Marquette's Up-to-Date Crime Stats, Old Hospital Garage Coming Down, Cannabis Store Delay, Velodrome and Superior Culture Expansions, Gathered Earth's Closing, and Marquette Mountain is Perfect But--
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
AHH, WINTER’S HERE at last, arriving with a vengeance last weekend, dumping 38 inches of snow on Ishpeming, anywhere from 6-12 inches in Marquette…The cold spell lasting through the weekend…“Next week, we’ll be back in the thirties,” says National Weather Service meteorologist Tara Dudzik, “and right now, there’s no big system on the way.”
THE CRIME RATE in Marquette? Not bad, not bad at all…The most serious crimes, as reported to the Marquette Police Department, remain low when comparing the last three years:
Homicides went from 1 in 2021, to 0 in 2022 and 2023
Criminal Sexual Conduct cases totaled 21 in 2021, again 21 in 2022, before dipping to 15 last year.
Robbery cases? Zero for the last three years.
Assaults totaled 105 in 2021 before climbing to 111 in 2022, and143 last year.
Operating While Intoxicated: 39 in 2021, then 76 in 2022, and 71 last year.
As for other crimes—burglary, larceny, lesser sex crimes, and weapons offenses—they remained relatively flat, some slightly up, others slightly down…All in all, a crime rate that would be the envy of most towns and cities even though the MPD, like many police departments nationwide, have been dealing with short staffing. “We have been working on filling those vacancies,” say Detective Lieutenant Chris Aldrich, “and as of now, MPD is almost fully staffed. There are currently two positions which are in the process of being filled…”
THE MULTI-STORY parking garage at the UPHS-Marquette campus is coming down, despite efforts to save it. “It was determined that to bring it in compliance with code would be cost-prohibitive,” says Dave Nyberg, the executive director of business engagement for the NMU Foundation, which is heading up demolition of the old hospital campus…The Foundation recently selected the low bidder for the garage demolition contract, and they’re now waiting to sign a final agreement…Clearing of the entire old hospital campus, which started a few months ago, will be completed before the end of the year.
Originally, it had been hoped that the garage could be incorporated into the planned development by Veridea at the 23-acre former hospital site, but it didn’t work out…By the way, a final contract with Veridea to develop the site, which will be heavy on housing, has not been signed yet, and likely won’t be for several months.
MOSES ROSES, THE newest cannabis store in Marquette, has delayed its opening until sometime this summer…In fact, their location, next door to Blackrocks Brewery, remains simply an empty lot, so we’ll have to see some hasty construction this spring and summer…Moses Roses is a downstate cannabis chain that has been moving northward. Their entry into a competitive Marquette market will likely be a challenge.
HE’S JUST A bit more than a barista…Brice Sturmer, who opened the Velodrome Coffee Company six years ago on Washington Street (since re-located to Third Street) is expanding his operations yet again. He’s opening up another Velodrome on Michigan Tech’s campus this Spring…This comes in addition to the Velodrome in Ishpeming, and Melo Cannabis, also in Ishpeming, along with the Slap Shot sandwich shop in Negaunee, also due to open this Spring.
Oh, and he’s also a partner in the group that bought the historical Gossard Building and Rare Earth in Ishpeming…“I have a big interest in providing jobs,” he explains, “and I just like what I do.” What more could you ask for?
SPEAKING OF AMBITION, Alex Rowland, the owner of Superior Culture on Third Street, has recently opened up the second floor of the building, creating a two-floor tap room…Some of us might have questioned how a kombucha bar (a kombucha bar???) would make it in Marquette when it opened in 2017, but it’s become much more than that ever since, offering not only kombucha but also their own craft beer, mead, and seltzer, all of which they brew at Lakeshore Depot, and wine (with a Superior Culture label) produced in the Traverse City area.
It’s an interesting and attractive venue with a quiet, relaxing coffee shop vibe in the afternoons. “They trickle in during the days,” says Rowland, “and then pack it at night, especially when we have live music.”…They feature lots of live music in the intimate first-floor tap room, and during the summer, the music moves outside every Friday, although a conflict with neighbors requires that they shut it down outside at 9 pm. Rowland is also planning on other activities—maybe games—to better use Superior Culture’s spacious backyard this summer.
THE GATHERED EARTH, that tasteful little gift shop on Washington Street, will be closing down in February. But not for economic reasons—“We had a great year!” owner Erica Smith assures us. It’s just that she’s been operating three stores in Marquette—Seiche, ReWild, and Gathered Earth—and it became too much…Not only that, but she prefers the feel of Third Street, which caters more to locals, to Washington Street, which is more reliant on the tourist market.
Some of Gathered Earth’s merchandise will be transferred over to ReWild, a store that features clothing, books, gifts, jewelry and other earth-based spirituality items…“It’s a place where you can go to un-domesticate yourself, look inward, and find out who you really are,” Smith explains.
AND THEN THERE were three. Three final possible nicknames for Marquette Senior High School—The Reds, The Red Jackets, and The Sentinels. The final choice to be made at a School Board meeting next week…Yay…Now we can move on to less substantive matters.
SO YOU’RE SAYING that remote work is the way to go. Well, here’s a word of caution from the Wall Street Journal, based on a survey of two million workers: Remote workers are 31% less likely to get promoted than employees who work in the office…They’ll also get less mentoring…Most CEO’s have made it clear they prefer having employees come to work to those who stay in their homes…So what’s more important to you? Comfort and convenience, or the greater likelihood of advancing in your company?
FINALLY, MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN is a fluffy white. Fresh snow. Beautifully groomed. Perfect for skiing and snowboarding, right? Well, not quite…“Skiers and snowboarders are fair weather fans,” Kaet Johnson, the Mountain general manager, tells you regretfully. They don’t like 5 degree days, nor wind chills of -10…The Arctic freeze of the last week hasn’t been great for attendance—although fine for snow-making. Fortunately, temperatures should be climbing over the next several days…So maybe, with the late start, the skiing and snowboarding season will continue well into Spring this year? Maybe, but Johnson has observations from previous experience: “People stop showing up after mid-March,” she says. “The minute people see their yards turning green,” she says, “they start thinking of other things to do.”…Maybe, maybe, this season will be different.
POEM OF THE WEEK
Haiku (Slightly Overlength)
Winter has come
Five days of ice storm
The sheep have retreated to the barn
And the dog is allowed into the kitchen
I think of you
And keep warm
—James Laughlin
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