595 Revival, Hospital Feedback, Rahoi Settlement, Museum Collaboration, and Taco Mystery

COUNTY ROAD 595 ain't dead yet, not by a long shot.

The Marquette County Road Commission is getting ready to sue the Environmental Protection Agency which rejected the proposed 595 cut-through in northern Marquette County in 2013.

That's right, a county agency is going to be suing a federal agency

Interesting. And what's more interesting is that the money behind the lawsuit will be coming from private interests, specifically the timber industry.

State Senator Tom Casperson (Republican) is the man behind this unusual private-public collaboration, and State Representative John Kivela (Democrat), who's been privy to the talks, fully endorses the suit as well. They insist the EPA was just flat-out wrong in rejecting the proposed road.

Background: CR 595 was proposed in 2011 as a way for Kennecott Minerals to transport its ore from the Eagle Mine near Big Bay down to its mill near the old Humboldt mine--a 22 mile road that would have been a shortcut through wilderness and kept the heavy trucks away from Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming. It would also have been used by other trucks, loggers in particular.

It was a plan that had the full support of city and county officials, as well as US Senators Levin and Stabenow (Democrats) and Congressman Benishek (Republican) and Governor Snyder (Republican). Nearly a consensus.

Not quite. Environmental groups, including Save the Wild UP, opposed it, as did the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community....and ultimately, and most importantly, so did the EPA. The feds ruled that the road would be impinging on wetlands.

So County Road 595 died. Almost. Now its being revived, thanks to the efforts of Casperson and some county officials.

The recent accident involving a mining truck on CR 550 that tied up traffic for hours might generate more support for 595. None of us wants those big-ass trucks anywhere near town.

So the battle is back on. Environmentalists versus a business/government coalition that's well-funded and, to be honest, probably has more popular support than the environmentalists. Will that be enough to prevail over the EPA in court?

We'll see.
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REACTION CONTINUES TO come in from our roundtable discussion about the hospital three weeks ago.

Analytics tell us that more than 20,000 people, the overwhelming majority from Marquette County, have read the blog, which means nearly one in three residents here read it. More than 170 posted comments. It's fair to say we all care about our local hospital.

It was the first agenda item for the hospital's Leadership Meeting shortly after the blog was posted. No word on what was said or suggested at the meeting.

Otherwise, hospital executives are offering no official reaction except to say that "internal" discussions are taking place.

Oh, and CEO Ed Banos and Chief Nursing Officer Dagmar Raica brought in Jimmy Johns sandwiches to a group of nurses the day the blog was posted.

And the exodus of doctors from the hospital continues. Dr. Richard Rovin, a neurosurgeon, is the latest to close up shop.
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THE TRAGIC ROBIN Rahoi hit-and-run case has been settled in criminal court, and now it appears that it's nearing resolution in civil court, as well.

In fact, it'll be settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum. The settlement will not be anything substantial, from what we're hearing, because there just wasn't much money to get.

Michael Nelson of Big Bay received a nine month jail sentence, plus two years probation, for the hit-and-run killing of Rahoi, an NMU employee, just about a year ago. Rahoi was walking along a dark road when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Nelson.

The vehicle left the scene. Rahoi was left to die.

Rahoi's three children had filed the civil suit, not because they were looking for big money or vengeance, according to their attorney Steve Pence, but because they were hoping Nelson would take responsibility for having taken their mother's life.

Nelson all along has insisted he never realized he had struck a human on that dark night.

So it goes.
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WHAT THE HECK happened to Ron's Taco Shop?

The little diner was in the process of relocating from Third Street to Washington Street downtown when suddenly, amid rumors, the move ground to a halt.

The last posting on Ron's Facebook page came way back on November 19th when the owners said they were working on the kitchen, the floors and the walls, with an anticipated opening around the Christmas holidays.

Not likely. The landlords at what was to be the new location now say they don't want to talk about Ron's.

The landlord at Ron's old location is still grumbling about unpaid bills.

And those of us who liked the fare at Ron's Taco Shop are searching instead for our beloved taco trucks.
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ONE OF DOWNTOWN'S stalwarts, Moonstone Gallery, is closing up shop on Wednesday, Christmas Eve.

Jeweler Ann Kuhnly says nine years is enough. She'll still be making her own jewelry and selling it at art fairs and such, but operating a store downtown is just not working for her. The last two years in particular, when we've supposedly been recovering from the recession, have been very tough.

Apparently the millionaires and billionaires who've watched their stock portfolios soar in recent years aren't buying moderately priced jewelry in Marquette.                                                                                        

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A TOTALLY DIFFERENT story right next door where Spice Merchants opened up just a couple of weeks ago.

Owner Mike Carl, positioned near an overheated cash register, tells us he's having trouble keeping his spices, teas, rubs, chocolates, soups and gifts in stock. The damn customers keep buying them.

It's been busier, he's been told, than even the Spice Merchants store in Traverse City.

We'll check back with him January 15. Here's guessing he'll likely have more time to talk next month. And the month after.
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THE OTHER NEW store in town, Great Turtle Toys, may be moving next door into the Childrens Museum.

Nothing's definite yet but Ben Nye, the store owner, is interested in taking over Sprouts, the less-than-successful store on the first floor of the museum.

Museum director Nheena Ittner would welcome some sort of collaboration with Nye, but the final decision, including the financial arrangements, would have to be approved by the museum's board.

If something is worked out, Nye's shop could be in the museum, under a new, as yet undetermined name, by the end of next month.

Nye's got plenty of ideas and energy. His pop-up store, Great Turtle Toys, has done steady business since he opened up a couple of weeks ago but his quickie lease will expire on January 1st. Now he wants to stay in town.

Seems like a good fit with the museum.


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

If you want to be notified when Word on the Street is posted, go to Word on the Street by Brian Cabell on Facebook and "like" it.

Hit and Run Update, MGH Options and Famous Footwear

It's been almost two months since the hit-and-run death of Robin Rahoi in Big Bay and still, no charges have been filed.

Family and friends of Ms. Rehoi, along with residents of Big Bay, are confused and dismayed by the delay. What's holding things up?

Michigan State Police refuse to say anything publicly about the case but they do, in fact, have a suspect. They're awaiting results of forensic testing to firm up their case. After that, we can expect charges to be filed.

All along, police have known the principals involved in the case. Big Bay residents were able to tell them that both Ms. Rahoi and occupants of the suspect vehicle had attended a party in town that night.

Ms. Rahoi drove home first but her car broke down in the snow. She got out of the vehicle and was attempting to walk home apparently when she was struck by another vehicle also leaving the party.

Whoever hit her left her body in the snow and drove away.

It's horrible. It's distressing. Authorities are just making certain that when they do make an arrest, the case is airtight.
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It'll be two months, maybe three, before officials decide on a new location for Marquette General Hospital.

Thirty original site proposals are being whittled down to a handful.

Among the proposals? A site in Sawyer. That's certainly too far from Marquette. The same, in all likelihood, with the suggested site at the old airport behind TV6.

Marquette Township has offered up a couple of parcels (40 acres are needed for the new hospital) but there are concerns about locating a hospital in the township. Namely, infrastructure--water and sewer lines may not be adequate. And would the new hospital feel comfortable with a mostly volunteer fire department?

Which leads most who've studied the issue to believe that Duke LifePoint will likely keep the new MGH within city limits. The Cliffs Dow property (if it can be cleaned up) and the Roundhouse property are clearly in the running. A site out by the ski hill is another possible location.

And then there are those who are still stubbornly holding out hope that Duke LifePoint, after considering all the alternatives, will say, what the hell, let's just keep MGH in its current location and spend a couple hundred million dollars improving and expanding the facility.
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Westwood Mall, which is facing the discouraging closure of J.C. Penney in the next few months, may have some good news on the horizon. It's hoping to welcome a couple of new stores this year.

Famous Footwear is a definite. Construction is well underway and jobs will soon be available. It should open this spring.

Another store, featuring clothing, is a possibility. Negotiations haven't been completed yet.

Even together, of course, they wouldn't begin to make up for the loss of J.C. Penney, one of the longtime anchors at Westwood.

And then there's the case of Radio Shack which reportedly is going to shutter 500 of its stores nationwide. Could the outlet at Westwood Mall be a candidate? It'd be naïve to think otherwise. But let's hope not.

The fact that one, and maybe two, national chain stores are moving in, is a good sign that marketers still have some faith in a mall that--let's be honest--could certainly benefit from a facelift.

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

Silence on the Hit-and-Run and a Vacation in Baghdad

Still no update on the tragic hit-and-run accident in Big Bay a few weeks ago that took the life of Robin Rahoi, the NMU dietician. Her body was found in the snow in the early morning of December 17.

The last we heard from the State Police shortly after the incident was that a suspect vehicle had been recovered. That's it.

I asked Detective Sergeant Paul Campbell if possible suspects had been interrogated. He wouldn't say; they've conducted many interviews.

Is the suspect (or suspects) local? Were there two people in the car? Are authorities trying to determine who was actually driving? Was Ms. Rahoi hit while she was walking on the road after her car broke down? Was she dragged a long distance by the suspect vehicle? These are all reports coming from residents in Big Bay but all are unconfirmed. Detective Sergeant Campbell wouldn't comment.

He did say the case is moving toward resolution, and an arrest or arrests would be made in a reasonable amount of time. What is "reasonable"? He wouldn't say whether that means weeks, months, or longer.
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Some of us go to Florida for vacation. Others go to the Caribbean or Hawaii or Europe.

Or you can be like Bob and Peggy Lorinser who've been attracted to such getaways as Pakistan and South Korea....and up next, Baghdad. They might want to consider looking for a new travel agent.

Actually they're not vacationers.  A couple of years ago, these longtime Marquette residents (he's a doctor, she's been a housewife and mother) decided to take an unconventional turn in their lives. They joined the Foreign Service of the State Department.

Why? A sense of service to the country, and a sense of adventure.

Damn, why do the rest of us suddenly feel so inadequate?

Their adventure continues in April when they leave the garden spot of South Korea (and the madman with the nuclear weapons to the north) for the resort town of Baghdad, which has been seething with conflict and violence for the last decade.

We wish them well at their new post. They make us proud.
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Have you heard about "suspended coffee"?

It's something that was started on the Internet a  while back, the latest iteration of pay-it-forward.

Coffee-buyers give coffee shops extra cash to pay for future customers who may be short on funds and want to come in out of the cold.

Sue Kensington, the owner of Hot Plates, loved the idea and pitched it to Theo McCracken of Dead River Coffee. He loved it. He's now set up a jar for "suspended coffee" cash. Last I checked it was full.

Kensington's pitching it to other merchants, as well.

Marquette's not exactly a magnet for the homeless and indigent in the winter, but McCracken says, yes, he does have customers who are struggling and would love to have a free, steaming cup of coffee.
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An update on WJMN's plans to start a brand new news department in the Upper Peninsula:

The CBS station is now advertising in TVjobs.com for a news director-anchor to launch a news department early this year. Whether that means January, February or May, we don't know.

An executive with the station would only tell me that when they're ready to make that announcement, they'll do so publicly, with full details. Over the last couple of months, they've been talking to current and former TV6 employees about possible employment.

The TVjobs.com ad, by the way, mentions that WJMN's newscasts will run weeknights, in the early evening and late night. In other words, no morning newscasts and no weekends. At least to start.

When WJMN does launch, it'll join a threeway competition with TV6 (NBC) and TV10 (ABC). Marquette is a tiny TV market (180th out of 210) but apparently the guys with extra money in their pockets see enough promise here to make the investment.
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What's wrong with this picture?

Well, it's Teal Lake in Negaunee and the photo was taken on January 8th.

So?

So, there's not a single shanty out there. Apparently even the hardiest of ice fishermen don't find much pleasure outside when the wind chill is minus 15.

They're waiting for the big warm-up this weekend when the mercury soars to...uhh, freezing.

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