The Snowless Winter, the Thomsen Termination, South Marquette Excitement, Zephyr's Changeover, New Dining Options, Spam Call Insanity, Enbridge Victory, and Our Local Grinch

The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell

DREAMING OF A white Christmas? Well, you might have to dream a little harder…Dan Thompson at the National Weather Service tells us that, although some snow could fall in parts of the UP this weekend, there are no significant storms on the horizon…“We’ve had a lack of cold air masses this winter,” he explains, “ and that’s given us less lake effect snow.” We’re having an El Niño winter, and that means more warm air and less snow…Weather’s hard to predict in the UP, but don’t expect a ton of snow by Christmas.

These numbers tell it all—Snow totals at the National Weather Service in Negaunee so far this winter: 9.9 inches….Normal snow totals at NWS: 36.8 inches.

MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN GENERAL manager Kaet Johnson understandably isn’t thrilled. “We’ve had some lovely, warm days recently,” she tells us, tongue-in-cheek…They have been able to make some snow over the last few nights, but that’s now in danger of melting. The terrain park will be open again this Saturday for skiers and boarders who are dying for action. Any action!…Johnson’s hope is that the Mountain will open up one lift and one run on December 16th. Fingers crossed.

HOO BOY, WHAT a mess…John Thomsen, the longtime radio voice of Marquette Senior High School boys hockey was terminated earlier this week for repeatedly, over several games, referring to the team as the “Redmen”. That mascot name, of course, was retired by the School Board earlier this year, because it was considered a slight to Native Americans.

“I haven’t said it on purpose,” Thomsen explains. He’s been using the term “Redmen” in broadcasts for the last 25 years. “It just happens. I had talked about it with the high school Athletic Director and the Sports Director at the radio station, and I tried but…” Thomsen, a gracious man, bears no malice toward them. “These are people with real jobs,” he says. “I’m just a play-by-play announcer.”

“After I was terminated, I cried for an hour,” he continues, “but I’ll tell you, these last couple of days, with hundreds of people saying all these nice things about me (in social media and in-person) have been wonderful. It feels like my funeral.” It’s not his funeral, of course. He’s a humble, community-minded, profoundly religious family man who still works with his son at the Queen City Running Company…Would he return to his play-by-play job if it was offered to him? Yes, absolutely, he says. Even for no pay.

No response yet to a call made to the radio station

THERE’S SOMETHING EXCITING happening in south Marquette, and it’s mostly flown under the radar…The former carpenters and millwrights building on Division Street has been transformed into SOMA Studios, where more than a dozen artists and artisans have set up shop to do their work. Originally, plans called for the sandstone building to be converted into a brewery, but then Covid intervened and those plans were scuttled…“My mother, who’s an artist, set up her studio in the building,” explains Iver Johnson, the building manager, “and then things just evolved. Word-of-mouth spread and our phones started ringing off the hook. Artists wanted a place to do their work.” Johnson says there are still a few spots open.

DON’T EXPECT ANY big changes at the Zephyr Wine Bar in the near future. Sean Hartwig, formerly of Zingerman’s Deli, recently bought the business and now plans to observe and learn from the customers and employees in the months ahead…“I do want to get back to the core business which is a great wine bar with thoughtful food pairings,” he says…The Cellar, which is downstairs from Zephyr, will be pausing the occasional fixed-price dinners it had been offering, and Hartwig hopes The Cellar will evolve into more of a special event space for meetings and groups…Lunches at the Zephyr? Uncertain. An early morning coffee and Champagne spot? Maybe.

THE DINING SCENE in Marquette is certainly changing and expanding…The most obvious change was the recent opening of Panera on the highway where it’s been treated by many, overly eager residents as the Second Coming. Salads, soups, and sandwiches are fine, service is improving…Next door, Texas Roadhouse is in the final phase of construction…Downtown, Jimmy John’s has relocated…Sando’s Eatery, a brand new sandwich shop, has installed its sign and plans to open in January…Elixirs, the small juice and smoothies shop that opened this summer next to Be Well, is expanding its culinary offerings—including chicken tikka masala, vegan korma, dal, hummus, chole, and more, with new specials every Friday…As for the rumored move of Beefs, a sandwich shop, into the Third Street Marketplace, it’s not happening, at least for now. A financing issue.

ON THE OTHER hand, a new food truck is on the way. It’s All Rolled Up, the brainchild of Hannah Snow and Eric Speth…What’ll they offer? Egg rolls, of course, and the variety will be mind-boggling—as in Reuben, Shawarma, pizza, and tacos, all wrapped up in egg rolls…“There’s room for more food in Marquette and we’ve been making these egg rolls for family and friends. They’re a big hit.” Snow adds, “Eric and I have managed a restaurant in the past, we’ve been successful, and we expect to be successful with All Rolled Up.”…They plan to open early next summer, with a quick, soft launch at Barrel and Beam this winter.

HOW MUCH MORE money would you need to make to be happy? According to Axios, a recent survey tells us that those making 25k a year would be happy if they made 35k…And in general, those earning under 150k would be happy making about $20k more, while those above $200k say they would need to be bumped to $350k to be happy…And yet, you can’t help but wonder whether they’d truly be happy once they’re making $350,000 a year. Wouldn’t they really need something like $500,000 at that point to make them happy?…More important, what do these questions and answers say about us as a people?

MAYBE IT’S JUST an isolated and anecdotal observation, but, my God, it certainly seems that spam callers are out in force this holiday season. Like, one or two per hour some days. Unfortunately, there seems little we can do, other than turn off our ringer or immediately hang up on the guy or gal who’s struggling to pronounce our name correctly…Any other surefire, uncomplicated remedies out there? We’ve tried Do-Not-Call lists, but they don’t seem very effective.

IT LOOKS LIKE that controversial, proposed Enbridge pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac is moving closer to reality…Utility regulators last Friday approved Enbridge’s plan to re-route a 4-mile section of the 645-mile pipeline into a concrete tunnel…This is not the final approval for the pipeline, but it’s a clear victory for Enbridge in its hard-fought battle against environmentalists…Come to think of it, it’s reminiscent of that fight between Eagle Mine and the environmentalists more than a decade ago, and we all know who ended up winning there.

A COUPLE OF years ago, it appeared that Marquette Monthly, which had ceased publishing, was all but dead. But look at it now. It’s a robust monthly publication, flush with in-depth, interesting stories and tons of ads…“It’s been a lot of work but it’s also been a lot of fun,” says James Larsen who, with Jane Hutchens, publishes the monthly. “We can tell the community appreciates it from the comments we get, but it’s the local advertisers who truly make it happen.” Marquette Monthly distributes about 13,000 copies a month in six counties of the UP.

A MAN WITH Christmas spirit…A few years ago, in the midst of a sad, dreary Covid Christmas season, Marquette resident (and renowned photographer) Bryan Lopac dressed up in a Grinch suit to wave to kids in a Christmas parade in Marquette…He got a great response…“People were kind of crabby back then, there were no school sports, kids weren’t getting together much,” Lopac says, “so I was just trying to raise their spirits.”…It caught on—he subsequently met with kids in-person and on FaceTime, at a daycare center, at the YMCA, and in an Ishpeming parade…This year, he’s appearing at Shop with a Cop this Saturday and at the Delft Bistro on December 23rd…And he’s always open for more appearances with kids, either individually or in groups. “It helps me, too,” he explains. “My mother passed away a few years ago, and being the Grinch helps me pass her spirit on to others.”

POEM OF THE WEEK

Unlove

Love that holds you tight
and squeezes you until
you can’t
take
another
breath
isn’t love at all.
It’s possession.
Or a boa constrictor.

—Lizella Prescott

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