"Spontaneous Combustion" at Jeffreys, a Huge, New Tap Room at the Mather, a New Owner at Zephyr, a Delay at the Residences Development, an Unconventional Health Fair, and the Powerful Women of NMU

The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell

THE MARQUETTE FIRE Department has come up with a likely cause of the fire at Jeffrey’s Restaurant two weeks ago…“We are going to list it as ‘undetermined’ but there’s a high degree of possibility that it was started by spontaneous combustion,” says Captain Kirk Vogler, who was part of the investigation team…Their focus was on a dryer in a utility room just off of the kitchen—specifically rags in the dryer that may have contained residue of chemicals that ignited in the heat generated by the dryer.

Again, it’s not a 100% certainty here, but that will be the final determination unless the investigating team finds new evidence in the days ahead. Criminal intent has been ruled out…Still uncertain is when Jeffrey’s will reopen.

CHANGES AT THE Zephyr Winebar and Cafe…Sean Hartwig, the longtime head of specialty foods at the famed Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, has bought the Zephyr…He’s already relocated to the UP, but he’s currently overseas and couldn’t be reached…Will there be changes at the Zephyr and its downstairs cousin, the Cellar Cafe? Unknown at this point…The Zephyr opened seven years ago and has enjoyed a stellar reputation for its drinks and exquisite snacks upstairs, and its fixed-price dinners downstairs.

EXCITEMENT BREWING IN Ishpeming…The new owners of the Mather Inn are expanding what used to be the cozy Cognition Brewing Company bar. It is becoming, instead, the Mather Tap Room. 4200 square feet. That’s huge…They’ll also be serving up pizzas, steaks and other bar food…And the entire Mather Inn complex—16 apartments, ballroom, and the tap room—has been renamed, simply, The Mather…The reasoning? The Mather Inn’s recent history and ownership have been…uhh…somewhat controversial…“It’s still got a stigma attached to it, but we wanted to keep the name (or most of it) and honor the history of the Mather,” explains John Anderson, who’s one of the new co-owners, along with Lisa Petersen, of the Mather.

Construction of the new tap room is about to get underway, and a new liquor license is on the way…Hoped-for opening: sometime early next year…Nothing but good news for a longtime centerpiece of Ishpeming.

A SLIGHT CHANGING of the guard at the Marquette City Commission…Paul Schloegel, a former commissioner who had lost his seat in a previous election, regained it on Tuesday along with incumbents Cody Mayer (the current mayor), and Jessica Hanley…Stepping down is Fred Stonehouse who was term-limited…“I want to get caught up on what’s happening,” says Schloegel. “When you’re out of office, you sometimes don’t have all the information that’s important.”…His priorities are maintaining a balanced budget and an up-to-date, reliable infrastructure.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED to free, unstructured, outdoor playtime for kids? Remember (if you’re old enough) when we used to wander the streets, playgrounds, and parks, unfettered for hours at a time, returning home only for meals and bed times?…John McWhorter, a renowned columnist, points out that in a 2004 survey, 70% of the mothers said they used to play outside every day, but only 33% of their kids did. With cellphones, that number has certainly shrunk even more in the last two decades…Two possibilities: either kids don’t want to go outside, or their parents are leery of letting them play outside, unwatched and unprotected.

Either way, it’s a loss for kids—who need the outdoors air, the social interaction, and the freedom to be themselves.

NO SURPRISE HERE…There will be no shovels in the ground this year for The Residences at North Harbor, the new condo development planned near the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard and Hawley Street…It’ll happen next Spring, predicts John Foster, the president and COO of the Sabre Group which is building The Residences. “We’re holding our breath, hoping that construction costs stabilize,” says Foster…The development has been hampered by delays and rising construction costs, and recently revised the design of the buildings to lower the costs.

CONTRARY TO COMMON belief, most young adults aren’t busy trying to hook up through dating apps…A new Axios/Generation Lab survey of college and graduate students found that 79% of them didn’t use any dating apps…Of those who did use the apps, Tinder was the most popular; 12% said they used it monthly…

“I feel dating apps have ruined the dating scene for many people my age, and ruined their self-confidence,” says Melanie Perez, a junior at Sam Houston State University. “I’d rather meet and start as friends than use an app that will likely end up as hook-ups.”…Something else: Most college students say they wouldn’t date someone who had voted differently than them in the 2020 election…Yikes.

IF YOU’RE NOT a fan of conventional Western medicine, we’ve got something for you. The Marquette Holistic Health Fair is coming up November 18th at the Northern Center at NMU…The Health Fair had been a regular, yearly happening in Marquette until the pandemic effectively closed it down a few years ago…“I think this is something the community really needs,” says Michelle Nichols, who’s hosting the Fair. She’s an intuitive life coach and holistic healer. “It has a 20-year history and has always been popular here.”

Among the offerings at the Fair: massage, cupping, myofacial release, tarot readings, mental health therapy dogs, essential oils, henna art, crystal tuning bowls, information about doulas, childbirth, nutrition and intimacy support, and much, much more…However, don’t expect to meet many MD’s or to have your prescriptions refilled at the fair.

NOVEMBER SOCCER IN Marquette…Nothing like it. The NMU women’s soccer team took on Ferris State Friday in the GLIAC semifinals, right next to the Lake and under leaden skies that were intermittently spitting out a mix of rain and snow…A temperature of 36 degrees…A hardy and enthusiastic crowd of 300, wearing winter jackets, hats and gloves, and sprouting a sprinkling of umbrellas, endured the elements for two hours without a complaint…And they were rewarded with a dominant 4-1 victory for the Wildcats who are now sporting a record of 15 wins, 1 loss, and 4 ties…

NMU, which most recently was rated the 8th best D2 team in the nation, faces Parkside today (Sunday) for the GLIAC championship…1 pm, at the NMU soccer field by the Lake…Weather forecast: a high of 46, with only a slight chance of rain. In other words, downright balmy…Forget the lowly Packers on TV. Instead, join the hardy hundreds cheering on the powerful Wildcat women.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

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