Community Calendar

Aunts and uncles could be called the “forgotten” kin because we tend to prioritize parents and grandparents when we think of family relationships. The Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (KUUF) will host a public forum online at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, October 12 about how aunts and uncles sustain family and community life.

Patty Sotirin, an emerita professor of communication and research professor at Michigan Technological University, will discuss how most of us have been shaped through our relationships with our own aunts and uncles. Many of us are, ourselves, an aunt or uncle in an extended family relationship, she points out. Some have “fictive” kin—an aunt or uncle who has been named as such based on a close family friendship. And there are also “chosen” kin, people we name as kin based on close personal relationships like mentors or life guides.

Sotirin will explore the many roles of an aunt or uncle and the ongoing importance of extended kinship connections. Participants will be invited to share their own experiences of what makes aunts and uncles dear.

Sotirin now resides in La Crosse, Wisconsin where she indulges her dog and her passion for feminist scholarship.

There will be time for Q&A after the presentation.

The forum is open to the public. It will only be on zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83975762265?pwd=TC9BcStaTDF4dFZOU2ZsUHhZTERoUT09
Meeting ID: 839 7576 2265
Passcode: KUUF

Forums are recorded. Recordings of past forums can be found at keweenawuu.org

NMU Conservation Crew is hosting a series of hikes in the month of October in recognition of HIKEoctober, a mental health initiative. Always meet at the OLA pavilion on NMU's campus to carpool to trailheads. To view dates and times, please email nmucc@nmu.edu or IG @nmuconservationcrew. *we are a NMU student org but we welcome anyone of any age or ability*

Dates: Sugarloaf, Oct 11 at 4pm; Rum Runners Cove, Oct 14 at 6 pm; Presque Isle Bog Walk, Oct 24 at 10am; Wetmore/Lily Pond Trail Maintenance Oct 26 at 2:30pm; Halloween Hike, Oct 31 at 11am

The Beethoven & Banjos Festival, the annual cross-genre celebration of classical and folk traditions, returns this October with a program inspired by the sounds and landscapes of Iceland. This year’s ensemble brings together an extraordinary lineup of international and regional talent: Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir — An internationally acclaimed Icelandic cellist praised for her “emotional intensity.” Thorsteinsdóttir has performed at Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Disney Hall, and beyond. Halldór Smárason — Icelandic composer and Manhattan School of Music graduate, whose debut album STARA and collaborations with the Iceland Symphony and Ensemble intercontemporain have earned international recognition. Evan Premo — Artistic Director of Northwoods Music Collaborative and member of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect. Laurel Premo — Known for her roots-infused, Nordic-tinged sound that drives the festival’s deep and distinctive musical experience.Together, the ensemble will present a program blending traditional Icelandic melodies with improvisational explorations of “sense of place”—reflecting both the rugged beauty of Iceland and the Northwoods.

Kids can try Cub Scouts for free this fall! Visit discoverscouting.org to learn more about Scouting, and michiganscouting.org/trial-membership/ to try it out for free. Contact your local Scout unit for meeting times and dates.

The CDC has recommended a Spring dose of COVID- 19 vaccine for those individuals 65 and older. The Marquette County Health Department offers vaccine appointments Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Please call to schedule an appointment and to check eligibility.

June 23, 2025 – January 31, 2026

Maps are a valuable tool for seeing history at work. Maps have been used as an aid to all types of transportation from steamboat routes to today’s single track bike trails. They are also used as a marketing tool, for reference, and entertainment. View maps of the Great Lakes and Marquette County. See how mapmakers have sometimes misled their viewers and how our landscape and surroundings have changed. For more information on our special exhibit, visit marquettehistory.org or call 906.226.3571.

NMU Conservation Crew is hosting a series of hikes in the month of October in recognition of HIKEoctober, a mental health initiative. Always meet at the OLA pavilion on NMU's campus to carpool to trailheads. To view dates and times, please email nmucc@nmu.edu or IG @nmuconservationcrew. *we are a NMU student org but we welcome anyone of any age or ability*

Dates: Sugarloaf, Oct 11 at 4pm; Rum Runners Cove, Oct 14 at 6 pm; Presque Isle Bog Walk, Oct 24 at 10am; Wetmore/Lily Pond Trail Maintenance Oct 26 at 2:30pm; Halloween Hike, Oct 31 at 11am

Kids can try Cub Scouts for free this fall! Visit discoverscouting.org to learn more about Scouting, and michiganscouting.org/trial-membership/ to try it out for free. Contact your local Scout unit for meeting times and dates.

The CDC has recommended a Spring dose of COVID- 19 vaccine for those individuals 65 and older. The Marquette County Health Department offers vaccine appointments Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Please call to schedule an appointment and to check eligibility.

June 23, 2025 – January 31, 2026

Maps are a valuable tool for seeing history at work. Maps have been used as an aid to all types of transportation from steamboat routes to today’s single track bike trails. They are also used as a marketing tool, for reference, and entertainment. View maps of the Great Lakes and Marquette County. See how mapmakers have sometimes misled their viewers and how our landscape and surroundings have changed. For more information on our special exhibit, visit marquettehistory.org or call 906.226.3571.