Schneider Talks Suicide and Millner, Noque Out but UP 200 In, New Pond Ice Rink, Old Hospital Property Nearly Ready, and Paying Kids to Attend School

The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell

SUICIDE. IT’S BEEN a topic we’ve been told to avoid in print. It’s insensitive, sensational, exploitative…But maybe times are changing. Look at social media these days—people do want to discuss it and try to understand it…Jason Schneider, a former Marquette City Commissioner and founder of the former Chamber of Commerce, recently posted a deeply personal and thought-provoking piece on Facebook dealing with his own suicidal thoughts, and the suicides of his friends—former Mayor and State Representative John Kivela and, most recently, jeweler Beth Millner.

More than 300 people “liked” the post, more than 100 commented on it.

“And there were a lot more,” Schneider tells us. “I had more than fifty people directly correspond with me to tell me their own stories of suicide and suicidal thoughts.”

“A good friend, Beth, took her life Sunday night…” was how Schneider opened his lengthy piece. He and she, both NMU alumni, had been friends since 2001 when they were baristas in Marquette. They met regularly to share ideas on business and life, but he offers nothing (at least publicly) on what he thinks might have led her to take her own life.

“I was maybe 13 years old; I had put a noose around my neck…” is how he tells the tale about himself. Nothing in particular, he writes, precipitated his suicide attempt—“just a general feeling of depression, angst, and hopelessness…” He also mentions shame and self-loathing. “Many of us know these feelings to some degree, but most people do not feel them to the depths that drive someone to consider taking their life,” he continues. “Without skillful navigation by the person and those around them, the mix of these feelings drives behavior that makes them much, much worse.”

A final thought from Schneider: “I believe a culture that minimizes the meaning of humanity is a major driver of low self-worth, shame, and isolation. Our society's current state encourages and rewards hyper-individualism and treats all relationships as transactional.”

So suicide can and should be talked about. More than 14 Americans out of 100,000 kill themselves every year. Our homicide rate—5.5 out of 100,000—is much less. Suicide is a national crisis that, unfortunately, we’ve tried to sweep under the rug. No longer.

Schneider, by the way, now lives in Bend, Oregon, operating his business as a consultant on community development. His heart, he assures us, remains in Marquette.

SO, THE NOQUEMANON Ski Marathon, scheduled for next weekend, has been cancelled—not enough snow on the ground. A huge hit to the area’s hotels and restaurants…What about the UP 200, set to start on February 13th? “The snow looks pretty good,” says an optimistic Darlene Walch, the president of the UP Sled Dog Association. “There’s more coming, and the long range forecast looks good.” She says 41 teams are currently scheduled to run in the three races (UP 200, Midnight Run, and Jackpine 30) which, of course, were cancelled the last two years, due to lack of snow…If necessary, Walch says, they may move the start and finish of the UP 200 farther east where there’s more snow, while still holding a ceremonial start in downtown Marquette.

IMPERFECT TIMING…NMU signed a three-year naming sponsorship with the UP 200 two years ago, only to have the first two races cancelled. Maybe the third year is a charm…“I met with them (the Sled Dog Association) recently, and we agreed to discuss the continuation of the contract after this year’s race,” says Derek Hall, the Chief Marketing Officer for NMU…Bottom line: nothing decided yet…Even when the race has been cancelled, the association, NMU and the other sponsors have been able to put on a lively winter festival downtown that’s especially popular with kids.

OPTIMISM AT MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN…“It’s starting to look like a normal winter although we could always use more natural snow,” says Kaet Johnson, the General Manager…They’ve been making snow by pumping water out of the Carp River, but if it gets too warm or too cold outside, the snowmaking suffers…Ideal outside temperature? Between 20 and 23 degrees…Marquette Mountain is open seven days a week.

IF YOU’RE THINKING that winter seems shorter than it used to be, you’re right…A new study from the nonprofit Climate Central has determined that Michigan has lost nine days of freezing weather annually…The biggest loss has been along the Lower Peninsula’s coastline, while the UP and the Lower Peninsula’s interior have seen the least change…The biggest changes, according to the study, have occurred in Europe where some countries have lost several weeks of sub-freezing days.

“IT’S BEEN AN interesting journey and very satisfying,” says Brad Canale, the CEO of the NMU Foundation. He’s speaking of the Foundation’s vital role in taking over the former Marquette General Hospital site, razing the buildings, and selling it to the Veridea Group, which will redevelop the property with a heavy emphasis on housing…

If the Foundation hadn't stepped in a couple of years ago to orchestrate the demolition and sale of the property, Marquette would have been saddled with a huge, abandoned tract of land in the center of town…The Foundation will finish demolition and turn over the land to Veridea—in three separate parcels—this summer…Veridea will then bring its plans before the public and the City Commission.

SOMETHING NEW AT Tourist Park this winter—a beautiful pond ice rink. “We thought it would be good experiment this year because we’ve got a good water source nearby and a flat area,” says Jon Swenson, the Director of the Community Services Department…It may be only a one-year experiment, he says, depending on how the area—a huge grass field in the summer—holds up…The city is planning to build a new access road directly from the Big Bay Road into Tourist Park this summer.

AND HOW ABOUT a new, all-year dog park in the city? “We just don’t have any city property for it that would make any sense,” Swenson says. That’s left the cash-strapped city hoping for a gift of land from an individual or perhaps, the Board of Light and Power…Meantime, a petition drive for an all-year dog park is underway at Tourist Park which, unfortunately, can serve the canines and their owners only during the winter months…Campers take over from Spring through Fall.

WE’RE BECOMING MORE isolated, lonelier, and less likely to socialize…That’s the thrust of The Atlantic’s cover story, “The Anti-Social Century”. A few facts to consider, as reported by the American Time Use Survey: 1) Americans spent 20% less time socializing in 2023 than they did in 2003. For younger people, the decline was 35%. 2) The share of U.S. adults having dinner or a drink with friends on any given night dropped by 30%. 3) The National Restaurant Association says that 74% of restaurant traffic in 2023 came from takeout and delivery. 4) The average adult buys three movie tickets a year, while spending 19 hours a week watching TV…Conclusion: We generally want to stay at home, alone or with our family. We’re avoiding contact with other people. We’re not the social animals we once were.

FORGING A NEW identity…Forsyth Township, comprising Gwinn, Little Lake, and a chunk of Sawyer, has never enjoyed a particularly positive reputation. But that could be about to change if leaders of those communities have any say in the matter…They’ve just launched Forsyth Forward and taken over the former Township office, converting it into a combination Chamber/Visitors Bureau/Economic Development Office. “We just finally got together, and said ‘We have to do something about this,’’ Alan Cook told us. He’s the new Executive Director of Forsyth Forward. Among their goals—creating new, non-motorized trails in the Township, starting this summer, with the ultimate goal of connecting Gwinn to Marquette with a trail…Now, that would be something to celebrate.

KINDA GUESSING NOT everybody will be on board with this…According to Bridge Michigan, the Detroit School District has just started a new attendance initiative…The district is offering students $200 gift cards if they have perfect attendance records over a two-week period. They’ll have the opportunity to earn up to $1000 in gift cards if they continue with perfect attendance through March. So far, the program seems to be working—more kids are showing up for classes……..but..….should we be paying children to attend their public schools where they can get a free education? Begging them, bribing them? Please, please, pretty please, come to your classes!!!…Again, we’re just guessing here that some folks may grumble about this well-intentioned but bone-headed initiative.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.”

—Chinese proverb