More EV Chargers Coming, the Wednesday Market Thriving, a Restaurant Closing, a Veterans Home Nearing a Deal, Bugsy's Still Waking Up, and Michigan Football Coaches in Trouble
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
WELL, THIS IS promising…It’s no secret that the Upper Peninsula is sorely lacking in EV (Electric Vehicle) fast chargers. Currently only 13 in the entire UP—that’s enough to dissuade most of us from buying an electric vehicle…But Carl Lindquist of the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy says more are on the way, thanks to state money from EGLE…Two of the fast chargers will be installed in the city parking lot near the Ore Dock, and three others will be installed in Munising.
“We’ve been working on this grant for over a year,” says Lindquist. “We hope to start installing them later this year, and they should be ready for use by next Spring.” The city of Marquette, the DDA and the SmartZone are all involved in the project in Marquette.
The fast chargers can charge vehicles in a half hour or so…The cost for Marquette’s chargers is $168,000, Munising’s are $231,000. Further good news: Lindquist says federal money will soon be available for even more EV chargers.
“A SMASHING SUCCESS.” That's how Market Manager Sara Johnson describes the Wednesday Farmers Market which relocated to Washington Street this year. It had previously been held at the Commons…“This set-up brought new faces to the Market, more foot traffic, and combined with the newly enacted Social District ( ie drinks allowed on the streets downtown), really added to the downtown culture,” Johnson says.
The preliminary statistics are impressive—43 vendors on average for each Market, which is a 300% increase over last year, and 2500 shoppers on average—a whopping 700% increase. While a few stores on Washington Street weren’t thrilled with the closing of the block to traffic, most of the stores endorsed the move, and sales at most of them showed a 10-20% increase over last year…The Wednesday Market is now closed for the season.
NO REASON GIVEN publicly yet for the imminent closure of Sol Azteca, the Mexican restaurant across from the Lower Harbor. Just that the lease is up…It’s reportedly closing at the end of the month but waiters say they’ve been told it’ll be shutting down by next Monday…Some of them have been applying for jobs downstairs at the Iron Bay…Sol Azteca featured a prime location, a great venue, good (though not great) food, and efficient service…Will someone else be moving in to start up another restaurant? It’d be a shame to see it vacant.
MEANTIME, AT OUR other Mexican restaurant out in the Township, it sometimes looks like a track meet during the peak meal times…We’re talking about La Catrina and its servers…Literally, some of the servers jog from the kitchen to the tables and back to serve the diners…The food comes out fast, and the quality? Excellent…La Catrina is arguably the best Mexican restaurant in the entire UP…A huge menu with all the traditional dishes, but then they also offer up mashed potatoes, potato shrimp enchiladas, and fajitas portobello…And they’re all hot because…well, the servers are jogging from the kitchen to your table and back.
IT STILL LOOKS like the new DJ Jacobetti Home for Veterans will be located on the Cliffs Dow property just across from Lake Superior…”We’re pretty committed to the site,” says Anne Zerbe, the Chief Executive Officer of Michigan Veteran Homes, “but we want to make sure everybody’s comfortable with it.” The property’s controversial because it’s a former chemical processing plant and the soil may be contaminated…Zerbe said talks with EGLE so far indicate the land can be remediated…Still to come if EGLE signs off on it—approval from the Veterans Administration for the site, and an agreement with the city, which owns the property…Zerbe’s hoping a final agreement can be reached by March, and groundbreaking can start in early summer.
ALSO COMING THIS Spring—the new L&M Fleet Supply store in the old Shopko building…The company’s now advertising job openings for management of the store…Fleet Supply has a dozen other stores in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota…They’ve got a wide array of offerings, including lawn, garden, pet and farming supplies, and sports equipment.
1715 DAYS AND counting…That’s where Marquette sunrise-watcher Bugsy Sailor stands…That’s right, he’s gotten up early every single morning ever since January 1st, 2019 to photograph the sunrise…Crazy. Crazy in a good way…It benefits his health, he says. “It’s a time I use to clear my head of all my personal problems, and problems in the world,” he explains. “Five out of seven days each week, I’m highly motivated to shoot the sunrises. The other two days, I walk out of the house whining and moaning to myself.”
No plans to stop the routine yet. “I’ll definitely finish out the year,” he says, “but every December, it gets a little tough as I wonder whether I should continue. We’ll see.” Sunrise photographs from every day of the year are available at his shop, Upper Peninsula Supply Company, downtown.
“I’M REALLY BULLISH on Munising and Alger County.” Those are the words of journalist and NMU grad Brice Burge…He’s the editor of the Munising Beacon, the weekly newspaper which just started publishing paper editions of the Beacon this month. For the last year, it had been available only online…For the last two years, Munising and Alger County had been without a traditional newspaper that you can hold in your hands—a great disappointment to many residents, especially older ones…No surprise—subscriptions and ads have picked up since the paper edition became available.
SO, THIS DOESN’T look good…Michigan’s two college football powers—University of Michigan and Michigan State—both have suspended coaches. U of M’s Jim Harbaugh is out for three games for alleged recruiting violations during the pandemic, and now MSU’s Mel Tucker is out indefinitely on charges of sexually harassing a rape survivor. Yikes…But never mind, no big deal. Both teams are sporting 2-0 records this year, and Michigan, in particular, is considered a contender for the national championship.
POEM OF THE WEEK
I’m Yours
I am yours as the summer air at evening is
Possessed by the scent of linden blossoms,
As the snowcap gleams with light
Lent it by the brimming moon.
Without you I’d be an unleafed tree
Blasted in a bleakness with no Spring.
Your love is the weather of my being.
What is an island without the sea?
– Daniel Hoffman
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Just to clarify, the $400,000 for 5 chargers is coming from the tax payers.