Ironwood chamber awards honor community

By TOM LAVENTURE

[email protected]

Ironwood - It was a "banquetless" 2020 Ironwood Chamber Banquet Awards on Tuesday but it was a very special day nonetheless for all who took part.

The annual all-member awards banquet is typically a time for good food, fellowship and the opportunity to recognize innovative businesses, dedicated community volunteers, organizations that lead, and those who educate and mentor the next generations - the elements that make Ironwood an exceptional community to live, said Michael Meyer, director of the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce. The COVID-19 restrictions prevented the banquet this year, however, the chamber board felt it was important to go ahead with the annual award ceremony.

"This is to reaffirm, as best we can, the continuity of the Ironwood community even in the midst of this pandemic," Meyer said.

The awards were presented at the chamber office in the Historic Ironwood Depot on Tuesday. The presentations were recorded in separate increments and will be posted on the chamber's Facebook and YouTube pages in a few days.

This year's recipients include Copper Cup for business of the year; Ivan Hellen for volunteer of the year; Friends of the Miners Memorial Heritage Park as organization of the year, and Cheryl Jacisin for the Gus Swanson Educational Award of the year.

Business of the Year: Copper Cup

Lucy Koivisto and Michael Tuttle were honored for succeeding in identifying an opportunity for a drive-thru coffee shop on U.S. 2 in 2015 and then succeeding with a service-driven staff. They were also recognized for their community giving and innovative community support during the coronavirus pandemic.

Koivisto said the couple were "surprised and grateful" to be considered for the award. She thanked the chamber, fellow businesses and the community for accepting and supporting the business.

"We couldn't have done it without an enthusiastic community to support us," Koivisto said. "None of the marketing or the efforts we did would have worked without the community."

Tuttle said the recognition goes to the staff who are "enthusiastic and happy to see every customer." The staff build relationships with customers by getting to know names and regular orders and just by asking how someone's day is going.

"It's been a privilege and we look forward to serving more and more," he said.

Meyer said the couple followed a "day dream" and turned it into a reality. The reference was of transitioning the former Day Dream Donuts hut into a successful coffee and food stand.

"Producing quality products, hiring and mentoring cheerful staff, offering excellent customer service that works well with others in the community - these are all hallmarks of a good business enterprise," Meyer said.

The couple were also recognized for recent community programs including "Sponsor a Nursing Home Resident," with a rose, chocolates and a card, the "Back to School Haircuts for Kids" and "COVID-19 Area Restaurant Take-out List."

"The four years of Copper Cup's Ironwood life have been filled with community involvement," Meyer said.

Volunteer of the Year: Ivan Hellen

Although Ivan Hellen was recognized for a lifetime of volunteering with historical projects and community organizations, he said there are a few "big projects" he has yet to complete and has no intention of slowing down just yet.

The annual award is presented to individuals or groups for personal dedication and community contributions that enrich the common good, according to Meyer. As with most recipients Hellen's list of accomplishments are too numerous to list, he said.

"Ivan has given countless tours of area buildings and sites to so many people, including guiding documentary film maker Dirk Wierenga to many Iron Range historic sites - portions of which you will see when the "Route 2 Elsewhere" premiers in Ironwood this fall," Meyer said. "There is hardly a surviving element of our local history landscape that does not owe a huge debt to Ivan Hellen."

The Erwin Township native became interested in local history after discovering photos of his own father and grandfather in their work on the area mines, according to the chamber induction. His public service started with the Ironwood Volunteer Fire Department, and he is now a member of the Ironwood and Ervin Township historical societies.

Hellen chaired the Erwin Township Centennial Committee. He created the Centennial book and historical calendar. He went on to help design calendars for the Ironwood Historical Society.

Hellen helped form the Pabst Mine Mural Committee and saw through to completion the Pabst Mine Mural in downtown Ironwood. He is a founding member of the Friends of the Miners Memorial Heritage Park and helped design historic signage to highlight former area mining sites and the new trail honoring the historic Penokee Mine in the summer of 2020.

Hellen said it was an honor to receive the award and upon hearing the list of accomplishments he was surprised at the number but looks forward to doing much more.

"I thank the Lord for the strength to carry on a lot of these projects," Hellen said. "A lot of these things that I do are not done solely by myself and it's a group effort. With the bigger projects you have to form a committee and I thank those people who have helped me to accomplish a lot of my goals."

Preserving the history of the area is important and so is promoting Ironwood, Erwin Township and the Gogebic Range as a whole, he said. There is nothing more enjoyable than preserving and teaching history so that the younger generations have a connection to what their parents and grandparents did to settle this area and create the community they enjoy today, he said.

"My greatest interest, of course, is in the mining history, the preserving, signing, and trail building through the Miners Park, and we've got some bigger projects coming up that I hope I can accomplish and I'm not going to be done yet," he said.

Organization of the Year: Friends of the Miners Memorial Heritage Park

Meyer said the effort to create a park amidst the ruins of a former mine in the heart of Ironwood started in 2009. The Friends of the Miners Heritage Park formed to accomplish the goal and over a decade has developed a unique recreational and historical public park that has become a "central landscape and cultural element of our community."

The park today is a destination for silent sports enthusiasts from cross country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, along with interpretive history, art and butterflies. There is still room for snowmobilers and all-terrain vehicles on their own trails as well.

"It's been 10 years of a lot of effort by a lot of really good people," said Rick Semo, president, who was present with a few of the volunteers including Ivan Hellen, Morgan Grasso, Carol Erickson and Tom Kangas. "I am proud to be part of this group and I am proud to be part of Ironwood, because what makes Ironwood special is our volunteers. I can't think of a group that is more deserving than these people, so thank you very much."

Forming a nonprofit organization the Friends were able to raise the funds to purchase equipment to build and maintain trails. The group also collaborated on a variety of initiatives including the Sisu ski race, the nearby Iron King Dog Park, and a family sledding hill this winter.

Meyer noted key figures over the years to include past presidents Monie Shakleford and Paul Kostelnik, historian Ivan Hellen and around 13 regular volunteers who help with winter tasks, eight more with summer chores, and six key behind-the-scenes helpers with websites and social media, administrative and other work.

Gus Swanson Education Award: Cheryl Jacisin

Cheryl Jacisin, a science teacher at Luther L. Wright K-12 School, best exemplifies the late Swanson's lifelong commitment to teaching and community involvement, Meyer said. She exemplifies the hands-on skill in the discipline being taught as did Swanson, a former Ironwood teacher, he said.

"Cheryl displays a passion for teaching, a hands-on demonstrative care for her area discipline, and an energetic mentoring role for her students," Meyer said.

Jacisin started her career as a wildlife biologist and conducted field research with Francis Hammerstrom, who was herself once a researcher with Aldo Leopold, he said. An opportunity to substitute teach led Jacisin to discover another passion - one for education which led to another degree in science education.

Jacisin has since taught science for 10 years and now includes classes in healthy decisions, biology, and environmental science at Ironwood Area Schools, he said. She is recognized for classroom leadership that goes "above and beyond" to meet individual student needs and for inspiring intellectual curiosity and promoting self-discovery of individual talents.

Meyer said Jacisin was also instrumental in writing the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative Grant, which allows for the provision of field trip opportunities for students. She serves as National Honor Society advisor and devotes time in encouraging students and parents to help her maintain flower gardens in front of the school.

Melissa Nigh, principal of Ironwood Area Schools, attended the ceremony with Jacisin and added to the praise for her gifted teacher. She also recognized her grant writing and beautification efforts.

"We are honored that Cheryl has received this award," Nigh said. "She is an outstanding educator for our district who truly cares about her students and engages them in their education."

Jacisin said it takes a village to raise a child but that it also takes a community of interactive people to raise a good teacher. She said she was very honored for the award and thanked her students for inspiring her to do better and to be the best that she can at what she does.

"I could not do this without the support of my administration, the support of my family, the support of my community, and most of all the support of my students," she said. "They inspire me, they motivate me, they give me the reason that I get up every day and do what I do and I could not do this without my students."