The 4th Was With Us
If the one day postponement of Marquette’s fireworks display put a damper on your 4th of July celebration, that’s on you. Stuff happens, and you just have to deal with it. As it turned out, the fireworks, which ended up on the actual 4th, were all we hoped they’d be, as was the Freedom Festival at Mattson Lower Harbor Park.
Not to be outdone, of course, was the traditional 4th of July Parade. Plenty of entries and chamber of commerce weather made for a great couple of hours on West Washington.
Camera Ready
One guy who made the most of it was Marquette’s Will Mosher. Like many of us, he was there with a camera, ready to shoot video of those entries he thought interesting enough to document.
One entry, seen above, caught his attention. “A very Midwest style parade float,” Mosher says. “I thought it looked interesting, and once I started filming, I realized it was the local Jazzercise class. The ladies absolutely rocked it on that trailer… great energy and awesome crowd engagement.
“After the parade I put the clip up on my social page, Da Shovel Guys. The next morning it already had a few hundred thousand views. Over the next two days, it just kept blowing up, and as of now, the Instagram post has over 2.5 million views.”
Mosher says, “I honestly just thought it was a fun little moment and never expected it to get this much attention. It’s been awesome to see people commenting with so much positivity and encouragement for the ladies and for our small-town parade.”
Goes to show, you just never know when you’re gonna go viral. Just make sure you’re dancing like everybody’s watching.
Collision Course on the Bike Path
I prefer to avoid writing about the same topic week after week, but when it stays in the news, and continues to be important to the community, I have no choice. So here’s your eBike update…
The Marquette Parks & Rec Advisory Committee, along with the Traffic & Parking Advisory Committee, are joining forces and establishing a sub-committee to study the issue and, hopefully, come up with some kind of a solution to the problem.
What’s the problem, you ask? Well, just like our Multi-Use paths, it’s a multi-level problem. Our paths, originally called “bike paths,” are there for users of all types… walkers, runners, bikers, etc. The recent introduction of eBikes into the mix has created a situation that pits those who favor a little motorized help, against the overall safety of the paths.
Not Allowed
Currently, in Marquette and many other cities as well, only Class 1 eBikes are allowed on linear paved paths, while Class 2 and 3 are prohibited. What’s the difference? In simple terms, riders on a Class 1 bike must pedal in order for the motor to function. Class 2 riders can choose to pedal or simply engage the throttle for peddle-free cruising. Class 3 cyclists can pedal or cruise when going up to speeds of 20 mph, but must pedal when increasing to speeds up to 28 mph.
For what it’s worth, many of the eBikes being bought and used today are Class 2. Those riders, if they’re following the ordinance, are pushed to the streets, or worse, the sidewalks. And now you ask, how is that safer? Spoiler alert… it’s not.
The reason Class 2 bikes are popular is because riders are often older, or physically challenged in some way, and need the assistance of the throttle to get started, or get to the top of a hill.
Those who oppose the restrictions of the ordinance suggest the class of the bike isn’t what needs to be regulated, but rather the speed. Though it’s not widely known, there is a 20 mph speed limit on our paths, which can reasonably be exceeded on an old Schwinn. So the type of bike might not be the problem.
The question then becomes… how do you enforce a speed limit on the multi-use paths? Though I’m sure someone’s working on it, current radar technology falls short when monitoring bikes, so cops have one less tool to aid in enforcement.
Self-Serve
This might be a silly question, but would it be too much to ask riders to police themselves? Most eBikes come equipped with a speedometer, so riders know when they’re exceeding the 20 mph limit. There’s also the rule of thumb which applies to transportation of all types… maintain a speed which is safe for the conditions. Again… too much to ask? Maybe.
As it was suggested at a recent community forum, an elderly rider who owns a Class 2 eBike, and just wants to take the path out to Presque Isle, can’t. It’s against the law. Is that what we want?
City officials hope the committee formed to look into the issue comes back with recommendations this year, to be put into place next year. The thinking here is, regardless of what they conclude, eBikes will continue to be a problem. No matter where they ride.
Mamma Mia
I was hoping to share an expert’s critique from opening night of the Lake Superior Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia, thinking I could help sell some tickets. Well, here’s another spoiler alert… it’s sold out!
Though the film version of the popular musical could reasonably be called a “chick flick,” it appears anyone who appreciates good song and dance, or was a bigtime Abba fan, is going to enjoy this local production.
Here’s a slice of what stage veteran Denise Clark has to say about the show…
“The Lake Superior Theatre opens its 2025 season with the beloved and wildly popular musical, Mamma Mia. Under the leadership team of director/choreographer Eliisa Gladwell, with additional choreography by Maureen McFadden, music direction by Caitlin Palomaki this challenging song and dance show looks and sounds smooth and easy. Add in some colorful and character defining costumes designed by Emmye Wiig, the combination makes for the Mama Mia summer experience we all want and love.”
No sense going any further. Those who see Mamma Mia will be treated to a very entertaining example of the kind of talent we have around here. Those who don’t see it will have to be a little quicker to the ticket window for the next show at the Lake Superior Theatre.
“Mamma mia” is an Italian expression meaning “Oh my goodness!” Say it with me… Mamma Mia!