UP on NPR

The title of todays post caught your attention didn't it! That's because the UP got some national attention from National Public Radio. I missed it.. too bad I didn't tell you about it before it happened. Sorry

Over the weekend, NPR focused on the peninsula all Sunday morning, including comments from Rep. Mike Lahti, D-Hancock, an interview with Baraga City Manager Roy Kempainen and a group of puzzles about the U.P. by Will Shortz, the crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times.

The UP caught the attention of NPR because of of legislation that Representative Lahti got to make sure that the state includes the U.P. on every image. The legislation has passed through the House and Lahti said he expects it to pass through the Senate this week as well.


The legislation states that everything that is put out using state money must include the entire state. Yoopers often complain that we are left off of maps of Michigan. What's Michigan without the Upper Peninsula. We may only have 3 percent of the population but we have 30 percent of the land.


They interviewed Roy Kemppainen, the city manager in Baraga. They talked about areas in the U.P. in relative disparity, and then about Baraga which has been hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs.

The show focused on the history, the hard-working people, mining and the universities and the manpower we attract. It showed the U.P. as a great place to live.

The show is available on npr.org.