Golf Course Is Out, Coast Guard Is Out to Lunch, and Huron Earth Deli Will Serve Lunch No Longer

LOOKS LIKE WE can cross one of Duke LifePoint's options off the list.

The Marquette Golf Club Board Wednesday morning voted to cut off all negotiations with DLP regarding a possible location for the new Marquette General Hospital.

Duke LifePoint, at last word, had been considering half of the Heritage course as one of its three options for relocation. But communication between the golf club and DLP over the last few weeks had gone silent and DLP's last offer to the club had been woefully inadequate.

Not only that, but the ongoing negotiations and gossip had upset the club membership and some of the surrounding neighbors. So, the board said, Enough.

Which apparently leaves DLP with two sites left on its list: 1) the 42 acres behind the Westwood Mall in Marquette Township, and 2) the Roundhouse property on the western fringe of downtown Marquette.

Maybe there's some unpublicized, darkhorse candidate out there. Who knows? We should have an answer by the end of this month.
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REMEMBER THAT GREAT property trade that Marquette made with the US Coast Guard several years back?

You know, the one in which the city got almost nine acres of coastal property for a public park, and the Coast Guard, in return, received one and a half acres on which to build their fancy new station.

Worked out great. The Coast Guard immediately built their $5 million, 6000 square foot facility in 2009 and opened it up to rave reviews, and the city...well...uh...the city...well, it seems that the city, you know...

The city still doesn't have squat.

Five years later, the city still doesn't have ownership of the property. It's fenced off. "No trespassing" signs abound.

Why the delays? Last year's government shutdown is one supposed reason. Whatever. That reason's getting old.

The government has determined that before the city takes ownership, the lighthouse and the other buildings on the property need to be repainted to encapsulate the old lead-based paint. Okay. That should take...what?...two or three weeks?

The real reason for the delay apparently is government bureaucracy. Despite pressure from our elected representatives, the Coast Guard clearly has not made this a priority. We all love the Coast Guard and appreciate what it means to Marquette, but clearly five years should be more than enough time to complete a deal. A deal was made and a promise was made but neither so far has been honored.
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HOW WOULD YOU like to work 70 hours a week and not earn a paycheck?

Welcome to the world of Andrew Sear, the owner and chef at Paladino's Café at the Peter White Public Library.

He, along with a tiny staff, has been at it for three months now turning out what most consider to be remarkably tasty and inventive food. Eclectic. Fusion. Local produce, local meat. Farm-to-table.

Problem is, it's a tiny café with a limited clientele and limited revenue even as its catering business grows. Thus, so far no paycheck for Sear. He's paying the bills, that's all.

So what's the plan?

He's looking to grow--start another Paladino's, a larger café-deli, preferably in Marquette but he's not ruling anything out. He's looking for investors, people with money who believe in his food and his vision. That hardly makes him unique, but you can't fault him for trying and dreaming and working 70 hours a week.

This week's special, by the way, is the Hot Mess which includes roasted pork, pickled red onions, kimchee, Michigan brie and bread. Yeah, that would be fusion. And eclectic.
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NOT TO PLAY middle man in all this, but a venue Sear and his angel investors might be considering is the building on Third Street currently housing Sweet Basil and MacDonald's Music Store.

If you passed by in the last week, you couldn't help but notice the For Sale sign on the building. The sign is roughly the size of a minivan.

Great location. It also includes four apartments. Two showings so far. $349,000.

As for Sweet Basil, business owner Shelly Morley says she'll either stay in the current location, or move it elsewhere in town if the new building owner asks her to move. But Sweet Basil, which has built a substantial catering business over the years, is not going away.
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ON THE OTHER hand, the Huron Earth Deli on South Third Street is going away.

The little café and deli tucked away into a mostly residential neighborhood is shutting down a week from this Friday. A shame. Good, wholesome high quality food here.

What this tells you is that even if you work hard and offer a great product, the profit margin in the restaurant business is tiny, sometimes non-existent. For every Vango's, there are a dozen good restaurants that go under within a couple of years.

The Huron Earth Deli building is up for sale at $325,000, but there appears to be a very interested owner from out-of-state. Another restaurant? We'll have to wait and see.
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THE BAYOU IN Harvey is now brewing its own suds under the brand name Chocolay River Brewery.

After a series of delays, the beer is now flowing under the direction of brewmaster Grant Lyke.

Here's what they have to offer so far:
   Bayou Blonde Ale
   Blueberry Wheat
   Gitchigoomie Black Ale
   Shot Point Wheat
   Rock Cut American Pale Ale

Needless to say, a distinctly local flavor.

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

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Brew Pubs, Back Pay and Burritos

Beer-lovers, rejoice. Marquette (actually Harvey) is about to get another microbrewery. The Bayou just got its license to brew its own suds but it'll be at least a few months before the operation is up and running.

Optimistically, they're hoping for April. Realistically, more like June. They've got to revamp the facility and install five tanks.

They've got a brewmaster ready to go, they'll be producing five different beers, and they're now looking for a logo for the new brewery which will officially be called the Chocolay River Brewery. The Bayou will hold a contest to determine the winning design.

If you've followed the evolution of the Bayou over the last decade, you've seen it change from a "dive bar" (Sorry, no other way to put it) to a neighborhood eatery with a vastly improved menu and more attractive appearance to a...brew pub, with a little cachet.
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Now, what's with the supposed Mexican restaurant soon to open over L'Attitude?

Okay, it'll be called Sol Azteca or Aztec Sun.

The staff is ready, the facilities and food are ready but...the menus aren't printed up yet and the sign's not here, either. According to one of the senior staff people, that's all that's holding the opening up. If the menus get here in the next few days, Sol Azteca could open as early as Monday.

It'll be mid-priced Mexican food--tacos, enchiladas, steaks, etc--in one of the best venues in town.

One eensie-teensie problem. Sol Azteca still doesn't have a liquor license. The staff member told me they're hoping to get it within a month, two at most.

Let's hope it's soon. Mexican food tastes better with a Corona or Dos Equis.
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So far, three candidates have tossed their hat into the ring for Marquette County Sheriff after the current sheriff, Mike Lovelace, unexpectedly announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago.

The three are Undersheriff Jack Schneider, Chocolay Police Chief Greg Zyburt, and a third candidate who wishes to remain anonymous. Understandable, since the candidate may not want his (or her) employer to know that he wants to move on.

Applications close down on December 15. Then the troika of Probate Judge Cheryl Hill, Prosecutor Matt Wiese and County Clerk Jack Dishnow will interview the candidates and choose the new sheriff who will take over February 1.

Interesting fact. The sheriff doesn't have to have a law enforcement background. It's considered an administrative position.
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Update on the back pay issue for beginning reporters at TV6 and Fox UP:
President and GM Rob Jamros says it's been resolved, after an investigation by the US Department of Labor.

Jamros says back pay will be given to all the underpaid news employees over the last 24 months. That will include some personnel who've since left the station.

Salaries for current employees have already been boosted about $5000 a year.

Jamros says a misunderstanding of the labor laws by WLUC's owners had resulted in the underpayments.

As for the station's new owners, Jamros says he's very optimistic because Sinclair is a genuine TV operation whose business is in running small and medium market TV stations. The previous owners, Barrington Broadcasting(who, frankly, were not popular with most of the staff here), was essentially an investment group intent on making as much money as possible in a short period of time.

Let's see if Sinclair takes a different approach.

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