The Hancock City Council met on Feb. 16 to handle city business.

The council heard from Richard Tuisku with suggestions to make the Hancock City Council available via electronic means, even if only for viewing.

Just before adjournment, the council discussed with City Manager Mary Babcock the mechanics of implementing electronic access to the council meetings. Going forward, the plan is to provide one-way viewing access to the public over Zoom. If all goes well, the council seemed open to the idea of public comment through the meeting platform, but this remains a contingency.

In the administrative report, the city congratulated Phi Kappa Tau on their fourth consecutive win in the Winter Carnival statue contest. Their annual, highly intricate creations are a point of pride among council members, and this year was no exception.

The city’s picture contest for a series of light pole banners has so far accrued around 30 entries and remains open to the public for more Hancock-themed submissions.

The council mentioned the winter “Let Run” declaration issued by the city on Feb. 11. The “Let Run” declaration allows Hancock city water customers that have issues with freezing lines to get a credit on their water bill up to 11,000 gallons above their monthly average. By leaving one faucet running at around a quarter gallon per minute, the water keeps moving and is less likely to freeze.

All images were found in copies of the Winter Carnival Pictorial, previously published by The Lode.

1963 – Third Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Bullfighting scene

1964 – First Place – Kappa Delta Psi

Theme: Land of the Sandman (fantasy, dreamlike, fairy tale)

A giant portrayal of Rip Van Winkle leaning against a tree surrounded by elves

1965 – First Place – Theta Tau

Theme: Our American Heritage

“Declaration of Independence”

1966 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: Sights in Ice

“Dutch Windmill”

1967 – First Place – Theta Tau

Theme: Midwinter Mockery

“Is This My World”

1968 – First Place – Sigma Rho

Theme: Wonderful World of Ice (Walt Disney)

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” 

1969 – First Place – Theta Tau

Theme: Ice-terical History

“Da Gall of Dat Guy” (reference to Charles DeGaulle)

1970 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: Best Snow on Earth

“Crack, Snapple, Plop”

1971 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: The Age of Shiv-V-Alry

“Buzz off Snidley”

1972 – First Place – Theta Tau

Theme: Snobody’s Perfect

“Oops I Created a Freak”

1973 – First Place – DHH

Theme: Frigid Fairy Tales

“Let’s Take a Walk While the Porridge Thaws” 

1974 – First Place – Cross Roads

Theme: Sub-zero Heroes

“It’s a Bit Nippy Out Here”

1975 – First Place – Theta Chi Epsilon

Theme: The Frozen World of Frostbound Funnies

“Cold Hold on Freezin’ Squeezin’s”

1976 – First Place – Theta Chi Epsilon

Theme: Happy Birthday USA

“Liberty’s The Icing on the Cake”

1978 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: Chiller Thrillers

“Make it a Stiff One”

1979 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: Snowy Scenes from the Silver Screen

“All-Ice in Winterland”

1981 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: Nursery Rhymes in Chilly Times

“Old King Cold and His Kingdom of Old”

1983 – First Place – Delta Sigma Phi

Theme: Icy Trips Though Comic Strips

“We’ve Sailed the Ocean for the Wizard’s Potion”

1985 – First Place – Tau Kappa Epsilon

Theme: Classics Brought to Ice

“The Three Iceketeers”

1989 – First Place – Sigma Phi Epsilon

Theme: American Dreams in a Frozen Scene

“One Stop on the Dream to Freedom”

The Hancock City Council met on Feb. 2 to discuss city business and address a council member’s resignation.

Shortly after calling to order, the Hancock City Council took a brief moment of silence in commemoration of the life and service of Dave Wiitanen. Wiitanen was once Mayor of Hancock and had also served on the City Council on top of being an active community member.

Council members were pleased to see that, among other communications, a letter from the Michigan Department of Transportation supports the city’s request for level three EV charging stations. Such stations allow for the fastest charging available, up to tens of miles per minute.

With the City Manager absent, Mayor Paul LaBine ran through the administrative report. He reported the new website for the city, a photo contest for upcoming city banners and sponsorship to Phi Kappa Tau for their Winter Carnival statue. Mayor LaBine quipped that “they always tend to do pretty well.”

The upcoming zoning ordinance, which promises some sweeping effects to the way the city is currently zoned, is currently in front of the Planning Commission and will next move to the desk of City Council. The Planning Commission is holding a public meeting on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m in the council chambers to discuss the zoning ordinance. Feb. 22 is the cutoff date for the submission of written comments on the zoning ordinance by the public.

The council moved to accept with regret the resignation of council member Will Lytle, who is accepting a position elsewhere. Council members each shared glowing remarks about Lytle before passing the motion. His final comments to the council were thankful and retrospective on the progress the city and the Keweenaw at large has made.

The Houghton City Council met on Jan. 26 to address a handful of agenda items and to hear its regular reports.

Following the publication of Tech’s Campus Master Plan last week, the council addressed the 10,000 student aim for 2035. City Manager Eric Waara raised the city’s eventual need for “more housing” among other facilities as the university continues its growth.

Since the approval of the site plan for a KFC establishment near Econofoods, a web of old easements and bylaws have proven difficult to handle as one involved property owner has filed a lawsuit against the city and others. The land used to be a single unit but has since been parceled out. The council and committee members that approved the site plan are confident that the issue does not in fact involve the city, but Houghton was named in the suit nonetheless. The first hearing on the issue is set to take place Jan. 27, which may clarify the issue.

The Fire Station sign that used to inhabit the view along Sharon Avenue has “both sides in the research phase” according to Waara. The council remains resolute in the Fire Station’s violation of city ordinances with their ex-sign.

A final report by Waara on potential steps going forward with the infamous parking deck is coming for viewing and discussion at the next city council meeting. The city manager describes it as a “basic plan” that the council will need to make decisions on “now, soon,” especially with regard to paying for any deconstruction operation and when that might take place. He posited the idea of using state grant money meant for redevelopment as funds.

Finally, Waara posed the idea of unifying the “management” of Keweenaw farmers markets. Notable farmers markets are that of Houghton, Hancock, Calumet, and Lake Linden. This more coherent management structure could allow for the acceptance of WIC and SNAP benefits programs at the markets, which require a significant amount of paperwork to maintain.

Council member Brian Irrizary, in what would be something of a heated exchange, moved to make the council meetings available by telecommunication to the public. Council members Mike Needham and Robert Megowen offered dissent to the idea. While council member Jan Cole voiced support, the motion was rescinded and further discussion was pushed to the next meeting on the advice of council member Joan Suits. “We’re tired and hungry.” The council adjourned shortly afterwards.

The Hancock City Council met on Jan. 19 for the first meeting of 2022.

As the city moves along on the proposed zoning ordinance, a public comment hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Following any public-induced changes, the new zoning ordinance will be reviewable Feb. 16 by council members and the public for further discussion at following council meetings.

The council passed a motion to apply for a Portage Health Foundation grant in the amount of $20,000 for the construction of 4 new pickleball courts at the Laurn Grove park in addition to the tennis court, which will also be repaired for root damage.

Further in park development, the council passed a motion to construct a gazebo at Klondike Park, to be built by the Hancock Industrial Arts class. The council approved costs up to $6,000, and suggested that the somewhat barren park would in future see similar improvements. Councilman John Haeussler mentioned that if it wasn’t for the gazebo, “we [would] need to do something” at Klondike.

The council also approved the updating of the security camera system at City Hall, and they suggested that such cameras may be installed in high-traffic areas like Porvoo Park if the implementation is successful.

Houghton City Council met on Jan. 13 for the first meeting of 2022.

As the city begins work driving support piles into the canal bed for the upcoming pier, a set of cables owned and operated by AT&T are posing some challenges. Despite the city making contact initially in May with the company, AT&T has “not been able to locate” their set of “six or seven” cables, according to city manager Eric Waara, which is understood to be somewhere in the footprint of the pier-to-be. “We are still working with them.” Waara later assured that “We’re going to have a pier when it’s done,” even if the issue necessitates a partial redesign.

The council commented on a blog post from The Fire Station Cannabis Company, regarding their removal of their sign on Sharon Avenue back in the fall. City manager Waara mentioned “that particular placement of that advertisement” coupled with some public comment had the city asking The Fire Station to remove it. The Fire Station’s release can be found here: https://906fire.com/tfs-statement-on-city-of-houghton-billboard/

In addition, the council approved the purchase of $80,000 in electric vehicle charging equipment, which the council plans to later fund with existing state programs for charging installations.

The council also approved a new member of the fire department, as well as two motions forwarding the third phase of the sewer project.

In addition to the current scope of Michigan Tech’s Center of Student Mental Health and Well-being, the university is now providing for online-available support through a student-focused remote service known as My SSP.

My SSP is an offering from LifeWorks, a mental health services company with customers in large employers and higher education. The company offers individualized, remote therapy with licensed mental health professionals to members of large communities. For Michigan Tech, all students have remote access to video, call or messenger-based counselling services, which can be completely separate from Tech. Students can elect to not share particularized data, meaning the University knows how many students use the program, but cannot necessarily know who they are. Students can also use My SSP services in conjunction with the preexisting counselling available though Tech clinicians if they prefer. “An emergency one-time visit along with seeing a Tech clinician as you normally might is totally allowed.” according to Crystal McLeod, a clinical counselor at the Center of Student Mental Health and Well-being. “You still have the option.”

In terms of response time, such remote services are often much more favorable compared to what Tech clinicians may be capable of. When requested by a student, My SSP will strive to put the student in contact with a therapist on a one-time basis as fast as possible, “Within reason, immediately” according to McLeod. She qualifies that during particularly “high-volume situations” it is not unheard of to be “called back 30 minutes later,” but that this is not the norm. Students can indicate a crisis situation if they need, and can then receive the earliest possible help from a My SSP therapist. Compared to the “24 to 48 hours” of traditional Tech lead time for an emergency session, McLeod contends that My SSP and its network of therapists actually fulfills a distinct role of fast response time that the university otherwise can’t.

When it comes to assessing the efficacy of My SSP, McLeod asks “if My SSP were a clinician, what do the caseloads look like?” Essentially, the quality of the service compared to existing Tech clinicians as a ratio is the primary performance metric. At the time of writing, the service approximates three-quarters of one on-campus clinician in terms of work.

Michigan Tech joins a multitude of universities offering access to a remote counselling service to students.

As well as traditional counselor-related services, My SSP as an app also features some other, more general health aids to students. Students have access to a searchable bank of workouts, and the capability to set up goals and log activities. Additionally, students can take questionnaires and access literature with tags such as “Living Away,” “Relationships” and “Sleep.”

To access My SSP, students can download the app and sign up using their Tech emails.