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		Points of View December 14, 2001 Guest Column © 2001 Janet Shea Published with Permission

Where are those yellow cards?

By Janet Shea

Not too long ago, after the dust had settled on the Mt. Bohemia controversy, I threw out those bold-printed yellow cards that were distributed all over the Keweenaw by Black Bear/Mt. Bohemia as newspaper inserts and flyers. Now I wish I had them in front of me to remind me just what had been offered back then--jobs, economic boon, eco-tourism, kayak tours, etc.

Where do we stand today, a year or so later? Others could answer that question better than I.

But what I have noticed is that the tone of the Mt. Bohemia offering has changed since all the hoopla and the days of the yellow cards. The good, healthy eco-tourism environment has been replaced with "the wildest ski party ever to hit the Midwest," as quoted in the Michigan Tech Lode on December 5, 2001,* and in The Prospector, a free publication issued by Mt. Bohemia itself. Guess that's okay if this is what you wanted to entice our youth to stay home for.

The "biggest Bikini Contest ever held in the Keweenaw," a boldly-lettered announcement in the Lode, is a poor substitute for good skiing. Activities like this denigrate female college students who are attending Michigan Tech, Finlandia and the other midwest institutions. These student bodies have been inundated with 121,000 ads proclaiming the college ski party and wild weekend in college newspapers and TV campaigns in Milawukee and Green Bay. Is this Daytona Beach North, where students have been so drunk they fall to their deaths from second floor balconies, die from binge drinking, completely lose their inhibitions and shake their booties to a crowd of leering onlookers? Just the situation in which you would like to see your college daughter? All happening at the UP Hill 41 Bar, "the official nightclub of the college week" scheduled for the second week in January.

Mt. Ripley (Michigan Tech), although in a business relationship with Bohemia, says they will not be involved in the ski party activities since drinking is being promoted. But the Bohemia ads are using the college campuses as their major promo leader: "After skiing the fun is just getting started. The Keweenaw is home to two universities, Michigan Tech and Finlandia. Because of this you are right in the middle of a great college ski town with lots going on. With two live theaters and over 100 bars and restaurants these historic mining towns will show you a great time. And during college week things will be rocking every night...live bands... drink specials all week long... All you need is a college ID to partake."

Has Michigan Tech not been making a conscious effort over the past few years to discourage drinking by their students? What is their purpose in directly or indirectly promoting a private enterprise that capitalizes on and takes advantage of the college being located in proximity to their ski hill?

I was not here at the time of the National Frisbee contests in Copper Harbor. I have been told it was a free-for-all. However, I was here during the Copper Harbor Octoberfests. For years they were dominated by the college kids who came for entertainment and drinking without reservation that continued into the early hours of the morning at Lake Manganese (lawless Copper Harbor). Kids were hurt in the foray. It became so bad that area residents quit coming to the Octoberfest because it became impossible to enjoy the day as a family outing to meet friends and have a good time.

And now we have another up-start free-for-all appearing on the scene. Was this in Mt. Bohemia's business plan? I don't remember reading that it was, but I do remember the promise of eco-tourism being the most important feature they wished to promote and preserve.

So, where do we stand today, a year or so later?

Instead of 36,000 visitors, Mt. Bohemia got around 10,000 (optimistically) their first year. Has Mt. Bohemia kept our youth "at home" for promised seasonal and/or year-round 30-plus jobs?

Has Mt. Bohemia been a boon to our economy?

Have the sewer and yurt permits been issued? Black Bear has asked the County to declare the yurts "permanent" structures,  while the Zoning Board of Appeals must still make a determination on whether their commercial septic system can be located in a Resort Residential District.** Black Bear has proceeded at their own risk in putting in a sewer system that cannot as yet be used for the upcoming season that has been announced to start December 15 or 22, depending on the publication you read. 

According to Keweenaw Now, the DEQ is awaiting an anti-degradation statement of the project's social or economic benefits to the area.***

I sure wish I had kept those yellow cards.

* Read the Dec. 5, 2001, Lode article, "Tech Students Gear Up to Ski the Keweenaw."

** Read the Notice of the upcoming Jan. 3, 2002, ZBA meeting on the zoning interpretation. The Keweenaw County Zoning Ordinance is available on-line on the Keweenaw Liberty Library. Click on County Zoning. See 3.4 Zoning Districts, #5 under Resort Residential District, pp. 16, 17 and 18.

*** Read Black Bear awaits DEQ septic permit.

Learn more about the author of this guest column, Janet Shea.

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