Tuesday Group

Tuesday Group on March 24, 2026 featured Maxine Christopher, who presented "Peaks vs. Paddles: Cultural collision and resulting coordination behind Wood on Water, an all-girl canoe tripping documentary." Maxine (Max) Christopher has called Colorado home since 1990, raising two children in the mountain towns of the Rockies and spending many summers floating desert rivers. Her family’s introduction to the North Country began when she sent first her daughter — and later both children— to the storied canoe tripping program at Keewaydin Temagami in Ontario. During her daughter’s second summer (Section 1) and her son’s first (Section B), Max decided to experience the tradition for herself, joining a two-week adult canoe trip in the same heritage style: wood-canvas canoes, wooden wanigan boxes, and leather tump lines. By the time the trip ended — culminating in an arrival at Hudson Bay — Max had two very clear thoughts: You couldn’t pay me to do this again... and Why on earth are my desert-rat, Colorado-born children choosing this?!? Those questions became the first stroke in what would grow into an epic adventure—and a demanding journey into filmmaking.

Tuesday Group on March 17, 2026 featured Awen Briem of Art with a Point Tattoo Studio. Awen presented a history of tattooing. Tattoos date back to 5000BC and have, throughout history, designated life transitions, recognized personal evolution and supported physical and emotional healing. Join us for a brief retrospective of the origins of tattooing and how those origins continue to play out in modern society. Tattoos date back to before 5000BC and traditionally have served as rites of passage throughout multi cultural history. Tattoos were – and are – a rite of passage. A tattoo was traditionally earned by living with courage and authenticity. I’m honored to acknowledge and carry on that history in a modern society that often falls short of honoring courage, authenticity and evolution. Awen began his tattooing apprenticeship in 1993 and has been a studio owner since 2001, twenty two years in South Minneapolis and for four years in Ely. Awen is licensed with the Minnesota Department of Health, is a Professional Member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists and is recognized as a Master Tattooist by the Alliance of Professional Tattoooists.

Tuesday Group on March 10, 2026 featured Chris Riccardo of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). He provided a timely look at the effort in Congress to weaken public lands protections nationwide. From Minnesota’s Boundary Waters to Utah’s Grand Staircase–Escalante, long-standing safeguards are facing coordinated attacks. The Congressional Review Act is being used as a fast-track tool to dismantle protections, and Grand Staircase–Escalante is poised to be next. At the same time, a slate of additional bills has been introduced that would roll back monument protections, limit agency authority, and fundamentally reshape how public lands are managed. These are not isolated proposals. They represent a broader push to erode conservation safeguards and tip the balance toward development. Chris will connect the dots between these legislative efforts, what they mean for clean water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and tribal sovereignty, and why communities like Ely have a stake in what happens far beyond state lines. This is about precedent. It’s about power. And it’s about whether public lands remain public in more than name. Chris Riccardo was raised exploring the Pine Barrens of New Jersey and Florida’s palmetto woodlands, which sparked a lifelong connection to wild places. After co-owning a disaster restoration business in Illinois while raising two daughters, he followed that pull back outdoors, becoming a volunteer leader on more than 30 restoration projects across Southern Utah and the Colorado Plateau. Before joining the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance in 2023, he worked with Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium to install floating wetlands on the Chicago River. A longtime SUWA supporter who discovered the job through a well timed social media scroll, Chris now builds grassroots support across the Midwest to protect Utah’s redrock wilderness. When he is not advocating for public lands, you can usually find him performing in bands across Chicagoland and beyond.

Get the inside scoop on the 2026 Ely Film Festival from its program director, Lucy Soderstrom, in conversation with Lacey Squier. Lucy describes films and shares information about visiting filmmakers.

Tuesday Group on February 24, 2026 was an opportunity to meet Cyle Cramer, candidate for Minnesota's 8th congressional district. He is seeking the Minnesota DFL Endorsement to bring his values to Congress. Cyle has served in the Army National Guard and now stands up for everyday people; he is dedicated to bringing that grit and determination to Congress. He is campaigning on being a champion of fair treatment, affordable healthcare, better education, and rural investment. Committed to listening to constituents, he aims to ensure Washington works for the people, not the other way around.

Tuesday Group on February 17, 2026 featured Chris Glazer, the owner of Boundary Waters Kitchen & Market. His presentation included his personal background, the history of the business, what the kitchen will be offering this year, as well as their plans for the future.

Tuesday Group on February 10, 2026 was an opportunity learn about loons -- what do they do and where do they go in winter? Our friend and neighbor Sherry Abts presented research on loon wintering behavior and survival skills on a freshwater later. She shared how loons prepare for spring migration, and more. Sherry has a Masters Degree in education, as well as more than 30 years of teaching experience. She has served as a naturalist at Laurentian Environmental Center for 8 years. She has trained with loon researchers Dr. David Evers and Dr. Jim Paruk, participated in the Wisconsin LoonWatch program, Sig Olson Environmental Institute, and the MN DNR LoonWater program -- just to name a few of her loon-specific credentials. She has shared her enthusiasm and expansive knowledge about loons with communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Carolina via 30+ presentations. We are very fortunate to learn from our very own local loon lady!!

The Tuesday Group gathering on January 27, 2026, featured a presentation by Piotr, an Ely high school student from Poland who is here via a Rotary International Exchange program. Piotr's presentation included a brief introduction to the history, culture, and cuisine of his home nation of Poland, as well as his perspective on life in Ely, Minnesota.

Tuesday Group on January 13, 2026 featured new Elyites. This is one of our most beloved Tuesday Group traditions. In lieu of our regular programming wherein speakers present on a particular topic, we will hear from a handful of new Ely-area residents. We'll learn about how they came to select Ely as their new home, what they like to do for fun, and more.