MEIJER INQUIRIES, MARIJUANA DEFIANCE, HOSPITAL FUTURE, CLIFFS MAGIC TRICK, AND AN IDLE LONGBOAT

IF YOU'RE ONE of those shoppers desperately hoping for news that Costco is expanding into Marquette, sorry, this ain't it.

No Costco sightings yet.

However, two property owners on US 41 in Marquette Township report that they were recently approached by a representative of Meijer, the superstore from downstate, to see if they'd be willing to sell their land to Meijer.

One was told that Meijer was looking into three possible locations in the U.P. and this would likely be one of them.

No word on the whether the property owners would be willing to sell.

Again, these were just inquiries, and Township Manager Randy Girard says his office has had no communication with Meijer.

The Meijer chain, which is headquartered near Grand Rapids, boasts more than 200 "hypermarkets" or "supercenters" in five Midwestern states. The stores are a combination grocery and department store, sometimes with a gas station. Kinda like a Walmart, certainly not a Costco or Sam's Club.

Marquette Township may have lost the hospital sweepstakes but it certainly seems to be winning the hearts of the box stores.

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MICHIGAN'S HALF-ASSED, half-hearted medical marijuana law may be facing a challenge here in Marquette.

A new marijuana dispensary, the Green Room, has opened up on West Washington Street in the last month, even though a state appeals court ruled that such dispensaries are illegal.

If you walk into the Green Room, you'll be told by a man sitting by the phone that he can't tell you anything unless you're a member of the "private club."

Go to their website and they'll tell you to get a medical marijuana card and then you can become a member of the "private club."

How do you get a card? Get a doctor to stipulate that you might be helped, medically, by marijuana. Easy-peasy. Some doctors dispense permission slips like candy on Halloween.

Then you pay a fee to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program and, bingo, you get a card. 146,000 Michiganders now have such cards.

Which brings us to the state law that some sadistic lawyer drew up and we the voters approved. We decided we didn't want to continue an outright ban  on pot--that would have been too backward--nor did we opt for straight legalization--that would have been too progressive--so instead we got this silly, complicated, legally questionable mess.

The law says stores or dispensaries can't sell pot. Nope. Not doctors either. Just "caregivers" who are allowed to grow up to 12 plants in their basements or other enclosed areas. "Patients" find "caregivers" and they make a deal. Patients get their pot, caregivers make their money. A drug deal, in other words.

It's no secret that the majority of the patients are recreational users. So what? We drink alcohol too.

The last we heard, pot-smokers weren't starting many bar fights nor were they beating their wives and girlfriends.

But we're apparently not yet ready to make the step toward full marijuana legalization, which leaves us with this crazy law and leaves the Green Room in legal limbo.

Marquette County Prosecutor Matt Wiese is aware of the Green Room's existence. On its face, he believes it's illegal under current Michigan law. But until he has substantive evidence against it, he won't bring charges. He won't say whether a case is in the works.

So for now, that means the Green Room can continue to dispense its medicine.

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YOU MAY HAVE noticed that construction has resumed at the Founders Landing condo complex.

They're laying the foundation for the parking garage of the Gaines Building which will be completed next summer.

Nine units, all told. Five have been sold.

Once Gaines goes up, that leaves only one more building to finish up the project which generated controversy early on because of the buildings' height, but which has been supported by the city because the condos provide property tax revenue.

And the buildings--from the lakeside, at least--you have to admit, are attractive.

Next up for the partners in the Founders Landing project is the building that'll be erected just north of the Hampton Inn.

That'll be two levels of parking with 230 spaces, topped by up to four levels of retail, residences and offices.

Financing, according to one of the partners, Ron Thorley, should be wrapped up within a month. Construction should start within a year.

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SPEAKING OF CONSTRUCTION, what's next for the soon-to-be abandoned Marquette General Hospital?

That's what the city would like to know. Duke LifePoint owns the building complex and will almost certainly sell it...but to whom, and for what purpose, and when?

So far Duke LifePoint isn' t tipping their hand.

Possibilities? Turn it into residential apartments or condos. Or NMU housing. Or make it mixed use--retail, office, and residential. Tear it down and build single family homes and apartments.

Or how about this idea? Move the Jacobetti Home for Veterans to the hospital? It'd be a bigger and more modern facility for our vets.

Regardless, the city would like to know what lies ahead. What it doesn't want is a monstrous, abandoned building in the middle of town.

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AMID ALL THE the controversy over the proposed boathouse for the Upper Peninsula Community Rowing Club, local builder Mike Potts has a suggestion.

He says we should be thinking less about the sleek racing shells of the rowing club, and more about hardier longboats, which are far better suited to the frequently rough waters of Lake Superior.

Just so happens he has such a longboat, actually a 32 foot Cornish pilot gig. He and some friends and fellow builders have built it over the last five years. It's now lying under a tarp outside Fred's Rubber Stamp Shop on Lakeshore Boulevard.

He'd like to see it used more. At events. By a rowing club. For races. For coastal outings. For anyone who just wants to get out on the water, even in the spring and fall. Potts insists the boat is extremely safe.

He'd like to see another one built, maybe by alternative high school students. It sure sounds like a project that technically-minded kids could get into.

Potts says these longboats are becoming very popular on the east coast and in England. Why not here? They have a history to them, they have tradition. Sounds like something Marquette could embrace.

Imagine this: Longboat races between clubs in Marquette, Munising and Houghton, cheered on by crowds on the shore. And after the races, retire to the nearest brew pub for a raucous award ceremony, some hearty camaraderie, and a drink or two. Yeah, sounds like Marquette.

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YOU GOTTA HAND it to Cliffs Natural Resources.

The mining company has perfected  a magic trick. You invest money in its stock and...Presto!...your money disappears.

Cliffs shares started the year at $27. Now they've sunk below seven dollars.

And this just in! An analyst for Credit Suisse has just downgraded his stock price estimate for Cliffs from $10 to $1.

One dollar, as in four quarters. Ten dimes.

A few years ago, Cliffs was trading at $100 a share.

All in all, a dandy year for Cliffs: managerial ineptitude, a hostile takeover, layoffs, facilities closed, others for sale, plunging demand, excessive debt.

One bright spot: The Empire mine, previously set for closure, was saved earlier this year for a couple more years. That saved 600 jobs.

That's something to celebrate for the New Year while we nervously await the next vanishing act.

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MARQUETTE'S GETTING MORE love from the national press.

This time from The Week, a well-regarded British magazine that puts out a U.S. edition.

The December 26th issue features a story on "fat bikes" in Marquette. Those are the bikes with fat tires, lightly inflated, that more of us are riding in the snow these days.

It's the latest wintertime trend, and Marquette's in the vanguard of the sport. The article points out that the Noquemanon Trail Network now has a 15 mile snow bike trail considered one of the best in the country.

Of course, fat bikes can be expensive. A good one will cost you about 100 shares of Cliffs. But act fast, because tomorrow the price could go up to 500 shares of Cliffs.

 If you've got news, email me at briancabell@gmail.com.

Progress for the Teachers, Brush-off for the Rowers, and Beer for Carhartt

It ain't over 'til it's over but it looks like the Marquette teachers' contract dispute with the school board is moving closer to resolution.

It's about time.

Union rep Stuart Skauge says a meeting between the two sides on Tuesday was the most encouraging they've had to date. They made progress. They'll meet again May 29th.

Until now, the main obstacle to an agreement has been "steps" and "lanes" for teachers. "Steps" allow teachers, through seniority and experience, to increase their pay . "Lanes" provide a boost when the teachers further their education and boost their credentials.

Pretty basic stuff, common among school districts across the nation.

But the board wants to eliminate them. Surely, it seems, there's got to be value in experienced and credentialed teachers. Why not reward them?

And it's not like the teachers are demanding huge pay raises. Actually, their latest contract offer, prior to Tuesday's meeting, was a zero percent pay raise the first year...and a zero percent pay raise the second year. Zero.

Just keep the steps and lanes, they say. Reward a teacher for her experience and her desire to further her education.

Yes, there's an argument to be made for requiring greater accountability by teachers, and basing their pay more on their performance than their seniority. But until we come up with a fair and reasonable plan to do that, let's move on.

Marquette prides itself on being an enlightened and family-friendly city. An eleven month old unresolved teachers' dispute doesn't enhance our reputation.

It also keeps about $10,000 a week out of teachers' pockets. That's money that would likely be spent here in the community.
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It was dismaying to hear a couple of residents suggest on Wednesday that maybe the Upper Peninsula Community Rowing Club should just move out of Marquette and relocate instead to Teal Lake.

Seriously?

The comments came at a City Commission hearing on the club's now controversial proposal to build a boathouse with private funds at Founders Landing.

Yes, it is public land and we're all for preserving the coastline, but 60 foot boats need to be stored somewhere, out of the weather and away from possible vandals, and the boathouse, as designed, would not block any views and it would not hinder access to the beach. And it would be open to all residents.

And let's be honest, this isn't a Hilton or a Red Lobster or a T-shirt shop they're proposing to build. It's a boathouse.

If the Founders Landing site is too objectionable, fine. Come up with another location where the water's not too rough and there's enough room to turn the big boats around. The options are extremely limited.

But let's not suggest that these active, community-minded rowers who actually enhance our coastline should just pack up their boats and get out of town.
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What's the first thing you think of when you hear the word "Carhartt"?  It's probably not beer.

But later this year, the famed clothing maker, in conjunction with the New Holland Brewing Company, will be introducing a new Carhartt beer. It'll be called the Carhartt Woodsman, a barrel-aged pale ale.

Beer and sturdy work clothes--a natural fit.

We'll be celebrating the introduction of the new brew this October outside Breakers Roadhouse on Baraga Avenue.

A big party. Wear your Carhartts, drink your Woodsman.
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Speaking of Carhartt, Getz's, one of the biggest online distributors of Carhartt clothing in the nation, recently got a boost from the clothing company.

Carhartt announced that, starting June 1st, Amazon will no longer list about 40 Carhartt stores carrying their clothes. Instead, they'll list only five stores, and Getz's will be one of them.

That'll give Carhartt more control over their product distribution, and it'll  drive more business to Getz's.

Filson, the maker of upscale clothing and bags, recently worked out a similar deal on Amazon with Getz's.

Marquette's favorite clothing store continues to flex its muscles around the nation and around the world.
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No surprise here.

The Carmike theater complex is shutting down June 5th. No point in trying to compete with the fancy, new complex on the other side of town.

One of the managers at Carmike says none of her employees were hired by the new theater, so they're out of jobs.

As for the building itself, it's hardly an architectural gem. Basically a box. It'd be surprising if it wasn't razed.

You got news? Email me at briancabell@gmail.com

Empire Shutdown, Founders Build-Up, and Shani's Shout-Out

What we have long feared is now just about upon us.

The Empire mine is closing. There are really no ifs, ands or buts about it. Barring a miracle, it's shutting down.

Cliffs' partnership with ArcelorMittal will end on December 31st which means there will be no more customers for Empire's pellets. The mining costs at Empire were just getting too expensive.

Of course, there will always be the doubters, deniers and skeptics--"Cliffs is just making idle threats!"--but the evidence is overwhelming.

Executives have been meeting with Empire workers for the last few weeks and the message has been simple and direct: prepare for the shutdown by the end of the year, and for many of you, prepare to lose your job. You'll get advance warning sometime during the year, but then you'll be out.

Seniority and job classification will determine who stays and who goes. Some of the Empire workers will shift over to the Tilden mine.

Executives have also been meeting weekly to plan for a smooth and painless shutdown. It won't be painless, but they're doing their best.

How many employees will lose their jobs? Management won't say and they're hoping for some early retirements, but 500 is probably a reasonable guess. Five hundred well-paid wage-earners is a lot for Marquette County. The west end will probably be particularly hard hit.

Cliffs is working with the Lake Superior Community Partnership and other agencies to aid in the transition. Not any easy task.

NMU economics guru Tawni Ferrarini says the county will be hard-hit in the short run but will recover because it's diversified its economy over the last decade.

Good for us. Not so good, unfortunately, for the hundreds of workers who may be forced to leave the area because they'll need to put food on the table for their families.
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You might have noticed there was no new construction at the Founders Landing site this last year. A sign of problems?

No, according to the developers. They're just playing it conservatively. They want to make sure they have reservations on at least half of the units in a building before they start construction.

In fact, they have now sold all of the condos in the existing buildings (though at least one of the units is up for re-sale), and they have a couple of reservations for the next building, Gaines. The hope is, they'll start building Gaines this spring. After that, it'll be the final building in the development, Adams.

Prices on the condos--$300,000 to $800,000. A nice little tax infusion for the city of Marquette.

As for the office-retail-restaurant complex next to the Hampton Inn, construction won't start until an issue with the 240 space parking garage there has been resolved. The city and the developers are trying to deal with that.
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Marquette has a serious rooting interest in the upcoming Winter Olympics, and one woman, in particular, is a huge fan.

Shani Davis, the 31 year old speedskater who's already won two gold medals and two silvers, went to Marquette High School and NMU while he was training for the Olympics.

In a recent interview with MotorTrend.com, he gave a shout-out to Aoy, the owner of the Rice Paddy. She's a great friend who makes him great food, he said.

In fact, Shani and Aoy have known each other for more than a decade. She fed him well during his early years before he became an Olympic champion. He still comes up to visit once a year and stays with her and her husband, Greg Trick. He phones her throughout the year.

He considers her a second mother; she calls him "Brown Sugar."

Aoy says Shani is everything a mother would want her son to be--helpful bringing the groceries in, helpful in cleaning the house. And his Olympic fame? She says it hasn't changed him in the least. He's the same, sweet guy he's always been.

What's his favorite dish at the Rice Paddy? Anything she cooks.

You got news? Email me at briancabell@gmail.com

Six Years in the UP

Hard to believe, but I've been in the Upper Peninsula for almost six years now. It was in July of 2004 that my dog and I headed north from Atlanta. I did the driving and she sat in the passenger seat, shooting me occasional glances as if to ask me when we were going to stop.

We finally stopped in Marquette where I'd taken the job as news director at TV6. As quickly as possible, I tried to immerse myself in news stories of the UP. Two of the most prominent and controversial were the Founders Landing development and the proposed Kennecott mine.

Well, they're still with us today and they're still in the news, but they seem, for better or worse to finally be winding down.

Founders Landing, after a few false starts, plenty of delays, and some serious political turmoil, actually has a few buildings on it now, with the promise of a hotel and more in the year ahead. All in all, a good thing, even though there are some who'd like to keep the shoreline clear. But the fact is, we need reasonable development because we need the tax revenue.

As for the nickel and copper mine that Kennecott is planning to build on the Yellow Dog Plains, things are a bit more uncertain and still remain, after all these years, controversial. I attended a concert the other night which was devoted, in large part, to opposition to the mine. Cynthia Pryor, who was recently arrested for trespassing at the mine site, spoke at the concert, pleading with people not to give up the cause.

Some Native Americans have begun camping out there to express their opposition to the mine, and in spite of a series of court victories for Kennecott, some of the diehards are still holding out hope that the mining giant can be stopped legally.

If I were a betting man, I'd tell you the odds are heavily weighted in favor of Kennecott. The company has too much money, too many lawyers, and in all likelihood, probably too much local support, for the mine to be blocked.

My hope now, after these last six years, is that we all do what we can to make sure Kennecott toes the line and respects the environment as it drills at the site, and that the company provides the hundreds of local jobs it has promised during the construction and operation phases of the mine.

It's probably time to move on to other news stories and other challenges in the U.P., but we shouldn't turn a blind eye to either the Kennecott mine or Founders Landing. Both projects will have a major impact on what is inarguably our greatest natural resource in the U.P.: our land and our water.