sault Tribe Non-newspaper. A statistical wild guess would indicate that approximately 20% of all voting age members have bad addresses. I would be very interested to know how many of those listed, received campaign materials. What is even more interesting is that the names of several of the people that contacted me could not be found on the bad address list. Perhaps some 'corrected' their information but some did not because they received all other tribal mail.

One gentleman(who will remain unidentified)had this to say, "To hell with them. I been living in the same place all my adult life and I get all the rest of the crap they send except the ballots, and most of the benefits I started gettin' a long time ago are gone now too. We all talk about it all the time but I don't have one of them computers so I rely on my mouth and ears. I may not get to vote on a piece of paper cause they don't want me to but I can sure as hell talk. I tell everyone I see to get those SOB's off that board and get that Sugar Island bunch away from the ballot box." When asked who the Sugar Island bunch is he replied, "All them McCoys. Half that damn board and election committee are McCoys or related to them or married to them. Just ask 'em who each of 'em are related to but they will probably just lie about it anyway."

A family tree showing the connection between the Board of Directors of the Sault Tribe and the election board would be interesting. Conflict of Interest questions to add to the application to be on the board (if there is ever an opening) would be:
1. Are you related to the Chairperson, any sitting directors, or to any member of the election committee?
2. Have you ever had any close personal relationsips with any of the above mentioned?

If you answer yes to any part of the questions above, you are not eligible to participate on the election committee or in any other election volunteer capacity that requires handling of the ballots. Failure to answer truthfully to any part of the above questions will result in termination of all rights as a member of the Sault Tribe for a period of four years.

(This should apply to the Election Chairman, the committee and all volunteers.)

You are also ineligible to participate as a member of the election committee if any of the above questions (or parts of) apply to candidates running for a seat in all future elections. You are required to inform the election chairman immediately if, at any time, you discover that any of the above situations exist.

I, so and so, hereby state that the above statements are true and I agree to any and all consequences if it is proven by a randomly chosen committee of Elders (who were chosen randomly by Elders)that I was intentionally lying through my teeth.

Sign and date here:

I think this would solve a whole lot of problems, don't you?

Disclaimer: Any opinions stated on this blog do not necessarily represent the views of anyone other than the author who submitted the article.

ELECTION INSANITY

One of my favorite Einstein quotes is “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. So what does this say about the way we, as members of the Sault Tribe, vote for our representatives?

Many of us have attended the elections over the years and watched the shenanigans take place. There was the appearance of cardboard boxes of ballots that seemed to fall from the sky and contained votes for those that we just can’t seem to get rid of. Witnesses verified that there were no postmarks on the envelopes so where did they come from? How about the presence and obvious concealment of the ‘orange backpack and the huge white bag that got away’ that involved several members of the election committee who violated election committee rules?

Some members have complained that they received their ballot for a different unit than the one they were registered in. Sounds like a little Gerry-mandering going on by manipulating the votes and dividing districts in order to achieve a goal of eliminating voters who may vote against the ‘chosen one’ and placing positive votes where needed.

How about all the confusion over those bad addresses? You live in the same place that you have for years, have received all other mail from the tribe, your address is verified as correct at the health center but yet, the election committee can’t seem to get your ballot to you. Some receive the ballot to vote in the primary and some receive the ballot to vote in the general election but not everyone receives both. If you call after waiting a reasonable length of time, you are told you must not have updated your address but you tell them you have lived at the same address since the tribe was formed and have had no trouble getting the campaign fliers. Since the addresses that are provided to candidates for campaigning purposes are supplied by the election committee, how can an address be good one minute and bad the next? The only answer at that point is that it must have gotten lost in the mail which is really too bad because there is no action that can be taken and you have lost your right to vote.

But yet, we are only a year away from doing it again, in the same way we have always done it. There were more than 3000 names listed (including mine) on that bad address list that was published in the Sault Tribe unnewspaper. I didn’t bother updating mine because what’s the point? But with that being said, there is an amazing number of bad addresses which amounts to approximately 10% of the entire Sault tribe membership. How many of those members aren’t of voting age? I think ½ would be a reasonable guess which means that almost 20% of the Sault Tribe voters have “bad addresses”.

Who is kidding whom here? I may not be Einstein but I’m no fool.

GREEN JOBS FOR MICHIGAN

REPOWER AMERICA CONFERENCE
On May 28, 2009, there will be a clean energy conference
held in Petoskey, MI. at North Central college in the
Library Conference Room from 7 - 8 p.m.

If you care about our environment and want to bring
jobs to Michigan as well as learn more about green
energy, please attend.

FOR JOBS JOBS JOBS

Please call 202-225-4735

Repower America and the Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa
Indians ask that you contact Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak
to vote in support of The American Clean Energy Security Act
of 2009…ACES.
Just call his Washington D.C. office at 202-225-4735
"The American Clean Energy and Security Act will create millions
of new clean energy jobs that can’t be shipped overseas, save
consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs,
enhance America's energy independence, and cut global warming
pollution.
To meet these goals, the legislation has four titles:
A clean energy title that promotes renewable sources of energy,
carbon capture and sequestration technologies, low-carbon fuels,
clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity
transmission;

An energy efficiency title that increases energy efficiency
across all sectors of the economy, including buildings,
appliances, transportation, and industry;

A global warming title that places limits on emissions of heat-
trapping pollutants; and
A transitioning title that protects U.S. consumers and industry
and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy
economy."
From the Committee on Energy and Commerce
Call today. We only have a week to get the word out in order
to get his bill passed. That number again is: 202-225-4735

Here's a little something for the stupid person who eluded to
the fact that I have a big mouth that got the best of me.
In the words of Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius
has its limits"
...in other words, stupidity is endless and so are stupid comments
from some anonymous poster's that wish I would shut up and go away.
But, just like the mini-series....
"WE SHALL REMAIN"

The Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.....
would like to announce the addition and talents of Cindy Leutz and Terry Weller who are available to assist potential members of the MB search their roots. Leutz has a long history of familiarity with the MB while Weller is also a grant writer. If you are seeking answers to your lineal descent they will be happy to assist you.

Cindy & Terry s web

SQUASHED,COVERED-UP OR EXAGGERATED?
With no news on the alledged assault and subsequent arrest of Tribal Chairman McCoy I have removed all references to it from this space. Over many years, tribal members have tried to fight the big guns to no avail. No one can convince those who have been a part of this that corruption does not exist. No crooked lawyer, cop, judge, prosecutor or anyone in between can say with any truth that the Sault Tribe is clean as a whistle. Wouldn't that be a form of slander against the tribal members...that we are making it up? One attorney quit as a Sault Tribe judge within 2 weeks because of what he was asked to do. He wasn't going to risk his reputation and his license to become part of a large chain of corruption. Just imagine what this tribe would be like if all past, present and future players had those sort of ethics.

We have watched helplessly as corrupt elections reelected the same old dirt bags to office so they could continue to violate member rights and clean out the tribes bankroll. And when we complain...how horrible we are to accuse cheaters of cheating!

According to a report that will be placed on this blog ASAP, even Greektown revenue goals appeared to be capped. What happened to gains that exceeded the cap? I have read and prepared many financial reports (including budgets) through the years and one thing I know for sure is that you don't cap revenue goals. But for the most part the report spells it out so anyone can comprehend what it says....Bouschor failed miserably in Greektown. It wasn't just one area but in every possible manner that one could fail in running a business, he failed. It is all on paper in black and white. Bouschor might as well have slapped on a crown and called himself king because he did little else other than sit on his throne and read the paper while the whole kingdom fell apart.

But what is anyone going to do about it?...nothing, because the law protects the bad and ugly before all others. All we can do is to keep talking about it and in our dreams, maybe someone will listen.

Happy Mother's Day to all those with the toughest job in the world.
You never get to retire but the benefits are never ending if you
put forth the effort.

YOUNG TRIBAL MEMBER IN DIRE NEED OF YOUR HELP

Travis LaBranche suffered 3rd degree burns recently in a fire while trying to save his dog in a house fire that also took all of his belongings. He has nothing left...not even a toothbrush.

Just a couple of years ago, Travis was in a serious car accident that almost took his life. He has had more hard knocks then most people have in their lifetime and could use a lift, a helping hand as well as some items of clothing or whatever you may have to spare. He wears a 32-32 pant, medium shirt and size 11 shoes so consider him when cleaning your closets and getting ready for that garage sale.

You can contact me if you wish to make donations of clothing, personal items, household goods, food or money and I will make arrangements for pick up or call Bonacci Contracting at 906-632-1425 for same. Thank you.
weave977@yahoo.com or lynneweave@gmail.com

"It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it."
-- Arnold Toynbee

REMINDER; ARISTEO CONSTRUCTION

AND THE
MACKINAC BANDS OF OTTAWA AND CHIPPEWA INDIANS
INVITES ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:
To join us for a Wind Turbine presentation...

Place: Aristeo Construction Company
12811 Farmington Rd
Livonia, MI 48150 (734) 427-2700

Date: May 8th 2009
Time: 1:00 pm

Learn more about the placement, construction, techincal aspects and
cost associated with the installation of wind turbines.

Mackinac Bands Newsletter

The Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians is in the process of gathering information for a monthly newsletter to update members on current activities.
If you are enrolled or simply want to be kept current, please email me with your name, email address, and tribal affiliation. Enrolled members, please include your phone number and address as well so we can ensure the database of the Enrollment Department is up to date.

Email me at:
weave977@yahoo.com or
lynne.mackbands@yahoo.com
or go to the website here
Miigwech

Nautical Festival..Rogers City, Michigan
Great things are happening with this year's Nautical Festival, and we at the Presque Isle County Historical Museum are pleased to sponsoring a number of events this year:
* In conjunction with the Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians we are holding the Northern Lake Huron Pow Wow and Rendezvous on Saturday, August 8. We'll have Indian drummers, singers, dancers, storytellers, and crafters at the event, and a group of voyageurs will make an appearance. Bring your lawn chair and meet us at Lakeside Park at 1 p.m. Admission is FREE.
* We will also have a large group of voyageur reenactors camping on the lawn of the museum for the weekend. They'll put on demonstrations of 18th century skills, including fire-starting, hatchet throwing, weaving, Dutch oven cooking, and much more. Great activities for young and old alike! Admission is FREE!
* In cooperation with a number of local organizations, the tall ship Welcome will be docked at the marina, Thursday-Sunday, August 6-9 for tours. The Welcome is a replica of a ship that operated in the Straits of Mackinac in the 1700s. Adults can tour the historic old ship for $5; persons 18 and younger can tour the Welcome FREE of charge, thanks to a generous grant from the Rogers City Optimists. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult.
* The Welcome will also hold seven evening cruises during its stay here. Cruises will depart the marine at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. There will also be a "fireworks cruise" that will leave the marina at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. A variety of appetizers and snacks will be served on each cruise. Cost per person is $40. Tickets will go on sale at the museum's Gift Shop & Bookstore beginning Tuesday, July 14. They may also be ordered beginning July 14 by calling the museum, or by going to the new Online Gift Shop and Bookstore on the museum's popular website: www.thebradleyhouse.org . Phone and online orders can be paid for by credit card.
* On Saturday, August 8 an exciting new exhibit will open at the museum. Watch for complete details coming soon on our website.
* During Nautical Festival we will also be releasing another of our popular local history books--Baby Boomers II. While our first Baby Boomers book contained photos and articles about buildings and businesses that were in Rogers City when the Baby Boomers were growing up, the new book concentrates more on people who were in Rogers City in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. You'll see a lot of familiar faces--maybe even your own!
The Nautical Festival Committee has also put together many, many events for this year's festival. You can find complete details on the Nautical Festival website: www.nauticalfestival.org . New things are regularly being added to the schedule, so check back often.
Hope to see you during Nautical Festival. Be sure to stop at the museum and say hello.

Mark Thompson

Native Americans Descended From A Single Ancestral Group, DNA Study Confirms

ScienceDaily (Apr. 29, 2009) — For two decades, researchers have been using a growing volume of genetic data to debate whether ancestors of Native Americans emigrated to the New World in one wave or successive waves, or from one ancestral Asian population or a number of different populations.

The rest of this story Here

From Aaron Payment:

First, with regard to Tony Nertoli (Bernard Bouschor's first cousin). In 2002, as a seated judge Tony Nertoli (no law degree or college level education) ordered a foster parent to violate the terms of her appointment by directing her to deliver a young male child to his home in the middle of the night. ACFS and the Prosecutor had agreed on an order placing the child in foster care with restrictive covenants limiting access to the child given suspected (later proven) sexual abuse. When the foster mother got the call from Tony ordering her to violate the court order, she was besides herself. When she noted to Tony that she would not be delivering the child to him as it violated her foster care appointment and court order of no contact, Tony responded by threatening to jail her. She then called her ACFS social worker who in turn contacted James Bias as Prosecutor who then got an emergency hearing with Kandra Robbins' as judge.. Kandra in turn called Fred Paquin as Chief of Police to order his officers not to arrest the foster mom if she didn't deliver the child to Tony in the middle of the night. Sure enough, when the foster mom didn't deliver the child, Tony called the police to order them to arrest the foster mom. Luckily the police knew not to follow Tony's order due to his judicial misconduct by trying to influence a case dealing with his own relative.

James Bias as Tribal Prosecutor, Kandra Robbins as Associate Judge, and Fred Paquin as Chief of Police all signed letters to attest to their role and that they believed Tony Nertoli's actions constituted judicial misconduct. I have these letters in my possession and will post them if the Board appoints Nertoli. Those who were on the Board at the time (Abramson, McKelvie, LaPoint, Chase) are all aware of this situation as the Board then opted not to reappoint Tony based on this issue.

With regard to Lori Jump. Lori's issue is a little more straightforward. Lori's program is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. Her job is to coordinate our various Victims' Services throughout the Tribe. Her job is as an advocate and as such she cannot be considered objective when it comes to hearing cases. She has a serious conflict of interest as she is involved in cases by providing services to victims in these cases. This would not be allowed in any other court system and warrants a written legal opinion of whether or not her employment role would constitute a conflict of interest. If she were an attorney, this would not be allowed as she would need a waiver on both sides to hear a case. Also, given the funds originate from the U.S. D.O.J., I believe a letter from them as the grantor is also necessary to to avoid any funding conflicts which may jeopardize funding.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I read of the two above appointments, I was surprised that they would place someone like Nertoli in such a role but, I should not have been. Not only does he not have the necessary education but his name was all over the local newspapers several years ago in reference to the above incidents of allegations of child sexual abuse.

Regarding Lori Jump, recently I have heard that she was not happy with certain decisions made by the Sault Tribe Board of Directors. Is this a 'Shut Up Position' as many of us know is common, especially when they have previous connections to sitting board members. This whole business stinks more and more like the corruption we have been fighting for too long. The BOD should be referred to as the Sault Tribe Anishnafia