The Cold Facts
There’s good ice, and there’s bad ice. The bad ice, of course, is that on the highway. And though we call them “accidents,” like they just happen, regardless of what we do… most of them can be prevented. I don’t know what else we can say, but… SLOW DOWN! Would you rather be late, or the late?
In addition to driving a speed appropriate to the conditions, there’s also another way to avoid accidents, and it’s a cousin to “social distancing.” Just like we maintain some space between ourselves and others when meeting face-to-face, we can do the same on the highway.
Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab found that if we stopped tailgating, and instead, drove at a fixed distance from the car in front, as well as the car behind, we could cut our journey times almost in half. Of course, that’s more applicable in larger markets where traffic jams are a constant, but the same technique can also help us avoid accidents. It’s simple physics… the further you are away from other vehicles, the more time you have to avoid a collision, especially on icy roads.
Now to the good ice… the ice on our outdoor skating rinks, like the one seen above. Sure, temperatures below zero don’t lend themselves to a lot of outdoor fun, but as we’ll see later in this post, the temperatures will rise, and our winter activities can be enjoyed once again. Activities like skating.
According to Andrew MacIver, Assistant Director of Community Services, “The City is maintaining three outdoor rinks, one at Tourist Park, one on Spring Street, and another at Reynolds Fields Complex on Presque Isle Ave. These are free and open to the public and we do not have any rules on how they are used.”
Apparently there have been complaints that hockey games dominate the open ice, which discourages people who just want to skate. Sorry, but there’s no good solution to that. As an option, Lakeview Arena offers a number of different open skate periods, where taking a puck to any particular body part isn’t a concern.
If I remember correctly, the city used to flood Hurley Field for south Marquette skaters, but apparently the ice did major damage to the grass, so the practice was discontinued.
Also on the street, the question has been raised as to why the downtown Commons area is no longer a skating rink, as it was when it was first constructed. I won’t give you the entire explanation I got from DDA Director Tara Laase-McKinney, but just know, it ain’t gonna happen.
There are a number of legitimate reasons for that, including things like aging infrastructure, design changes, maintenance challenges, other uses, and… inconsistent weather. So we can write this off as… a good idea at the time.
Did somebody say… inconsistent weather?
Yeah, that was me, in the last paragraph. Actually, the only consistent thing about our weather is its inconsistency. Though it looks like our U.P. 200 Sled Dog Race will return from its two-year hiatus, it was announced last week that the Noquemanon Ski Marathon won’t be happening due to the lack of an adequate snowpack on much of the trail.
Surely, this winter has been another one we could call interesting. A slow start like we had this year isn’t that rare anymore, as well as the lack of snow, but the way it’s been happening is stranger than we’re used to.
Matt Zika, our National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist explains. “The main storm track has been too far to the south this winter, thus no widespread system snows that have blanketed the whole UP, including Marquette.” Which explains why they’ve gotten almost as much snow in the LP as we have here.
But why all the snow to our east and west, leaving Marquette in the middle, bookended by usual UP snowfall? “The main driver of snow this winter has been lake effect. The winds have been too northwesterly with each of these events for Marquette and most of Marquette County to see significant snow. It has been quite unusual.”
And what about our recent frigid temps? Dan Thompson, the weather service’s Science and Operations Officer says, “We just experienced the coldest 3-day stretch at our office in Negaunee since January 2019. Temperatures look to moderate this weekend through the end of the month, even a few degrees above normal (although since we are at the climatologically coldest part of the year, this will still likely equate to highs near or below freezing.)”
Dan has statistics about our snowfall too. “Through Tuesday, we have recorded 57.4″ of snow at our office in Negaunee, which is 40.8″ inches below normal. Our cooperative observer in Painesdale currently is reporting a snow depth of 36″, and our cooperative observer in Munising has recorded 133.4″ of snow so far this winter. Outside of these lake effect belts, the snowfall has been below normal this year.”
In other words, even though stranger weather is the norm around here, this winter has been one of the strangerist. Of course, if you’ve lived around here long enough, you know… it can always get strangerer.
More Winter Fun
The Meijer sponsored State Games of Michigan are returning this year with the Marquette Winter Games, featuring different events, inside and out, on the weekend of February 7 – 9.
This year the event is partnering with Negaunee’s Heikki Lunta Winter Festival with the Opening Ceremony taking place in Downtown Negaunee at 5:45 on Friday the 7th.
There are a number of different events open to area enthusiasts. You can find that list and all additional info at the State Games website.
Remember, if you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but still the same amount of snow.
Vote Local… Shop Local
Every time I write about the challenges of keeping stores profitable and open at the Westwood Mall, or, for that matter, any of our business districts, in the back of my mind I realize online shopping is a major influence. In truth, it’s likely one of the biggest factors in the viability of local stores… at least those that aren’t of the big box variety.
So, great. We’ve identified the problem. But what’s the solution? Well, one local entrepreneur is trying to make something happen, but he needs your help.
Marquette’s Garrett Paquette is currently entered in a competition called “Entrepreneur of Impact.” The contest, sponsored in part by Forbes, will award $25,000 to the winner, enabling him or her to put their winning idea into motion.
Garrett’s entry specifically addresses the issue of online shopping. From his page in the contest, here’s how he explains his idea… “Curbing the economic leakage of online shopping through entrepreneurship and a cooperative e-commerce hub for local sellers, vendors, and creators across Marquette County, MI. Inspiring other locals and visitors to create local value and search Marquette today!”
I don’t know Garrett and I don’t know if he could pull this off, even if he wins the 25k, but I know I like the idea. Buying from Amazon only enriches the already rich. If Garrett doesn’t win, maybe he could go ahead with his plan regardless. Anything to promote buying local is alright with me.
If you’d like to vote for some local inspiration, here’s the link to the competition. Good luck Garrett!