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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula October 10, 2001 Photos (except as noted) and Text © 2001 Michele Anderson

Rep. Rich Brown addresses Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District at 50th Anniversary Meeting

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Page 2: Incumbents re-elected to District Board of Directors

Following a buffet dinner prepared and served by Finlandia University's catering service, the District held an election for two open seats on the Board of Directors. The winners, both incumbents, were Mark Weber, secretary, a 25-year resident of Fulton Location and the only board director from Keweenaw County, and Thomas Tervo, vice-chairperson and former president, a strawberry farmer for 22 years near Chassell in Houghton County.

Mark Weber, left, of Fulton Location, sole Keweenaw County representative on the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District Board, was re-elected to the board in the election held during the District's Oct. 13 meeting and 50th Anniversary dinner. Here he chats with Chassell residents Leo Tervo, center, retired strawberry and dairy farmer, and Rudy Larson, retired potato farmer. Tervo's nephew, Thomas Tervo of Chassell (not pictured), incumbent vice-chairperson and past president, was also re-elected to the District board. Larson is wearing a shirt commemorating his 1972 state conservation award, earned for his work in making waterways and ponds for wildlife on his property.

In running for re-election after four years on the District board, Weber said his prior 10 years of service to Keweenaw County on the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Board (now the Farm Services Agency) increased his understanding of "the reality of effectively serving the Copper Country's resource conservation needs.” Weber is employed by Houghton's Goodwill Farm, which serves high-risk youth in a residential setting. He is also an avid gardener and an active explorer of the area's rich mining history.

"We all love living in the Copper Country and all hope to make it a better place to live for ourselves and our kids and future generations,” Weber said.

Thomas Tervo, a lifelong resident of Chassell, has been a Conservation District Board member for more than six years and has held the offices of president and vice-chairperson. He is also a past board member of the Growing UP Agriculture Association and currently serves on the advisory committee for the Houghton/Keweenaw County Michigan State University Extension Service. In addition to farming, Tervo works as a carpenter for DP Construction.

Continued Page 3: Conservation District, NRCS staff members present project reports

Return to Page 1: Rep. Rich Brown addresses Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District at 50th Anniversary Meeting