A New (and Youthful) Mayor, an Expanding “Health Food” Business, the Future of the “Hilton” Property, Tourism Down, TV News Ratings, Marquette Monthly’s Revival, and Planned Opening for Marquette Mtn.

The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell

MAYOR MAYER…THAT’S how we’ll be addressing our newly elected (by the City Commission) mayor, Cody Mayer…He says he considered having people address him as “Mayor Cody,” but they seemed to enjoy the “Mayor Mayer” appellation…He’s only 25, the youngest mayor ever in Marquette…Is he too young? “One third of the city is my age or younger,” he says, “and I think I can relate to how a lot of people in the city feel about the problems they face.”…He’s also a husband, a father, a homeowner, a reservist in the National Guard, and a former NMU student body president…He’s qualified.

So, already the mayor of the biggest city in the U.P. at age 25, does he have any plans for higher political office? Mayer laughs at the suggestion and diplomatically tell us he’s interested only in helping Marquette solve its problems…The primary challenge: the budget--paying the staff and fixing the roads. And, if possible, tackling the issues of housing, economic development, and child care.

ARE YOU LOOKING for a new part-time job? One of the City Commission seats is open, now that Jenn Hill has won her election to the State House…Applications for the seat are available online or at the City Clerk’s office…December 8th is the deadline to get the application in…The current City Commissioners will review the applications and vote for the new Commissioner on December 19th.

THE SIGN OUT front on West Washington Street still says “Nikki’s Snack Dispatch”, but the building is actually owned by Marquette Nutrition, the health food store on Third Street…the Dispatch building was sold several months ago…It now serves as the kitchen and catering center for Marquette Nutrition which now sells al lot more than supplements and smoothies; it’s venturing out, in a big way, into ready-made meals and catering… “People are looking for healthy food, and they want it convenient,” says owner Jenna Neaves…

NO BUYERS YET for that property on Lakeshore Boulevard where plans for a Hilton Hotel were recently rejected… “There’s been no interest at all,” says disgruntled owner Derek Parker. “Who wants to spend significant time and money on a development that’s going to get shot down by the city?”…The price tag: $825,000 for the three-acre parcel across the street from the bike path and the beach…Seems like a low density residential development might work there…

MICHIGAN’S OUTDOOR RECREATION economy grew by 15% last year—this, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis…That’s a huge jump, and you’ve got to figure that the U.P. was a major beneficiary. Outdoor recreation has been our claim to fame, and by all indications, will play an even more significant role in our economic future…According to Bridge Michigan, our recreation choices are changing, though: Kayaking and biking are up, while hunting and snowmobiling are down.

It does seem that November 15th, the opening of deer season, is not nearly as big a deal as it was just a decade or two ago. Doesn’t it?

TOURISM WAS DOWN in Marquette County this summer, but not by as much as we thought…According to Travel Marquette, June was actually up by 5% over 2021, July was down 14%, August was down 2%, and September was down 3%...Not bad… “Considering the high price of gas, the fact that many more people took international vacations this year, and that many places were understaffed, the numbers were very respectable,” says Susan Estler, Travel Marquette’s Executive Director.

Estler’s excited about the second year of the laser show on the Lower Harbor Ore Dock…It starts on Thanksgiving and continues through New Year’s Eve. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6-9 pm…It was a big hit last year, and is likely to be a tradition here for years to come.

NO MAJOR CHANGE in the TV news ratings, even though WZMQ started broadcasting locally here several weeks ago…TV6 still leads the three other stations by a 10-1 margin or better at 6 pm. Similar dominance at 11 pm… “We haven’t seen a significant decrease in ratings,” says TV6 GM Rick Rhoades. “We’re just continuing to focus on what we’re doing, not on what other stations are doing…” Can any of the other stations truly compete in news ratings with TV6? No. They are a ratings monster, one of the most dominant stations in the country…Can any of the other stations at least make a dent in TV6’s dominance? Maybe, but they’ll have to spend more money and hire more journalists.

“WE DIDN’T GET into this to get rich, but we’re making it,” says James Larsen, the co-publisher (with Jane Hutchens) of Marquette Monthly…Larsen and Hutchens restarted the monthly tabloid last year after it had been out of publication for more than a year…They’re the only full-time employees, but they also work with a few dozen part-timers and contributors…Plenty of ads in Marquette Monthly, which means businesses believe in it…and total distribution of the monthly is up. They were publishing as many as 13,500 papers a month this summer.

EXPECT THE MOSTLY colder weather here to continue through the end of the year. So says meteorologist Karl Bohnak…Then, he says, a westerly flow will likely lead to warmer weather in the new year…More or less snow? Anybody’s guess at this point. Depends on the lake effect.

Bohnak, a U.P. icon even after his departure last year from TV6, is staying busy. “I’ve got the Mining Journal column, I still do radio on the east end of the U.P., I’m on WZMQ once a week (for weather features), and I’m still plugging away on a book, which I hope will be the definitive U.P. weather almanac.”

THOSE NEWLY-CONSTRUCTED piers south of the Lower Harbor Ore Dock still aren’t open to the public… “The hold-up has been getting electrical supplies,” says Jon Swenson, the city’s Director of Community Services. “The supply chain is still backed up.”…Most of the equipment is now in and being installed. Swenson hopes that the piers will open up within the week…Just a guess: Only the bravest of folks will venture out onto the piers in the winter, but they’ll be a popular venue when summer comes around.

DECEMBER 3RD IS the planned opening date for Marquette Mountain. Weather permitting. Last year’s opening was on December 10th…Big excitement because the Mountain has spent more than $1 million in capital improvements, mostly on its snowmaking equipment which it’s currently testing…Ticket prices are up about 10% this year--$428 for an adult’s season pass, $301 for a junior…$72 for an adult’s ticket on the weekend, $52 for juniors…The increases are understandable, given overall inflation and the hefty capital improvements…

But wait, there’s more! “We have a plan in the works and an architect is on board to improve the chalet and the base camp,” says Marquette Mountain GM Kaet Johnson…No timetable for that yet, but clearly Marquette Mountain’s ownership is intent on raising the Mountain’s profile as a resort destination in the U.P.

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