Happy Plaidurday!
The temperature dropped just in time for you to don your best plaid and celebrate Plaidurday!
Plaidurday, the brain-child of local social influencer and self-proclaimed “doer of things,” Bugsy Sailor, began in earnest back in 2011, and takes place annually on the first Friday of October. The official name of the event, if any of this is actually “official,” is National Plaid Day.
According to Bugsy’s website, the idea is to “bring together all the wonderful plaid-wearing people of the world.” Suggestions for exactly how one would celebrate the day include: taking a photo and sharing it with the #plaidurday hashtag, give a high-five and compliments to others wearing plaid, make plaid crafts and treats, and a few other things you would only do on Plaidurday.
Fresh Coast Film Festival
Sticking with the “Bugsy” theme, the Fresh Coast Film Festival is on the immediate horizon with a full schedule of films starting next Thursday and running through Sunday, in eight different local venues.
Along with a number of local film enthusiasts, Bugsy has been one of the driving forces behind this unique celebration of both the land, and the people who conquer it. Film topics range from the art of craft brewing to the love of growing weed, not weeds… weed, to pending actions that threaten Lake Superior, to skipping stones, to making cheese, to… well, you get the idea. With more than 80 films on the roster, there’s bound to be a few in your areas of interest.
“For those new to Fresh Coast, I highly encourage you to join us Thursday evening (October 13) for Fresh Coast Free,” says Bugsy. “It’s our opening night that’s free to the community under the tent at Mattson Lower Harbor Park.”
The full lineup and other festival details can be found at freshcoastfilm.com.
Here Comes the Sun
One more shoutout to the land-loving Sailor, and his nationally-recognized sunrise photo project. While you were sleeping… okay, while I was sleeping, Bugsy has been taking photos of the sunrise. And not just one sunrise. Every sunrise since January 1st, 2019.
Bugsy thinks it does more for him than those who enjoy the photos. “Whether I’m out there in a blizzard or freezing rain when the sun is nowhere near being visible, it has become a practice to stay grounded through all the hurdles life has to offer.”
If you’re like me, your first thought is probably… “Aren’t all sunrises the same?” The obvious answer, after perusing Bugsy’s collection of more than 1300 sunrise photos is… no. Like snowflakes and strike zones, no two are alike.
And also, if we’re thinking along the same lines… “What about sleep?” Either Bugsy doesn’t need much of it, or he doesn’t care about seeing the sunset. Regardless, his commitment to such a project is something to be admired. Not something to emulate. Just admire.
In his free time, Bugsy also owns and operates the Upper Peninsula Supply Company, a downtown Marquette destination for all things U.P.
To check out Bugsy’s sunrises and everything else on his over-sized plate, visit bugsy.me. Bring your own coffee.
A Two-Alarm Fire!
A couple fire-themed events are on this weekend’s schedule, offering totally unrelated experiences to people of widely varied interests.
Starting things off is the inaugural Camp Cannabis. The Fire Station Cannabis Company, the area’s first recreational marijuana facility, is behind this festival, currently the only one of its kind in the Upper Peninsula.
It’s today (Friday) and tomorrow at Marquette’s Tourist Park, and as the name of the event would suggest, it’s all about pot… heavily infused with music, art, and culture. The music lineup alone is enough to satisfy most festival goers. Throw in all the other stuff of interest to weed enthusiasts and you’ve got two full days of cannabis celebration.
The event is also being billed as “an immersive music festival,” and with the gang from Double Trouble Entertainment involved, you shouldn’t be surprised that it’s jam-packed with music for all tastes.
Everything you’d like to know about the event is available at thefirestation.com. Make sure you check out the online program. It’s the ultimate guide to Camp Cannabis.
At the same time, on Saturday at 11am at Harlow Park, the Marquette Fire Department will be recognizing the 100th Anniversary of National Fire Prevention Week with a static display of fire-fighting equipment and prevention education, followed by a parade at 12:30.
Kids aren’t allowed at Camp Cannabis, but they’re more than welcome to come down and check out the big fire trucks and meet some firefighters. (That’s probably more to their liking anyway.) And they can register to win a bike!
At the very least, attending this event is a nice way to show our public servants we appreciate them looking out for us. Just like our cops, they deserve our thanks, and our respect.
In Case You Missed It…
The League of Women Voters of Marquette County sponsored a Marquette Area Public Schools Candidate Forum last night at Kaufman Auditorium. Lots of questions and answers in the hour and a half program, but the one we’ve written about here and generates the most interest, regards the MSHS Redmen nickname, and whether to keep it or change it.
Four of the five current candidates were in attendance at the forum with Leigh Beth Freberg bowing out of the event due to a scheduling conflict. (Candidates Meghan McCune and Grant Guston have apparently withdrawn from the election.) Of those who were there and responded to the question of what to do about the nickname issue… here’s what I heard:
None of the candidates came right out and declared their position as ‘keep it’ or ‘change it.’ So, until we hear a definite policy statement in campaign advertising or on another platform, we’ll have to do our best to interpret last night’s comments.
- Monet Borione suggested that the most important thing was for the school leaders to set an example as to how issues such as this should be dealt with. We’ll call that inconclusive.
- Jason Zdunek said we should refer to the work of the previous board, specifically the community survey that showed more than 60% of respondents favored keeping the Redmen moniker. Sounded like he favors going with the results of that survey.
- Cherryl Maddox-Smith suggested we should look at the “evidence” that has been gathered over time with regards to such nicknames and how they impact students and communities. Seemed to be leaning toward changing the name.
- Adam Ladd didn’t appear to favor either side, but thought it might be valuable to survey the current student body and see how they feel.
Bonus Coverage…
The candidates were also asked about how they would deal with the issue of flags in the school, other than state and national flags. It’s what we’re seeing currently debated in Gwinn. Other than candidate Ladd, we really didn’t get any definitive answers. Ladd suggested that once you start letting other flags be displayed, where do you stop?
Again… this is one observer’s interpretation of what came out of last night’s forum. A recording of the event is available on the League of Women Voters Facebook page, if you’d like to see for yourself.
This just in…
The Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum has announced the appointment of Jessica Hanley to serve as their new director, replacing the local institution’s founder, Nheena Weyer Ittner. For the past 10 years Hanley has managed Jeffrey’s Restaurant, but you may know her better from the last two years she’s spent on the Marquette City Commission.
Following Nheena, who retired from the museum earlier this year, will be a double-edged sword kind of thing. On one side, Hanley will be taking over an operation with an outstanding reputation. On the other, she’ll be given the task of following Nheena. When asked about that, Hanley responded… “She built this museum from the ground up! To try and be just like her would only set me up for failure, as it is an impossible task. I can only hope to find a way forward on my own path, and to help the museum continue to grow.”