Man About Town: April 23, 2021
Finally, it seems, we can breathe a sigh of relief. The new COVID case numbers are starting to drop again in Marquette County, but they're still alarmingly high--ten times what they were just two months ago......But here’s the surprising news. It's not the old folks who are getting sick anymore--last week, there were only seven cases in people 65 and over. This, while there were twenty-seven Covid cases in children 17 and under.
Why the sudden turnabout? Seems pretty clear. The old folks have gotten the vaccinations, the young folks haven’t.....We can argue all we want—there are anti-vaxers on the left and the right—but the evidence could hardly be clearer. Mass vaccinations will finally put an end to the pandemic.
More relatively good news. Six months ago, experts were telling us 20-25% of businesses were likely to be wiped out by the pandemic. Look around—do we see that happening in Marquette? Not really.
The Marquette Baking Company is a huge loss, though. Great product, young entrepreneurs, but after a couple of years, they just decided running that business wasn’t what they wanted to do....That site may not stay vacant for long, though. Two local businesses—both food-related—have expressed keen interest in expanding to the bakery location. We'll know more by the end of the month.
Talk to business people around town and you’ll hear a constant theme: We can’t find enough employees. The culprit? The generous unemployment benefits? Stimulus checks? Fear of catching Covid from customers? Reluctance to leave your out-of-school kids at home?.....Could be any and all of them.
Still, even with the hiring struggles, most businesses around town are expecting a big summer—much like last year when regional tourists fled to the UP where infection rates were low. One restaurateur told us, “I think it’s going to be insane here this summer!” Insanely busy.
Changing of the guard at TV6. Steve Asplund, after four decades, is edging toward retirement. Out as news director, staying on as 6 pm anchor for another year, while also moving to a newly created position—senior content editor. Andrew LaCombe becomes the news director, but steps down from his morning co-anchor duties.....And the eternally young anchor Greg Trick, also about to retire. How old is he, anyway? 46? 52?
So who’s replacing whom? Auditions have been underway for virtually all the shows, morning and evening. "Everything's on the table," says WLUC GM Rick Rhoades.....Possibilities in-house for the new co-anchor spots include Iron Mountain reporter Alyssa Jawor and Fox anchor Elyse Chengery. We should learn the new anchor line-ups within a week or two.
Finally, have you seen the latest Trip Advisor ratings for Marquette restaurants? Who’s number one? Jean Kay’s Pasties. Yeah, they make a great pasty, but seriously…the number one restaurant in Marquette?....Well, that’s what tourists are reading.
Lagniappe is rated number two. Well-deserved. But then go all the way down the list to number 11. That’s where you’ll find Elizabeth’s Chophouse. Yeah, we get it—there’s the issue of “value” and Elizabeth’s is the most expensive restaurant in town, and there will always be disappointed diners, but seriously.....It’s a dining experience unlike any other in town…maybe in the entire UP.
And number 21 on the list? Uhh, the Recovery Room. Long since closed. Maybe these surveys aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.