IF YOU’RE ROOTING for the city of Marquette to get the new Marquette General Hospital, you can’t like this: a Duke LifePoint helicopter was observed last week conducting an aerial survey of the Township’s proposed site for the new hospital.
And then consider this: Duke LifePoint CEO Ed Banos recently provided an update on the hospital relocation to the Marquette County Board and the Marquette Township Board…..but not to the Marquette City Commission.
What the hell.
It couldn’t have been a simple oversight, could it? Was Banos sending a message? Is he peeved at the city? Is it a bargaining ploy? Or is the selection process all but over?
We’re closing in on mid-July. A decision, already overdue, should be coming soon. Three sites–the Township site behind the Westwood Mall, and the City’s two sites at the golf course and on the Roundhouse property–are all still technically in the running.
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THE CITY IS struggling with another huge, financial problem.
Its two biggest taxpayers–the Presque Isle Power Plant and Marquette General Hospital–are challenging their tax bills before the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
That’s their right, of course, but this type of challenge, with the amount of money at stake, may be unprecedented in Marquette’s history.
What it does is handcuff the city. It can’t spend the money in question which might please some residents who prefer lower taxes and a smaller government, but it will seriously jeopardize city services. The Tax Tribunal cases can take up to two years to be resolved.
Interpretation of tax law and the overall tax climate are changing, for better or worse.
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NOTHING LIKE AN ice-cold brew after a long, exhausting day on the slopes of Marquette Mountain. Or how about a hot toddy?
Well, you might want to think twice about that.
Marquette Mountain has lost its liquor license. The license belonged to Vern Barber, the former general manager who departed for Mount Bohemia a couple of months ago. A transfer couldn’t be worked out.
So that means for now, banquets, weddings and any other events will have to bring in their own liquor to Marquette Mountain. Not an impossible situation but it certainly makes the venue less attractive for adults.
As for this skiing season, well, we’ll see. Management is working on it. Liquor licenses can be expensive and difficult to find.
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ANYBODY WANNA RUN for the Marquette School Board?
As of Tuesday, nobody had filed yet for what will be four open seats.
No reason for alarm, though, because several potential candidates had taken out applications, and the deadline for filing is July 22nd, and you need only a handful of signatures to file.
Still, given the stalemated and contentious teacher contract talks, you’d have thought there’d be more public interest in the races.
Stu Skauge, the teachers’ union negotiator, says he’s not getting involved in the elections although he’d welcome candidates who’d be pro-teacher and willing to challenge the four incumbents, including chairman Rich Rossway, whose terms end this year. It’s uncertain how many of the incumbents are running for re-election.
Superintendent Bill Saunders says he’s convinced that whoever wins the elections will soon see that the district’s finances are in dire straits and unable to accommodate the financial demands of the teachers.
Bargaining talks between the teachers and the district continue almost weekly with little or no progress. Skauge wants the entire board to be involved in the talks; the board says no, its team of three negotiators is sufficient.
The teachers have been working without a contract for more than a year.
What kind of leverage do the teachers have? Almost none. A strike? They’d lose pay for every day they were out and they’d never get it back, and the district would lose state money. Lose-lose.
Sympathetic yard signs–and there are hundreds around town–are good for morale, but not much else.
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JACKSON’S PIT, THE new bar and grill in Negaunee, had some good news and bad news last weekend.
The good news was that it was jam-packed.
The bad news was that it was jam-packed.
It opened unannounced and unpublicized late Friday, on the 4th, and things went fine. But then on Saturday, following stories on Fox UP, TV 6 and the WLUC website about the new restaurant, it was overwhelmed with customers.
Waits extended up to two hours because the kitchen and wait staff, which hadn’t had time to practice, couldn’t keep up. No surprise, there were plenty of complaints.
Now the best news. Customer flow has moderated, the staff is up to speed, and Negaunee has a new and attractive alternative for lunch and dinner downtown.
Moral of the story: TV newscasts and TV websites can certainly pack a powerful punch.
You got news? Email me at briancabell@gmail.com