THERE’S GOTTA BE a lot of profit in coffee, or maybe it’s just that we love coffee shops.
Either way, there’s a new one coming to Third Street in Marquette late this summer or early in fall.
Contrast Coffee, a craft coffee roaster that already has two shops in Iron River and Ironwood, will be moving into the spot vacated by Forsberg Flowers couple of years ago.
The building is owned by the lawyers Derek Swajanen and George Hyde. They’ll be splitting the building with Contrast Coffee.
Contrast’s owners are longtime friends from Ohio who’ve decided the U.P. is crying out for more coffee. Serious coffee.
They say they’re part of the “third wave” of coffee in the U.S. The first wave brought Folgers-type coffee to all of our breakfast tables. The second brought finer coffees–like Starbucks–to cafes, and created a coffee culture here. And this third wave—they say–focuses on artisanal coffees, looking at beans as a carefully grown and roasted food with a fine and distinctive taste.
Connoisseur coffee, in other words. (By the way, Dead River Coffee would be considered third wave.)
In any case, a new coffee shop with seating for 40 connoisseurs is coming within a few months. Bakery goods as well, but those will likely be provided by Babycakes.
APPLICATIONS TO MOVE into the new Grandview Marquette (formerly the Orphanage) will be taken soon, probably within the month.
So far, 115 people have phoned in their interest in the subsidized apartments. That’s for 56 units–one, two and three bedrooms.
Not all of the applicants will necessarily qualify, though, according to Amy Lerlie, the head of Community Action Alger-Marquette, which will operate the apartment complex.
First of all, no sex offenders and no one with a drug felony will be allowed in.
And then there’s the income qualifications. A couple making $29,100 or less would qualify. Same with a family of three with a household income of $32,760 or less.
It’ll be affordable, attractive, low income housing in a convenient location. Vitally needed here. Move-in date will likely be in September.
If you’re interested–though you may be put on a waiting list–you can call 906-228-6522, extension 208.
LOOKS LIKE ALL the recent attention about Marquette in tourist publications and on TV programs is starting to pay off.
Hotel occupancy in Marquette County in March–always a slow month–was up by 20% over March of 2016, according to Travel Marquette. That bodes well for the summer
Two more media tours are on tap so far for this summer.
One with Swiss tourism agencies, and the other with a Grand Rapids group, grandrapidskids.com.
Something here for everybody–foreigners, kids, coffee-lovers. Now if we can just chase away the overcast skies and keep the temperature above 60 degrees.
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MUNISING IS FEELING the impact of increased tourism, too.
Construction begins this month on the town’s $2 million marina expansion project. That’ll include a 110 foot extension of the municipal pier with 24 more boat slips.
Last year, the city added a 120 foot extension to the pier.
They’ve got busy boat traffic, understandable when you’re right around the corner from one of this nation’s geological marvels, Pictured Rocks.
City officials note that, unlike many other city marinas, Munising’s is actually self-supporting.
BIG CHANGES AT ABC 10. News director Jerry Taylor has taken himself off the air.
He’s no longer anchoring the 6 o’clock news. Instead, he says he’ll be more valuable in a supporting role, behind the scenes, with assignments, production, writing, and the website.
Chelsea Birdsall is now the 6 o’clock anchor, and NMU student Dane Wurmlinger has stepped in as the 10 and 11 o’clock anchor.
ABC 10 doesn’t garner much in the way of ratings but it continues to amaze. Taylor’s news staff, including a weathercaster out of Alpena, totals six.
Six people, broadcasting 20 news shows a week. Incredible.
TV 6, by contrast, has well over 20 on its news staff.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL politics, along with the environmental movement, will be invading the Marquette City Commission chambers on Monday, June 12th.
That’s when an activist group will be presenting an online petition (280 signatures so far) to the Commissioners, asking them to join other cities from around the country in endorsing the Paris Climate Accord. That agreement asks countries to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Unless you’ve been hibernating for the last month, you know that the President recently pulled the nation out of that agreement.
But the mayors of 89 cities–including Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor–have said they’re still on board with it and will work within their cities to reduce emissions.
A worthy enough goal. Let’s see if we can keep politics out of it. Uhhh, yeah. Good luck with that.
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IF YOU’VE BEEN walking, jogging or biking on the Iron Heritage Trail along South Beach recently, you’ve probably noticed a change in the dunes and the wild area behind the beach.
Scrub trees and bushes, with no botanical or environmental value, have been cut down. The city did it. Cleaned things out. Leveled the landscape.
City manager Mike Angeli said residents had been complaining about the out-of-control foliage concealing illegal campers and who-knows-what-else. A public safety issue.
Plus, it looks better.
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HERE’S HOPING THAT a concert scheduled for Thursday, June 8th (7:30 pm) at Kaufman Auditorium will live up to the hype.
It’s a “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” tribute, 50 years after the much acclaimed Beatles album was released.
A slew of Marquette’s most talented musicians are involved along with high school choir members and Marquette Symphony musicians.
A big deal with a huge but exciting challenge. Tickets still available.
Of particular interest to at least one Beatles aficionado: Mike Waite singing (with wife Erica dancing) “Day in the Life,” the finest Beatle song ever.
Okay, arguably the best.
Well, it was certainly one of the best.
Okay, okay. At least we can agree it was…pretty darn good.
You got news? Email me at briancabell@gmail.com