Ludlum’s Sudden Exit from TV6, Bonsall’s Departure, Awaiting a Makeover Grant for the LSCP Building, an Appropriate Packers Loss, and Costa Ricans Come to Marquette
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
WHAT IN THE world happened to Mike Ludlum, the longtime sports director at TV6? He suddenly disappeared from our TV screens two weeks ago…He’s out of a job. “I said the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time,” Ludlum explains. “It’s my fault, no complaints. I’ve needed a break for quite a while, burned out. Definitely taking time off to re-assess life…”
WLUC GM Rick Rhoades will only say “We don’t comment on employee matters,” while acknowledging that Ludlum is gone, and the station is looking for a new sports director. They hope to have someone in place within a couple of months.
We’ve learned through other sources that the problem—as you can glean from Ludlum’s comments—was sexual harassment or gross misconduct directed at another person/persons at the TV station.
A shame. Ludlum was a faithful, productive, and hard-working employee at the station for more than three decades, but he made a big mistake…Likely mistakes (plural), we’re told…Will he find another job in local sports? We’ll see.
SOMETHING NEW COMING to TV6—6 pm newscasts on Saturday and Sunday…Until now, they’ve aired only 11pm newscasts, but management feels the demand is there and they have the resources to air additional newscasts…Expect them to start on February 18th and 19th…
A TOUGH LOSS for Marquette…City Commissioner Evan Bonsall has resigned his post because he couldn’t find a teaching job in the Marquette area...Ironic, because we’ve heard about a nationwide teacher shortage…“The closest possible job was in the Bark River area,” he explains, “and I just didn’t want to do that commute, especially in the winter.”…Instead, he’s found a job in Madison where his wife is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin…
Bonsall, a Harvard graduate, was elected to the Commission at the age of 23, and has since proven himself to be an articulate, committed, and informed Commissioner with a special interest in finding affordable housing for Marquette residents…He says he loves Marquette, and will return…We can only hope it’ll be sooner rather than later.
ANY DAY NOW…Tiina Morin, Marquette’s Arts and Culture manager, is waiting to hear if Marquette will be awarded a DNR “Spark” grant--$400,000—to undertake a makeover of the old, abandoned LSCP building on Front Street…The grant would enable the city to install bathrooms for visitors, as well as a new parking lot, a kiosk, new signage and greenery. In other words, make it a usable, attractive asset to the city… “Right now, it’s rundown, a bit of blight,” Morin says. “Nothing is bringing people there now.”
It could also, if city officials agreed, become the new location for the Office of Arts and Culture, which currently sits, mostly unnoticed, in the basement of the library…Relocating it to a prominent and historically significant spot, next to the Father Marquette Park, would make a lot of sense.
MORIN’S ALSO EXCITED about Marquette’s upcoming Cultural Trail. Planning is now underway for it, but work won’t start until next year…It’ll cover seven miles of the lakeside bike path from the Carp River to Presque Isle with eight interpretive sites—complete with public space, signage and art works, along the way… “We’ll be telling the story of Marquette, and turning the bike path into a cultural experience,” say Morin.
PROGRESS ON THE transformation of the old hospital property…Bids to demolish what’s currently on the 23-acre site are due by January 20th…Dave Nyberg, the director of business engagement for the NMU Foundation, says they’ve received multiple bids for the demolition work…Choosing the winning bidder will likely take a few weeks…After that comes serious final negotiations with the developer, Veridea, to build an entirely new neighborhood there, with a heavy emphasis on housing.
FIVE YEARS IN a row, Finland has ranked as the happiest country in the world…A Finnish psychologist, quoted on CNBC, gives three succinct reasons for Finns’ happiness: 1) They don’t compare themselves to their neighbors. No overt signs of wealth, no bragging. 2) They value being in Nature. It provides them with peace of mind, energy, and relaxation. 3) They trust each other and value honesty. If you lose something—even something valuable—in Finland, it’ll be returned to you…You like to think that folks in the UP have adopted these same values.
THE DOWNSIDE OF playing sports in the UP: Max Dawson, the lightning-fast, record-breaking goal scorer for the Marquette Senior High School soccer team, graduates this spring…So far, no scholarship offers…Why? “I have no idea,” he says matter-of-factly…He wants to continue his soccer career, and may attend NMU, if no other offers come in…The problem is that the UP is not considered a sports mecca, and college coaches and recruiters rarely turn their attention this far north.
PACKER FANS MAY disagree, but last Saturday’s climactic game gave us the right outcome…The Lions played a better game, and beat the Packers twice this season. How often does that happen?…And from a broader perspective, the Lions’ win capped off a surprisingly exciting and promising season, whereas for the Packers, a win simply would have temporarily extended a disappointing and mediocre season…They would have been crushed in the playoffs.
FOR THE LAST three weeks, 15 students from Guapiles, Costa Rica have been visiting Marquette and staying with local families. A cultural exchange…For many of the students, it was the first time to see snow, and go sledding, ice-skating, and bowling. They also visited NMU, local museums, and Titletown in Green Bay, all while attending classes at Marquette Senior High School…Most important, though, they met American high school kids…Biggest surprise for 16- year-old Eycol Lopez? “We heard these stereotypes about Americans being only concerned with money, and being racist and xenophobic. It’s not true. They’re nice. They’re good people.”…And from 15-year-old Indigo Catalano, who’s been hosting Eycol: “They’re the same as us. We have the same interests, we care about the same things, they have the same sense of humor. I really like them…” Amen. A bright, shining light in a sometimes dark, troubled world.
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I'm half Finn and when you know, you know. Here you go. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_alcohol_culture
How nice to read a mostly upbeat commentary about our town. I'm going to add to it. ABout ten days ago I was admitted to UPHS, via ambulance and from the time I called 911 to being wheeled out of the hospital about six hours later and sent home, I could not have asked for better care! I have said before that management is only interested in the bottom line and not the people who live here, and I will continue to say that. I will also continue to say that the doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaning service are the most selfless, caring and highly qualified people I have ever met. There was not a weak link in that chain. I would also like to thank the doctors and staff at Singletrack for the care they have shown my family and me. Again, no weak links there either. Thank you.